This is one of those simple ideas that leaves you wondering why we aren’t all using something similar on a daily basis.It’s a semi-rigid pannier that fits a standard bicycle rack,but instead of buckles and belts,it simply hooks over the frame,hanging much like a conventional pannier by gravity alone. You might expect it to jump off or blow around in the wind,but it doesn’t seem to.

As it only takes a few seconds to lift the pannier on and off the bike,it can be carried into the shops or into the office as a bag or briefcase,then plopped back on the bike,carried home,and straight indoors.No clumsy, time consuming loading and unloading, no ‘double-handling’ collateral damage to delicate items,and a quick getaway assured.

The pannier measures a reasonable 30cm deep by 38cm long and 17cm wide,giving a capacity of about 19 litres.No,we don’t know what that means either.But think of it as about one foot square by 6 inches deep,if that helps,or in terms of supermarket shopping, eight four-pint milk containers.

Note the carrying strap and simple clamps.The Velcro does very little

In practice, the capacity is closer to four milk containers, because the pannier closes with a zip,and if you over-fill it,you can’t do the zip up.This put us off using it on a daily basis for serious shopping,but it remains a firm favourite for the post run,and popping out for odd bits and pieces.Being safely over A4 size, it’s ideal for business meetings,and surprisingly stylish.And for less than £20,it’s pretty good value,even if you only use it occasionally. We’d like to see it redesigned with a couple of integral bungees instead of a zip,and some reflective stripes would be nice, but don’t let that put you off – it’s a useful and practical accessory.

Dutch Shopping Pannier £16.85 (inc post & packing) . DutchBike  mail enquiries@dutchbike.co.uk tel 0031 20 6123819

A to B 59 – April 07