The Universal Utility Bag is exactly what it says it is really. It has been designed to hold all your riding gear before/after a ride for easy transit or it can even be used as a wheel bag. Made out of 80% Polyethylene, 13% EVA, 7% Polyester; the bag is supposed to be water repellant and with padded sections it is supposed to protect your hubs/rotors.
Yes I know what your thinking, its very similar to a certain bag provided by a well known Swedish furniture manufacturer, which I know have been used for the same purpose in the bike industry for a long time now and at a fraction of the cost. why is the ION bag better? Well for a started it isn’t bright blue, its a neutral black/grey with white text. Simple.
The ION bag also includes two lengths of handles, which means you can properly cram it so full it’s overflowing, or you can use it as a wheel bag and still have a handle to carry them with. The neoprene patches provide minimal protection for your hubs/rotors but most of the time that’s all you need. They will remain scratch free and won’t be badly damaged by just sitting in the back of your car with your other cycling essentials moving around.
The main reason why this bag is now an essential bit of kit for me is how long it’s lasted, other bags would have at least a small hole in by now or handles missing. The bag has been used most weekends with a mixture of kit in and being honest I have on occasion really crammed as much as I can in there and it’s been fine. No rips, no tears or any signs of fatigue. I also like not having to worry about getting the bag muddy with my after ride kit, I can just chuck it in the bag and then once emptied again either brush it out or even just hose it down and it’s like brand new again.
Overall: For me the Universal Utility Bag on the outside may seem a little bit unnecessary and expensive for what it is, but it really is worth it. Really useful to have for transporting kit but also for anything not necessarily bike kit, but even your shopping or other useless crap. This bag is now a must have for me and I use it all the time.
Review Info
Brand: | ION |
Product: | Universal Utility Bag |
From: | http://www.ion-products.com/ |
Price: | £8.50 |
Tested: | by Dan for 3 Months |