The outdoor apparel industry long resisted the idea that rugged gear can be both practical and fashionable — but that’s waning. Not too long ago, the only colors for hiking shoes were brown or dark brown, yet now it’s possible to find them in every shade of the rainbow.
San Diego company Pendolare aims to accomplish the same thing with bike accessories. Its founder, Tara Sauvage, was living in Seattle when she noticed that most bike commuters used the same “ugly yellow backpacks.”
Sauvage figured many cyclists would like something functional and professional that looks equally at home in the street or in the workplace. That resulted in Pendolare’s chic bike bags and other accessories, which (at least to this writer’s eye) look like Dolce & Gabbana decided to go bikepacking.
Here’s a few examples of the website’s catalog of mostly leather-made bike bags.
Pendolare Bike Bags
“The Rotate Roll bag will go from your beach cruiser to brunch in a few seconds,” Pendolare says on the website.
It can fit nicely on either the handlebars or behind the bike seat, and doubles as a crossbody bag. It’s “handcrafted” from cobalt blue full-grain leather and silver hardware. It has a push-lock closure and measures 7.5″ x 2″ x 6″. It costs $148 MSRP.
The Cruise Bicycle Bag draws inspiration from a vintage binocular case, with “performance” fabric and Italian full-grain leather. It comes with an oversize zipper, two internal pockets, blue canvas fabric lining, an outside cell phone pocket, peg and hole closure for bike attachment, and a removable shoulder strap.
It measures 7″ x 3.75″ x 6″ and costs $198 MSRP.
Even more eye-catching is the convertible, “vintage-inspired” Transit Box Bag, which comes in Italian full-grain leather and has a magnetic top flap. It comes with leather buckles and a removable webbing shoulder strap, plus a silver push-lock closure and a back cell phone pocket. It attaches to handlebars or back racks.
Available in a subtle black or neon red, it measures 7.5″ x 4″ x 5.5″ and costs $248 MSRP.
Check out more of Pendolare’s chic offerings on its website.
