With big cities around the U.S. and Canada celebrating Bike to Work Day, we want to remind you of the joys of pedal-based transport. Not only is it a path to a healthier lifestyle, but it’s fun and economical. So with gas prices and temperatures on the rise, the timing couldn’t be better to adopt a new motto: “Two wheels good, four wheels bad.”
The problem is, neither you nor your coworkers consider spandex appropriate for the office, and you don’t want to click-clack around Trader Joe’s in your carbon fiber cycling shoes.
Luckily, there’s a whole industry dedicated to making cycling apparel that doesn’t look like cycling apparel. From clipless bike shoes that look like Chuck Taylors to weatherproof work pants that sport reflective strips when you roll up the pant leg, there are countless pieces of cycling gear that let you cruise around town without looking like you’re gunning for the podium in Paris.
Mission Workshop Sanction Rucksack
Straying from the one-strap messenger-style bag, Mission Workshop’s Sanction Rucksack ($180) opts for the two-strap stability of a backpack design. The roll-top bag sports three pockets on the exterior and a padded laptop compartment in the main cavity. There’s also a big central pocket for stuffing a jacket or a pair of shoes. The Sanction has enough cavities to keep your stuff separated, but it could use some smaller compartments for pens, USB sticks and what-not.
On rides, the Sanction sat high on my back, and the sternum strap kept the pack from sliding around. Weatherproof material and urethane-coated zippers kept its contents bone-dry after riding through some aggressive spring showers. The roll-top flap let me cram extra gear into the bag when I maxed out its 16-liter capacity. And when I didn’t need to employ the roll-top, I dug the Arkiv closure system – the clipless, slip-in fasteners were quick, secure, and silent (which is more than I can say about the Velcro sewn onto the underside of the flap, possibly the noisiest ever created). —Billy Brown
WIRED Waterproof fabric and coated zippers. Comfortable to wear – chest strap and back padding ease heavier loads. Roll-top lid expands the 16-liter storage capacity. Deep external pockets.
TIRED Minimal interior organization. Velcro is loud as hell (and scary to those seated around you on an airplane). Lack of breathability leads to sweaty-back syndrome.
Photos by Jon Snyder and Ariel Zambelich/Wired 