Hi we're Pam and Gilbert of 2 Bikes 4 Adventure. We've been bicycle touring through
far-off countries for many years, but for the past year, like many of you, we've been under
severe travel restrictions. During that time the weather in Montreal has come full circle.
After a hot sunny summer, a warm and colorful autumn and a relatively mild but too long winter, we're back
to a gradually warming spring and ready to leave the exercise rollers behind and hit the road again.
During that time, bicycles have been in short supply as people all over suddenly discovered
what we already knew, that bicycles can be a great means of escape. That escape,
these days, means sticking close to home while sleeping every night in our own bed. Instead of
weeks-long adventures, we're doing day trips and exploring our own island and the surrounding areas.
Traveling for a few hours instead of a few weeks requires a different type of packing.
Our usual 25 liter C-Bag and DIY bag are overkill for a day's journey around town.
Unfortunately, retail shops are not only short of bicycles,
they're also running out of accessories like spare parts and bicycle bags. We were therefore
pleasantly surprised to be offered a chance to test ride the new Pilot bags from Wotancraft.
Based in Taipei, Wotancraft is a leather workshop known for the vintage inspired bags and leather watch straps.
Building on more than a decade of experience, they recently modified their existing
Scrambler and Pilot lines of camera bags to make them compatible with the Brompton carrier block.
The bags have an old-style military or adventure travel look. Despite the numerous contemporary
features, they would be right at home on a movie set for Indiana Jones or World War II
photojournalist, particularly the khaki version. We love this aesthetic. The pilot comes in two sizes,
7 and 10 liters and two colors, charcoal black and khaki. The fabric is Cordura waxed canvas,
robust and water repellent. At less than one kilogram, it's lighter than authentic waxed cotton bags.
Because there's no rain cover, we'll schedule our day trips to avoid major showers.
The most distinctive characteristic of the pilot bag is its modularity.
The military-inspired system can be commonly found on tactical bags and gear,
but we haven't seen it in bicycle bags aside from some removable rear pockets on the Ortlieb O-Bag.
The Pilot proposes a significantly more versatile and elaborate system.
The basic configuration comes with one zippered pouch and one water bottle holder.
Off the bike, the pouches can serve as small sling bags using the provided shoulder straps.
Additional modules are available. Specially designed quick release buckles attach the
pouches to four nylon webbing straps sewn at both front and back of the bag.
Another unique feature of the Pilot is the versatility of its interior space.
Usually a bike bag is either one big open compartment or several smaller fixed sections.
The Pilot includes padded dividers that can be positioned and attached with Velcro to tailor
the available volume to our needs. For example, the larger separator can be used to insulate
an iPad or laptop from the rest of the content. The 10 liter bag can accommodate a 13 inch laptop
while the 7 liter is more appropriate for tablets. Smaller separators can be used to
protect a camera or your favorite snack. Numerous interior components can further customize the bag.
Additional modules for storing wallet, phone cables, hard disk or camera
can be positioned anywhere thanks to the microfiber that lines the entire inside of the bag .
The sides and bottom of the bag are thickly padded, revealing its camera bag lineage. We would carry
a foldable drone, a laptop or an expensive camera lens in this bag without any worry.
Other features include a large front zippered pocket with an internal mesh compartment and
two side pockets, too small for water bottles but just right for snacks or a small folding umbrella.
The front flap can accommodate a certain amount of extra capacity without compromising easy access to
the contents. An additional space in front gives us enough room to stash a bulky item like a
folded rain jacket or hoodie. This area also has a double-sided zippered pocket that can be used to
hide small but valuable items. In the back of the Pilot bag, we see the nylon webbing as well as the
removable Brompton frame which is not included and is not the same size as the standard frame.
An opening at the top of the bag allows it to be slipped onto a rolling luggage handle.
Two straps on the bottom of the bag were designed to attach a tripod. Gilbert relocated them
to the front webbing to have more clearance over the bike's reflector. Pilot comes with a simple
basic closing mechanism, but we find that the optional magnetic Fidlock is a better design
at a slightly higher price. The bag has a carry handle and comes with a removable padded shoulder strap.
In our recent video for do-it-yourself Brompton bags, we identified a wish list of features for
off-the-shelf bike bags. We'll use it to compare the Pilot 10 liter bag against the well-known
Brompton Borough Medium, somewhat larger at 14 liters. Note that we've updated a couple
of the items from the original list. We'll award either zero points, a half point or a full point.
Adjustable Volume: Both bags can expand
to increase their capacity, but the Borough roll top is more forgiving. Ease of Access: Both have side
pockets; the Pilot has the advantage of a flap over lid and rear pouches.
Ease of Transport: Off the bike, both have a carry handle and a removable shoulder strap, however,
the Pilot strap is padded. The modules also come with individual shoulder straps. Finally, the Pilot can
be attached to a luggage trolley. External Attach Points: The Borough has one horizontal nylon webbing,
the Pilot has four vertical ones as well as the daisy chain located at the front.
Advantage Pilot. Internal Pockets: The flexibility of the internal modules gives the Pilot the lead.
External Pockets: The Borough Medium has no rear pockets.
Water Resistance: Although both are water resistant, the Borough comes with a rain cover.
Content Protection: The Pilot's padded sides, bottom and internal dividers provide a superior level of protection.
Price: The initial prices are comparable, but the Pilot requires a custom size carrier frame
at an additional cost. We give the point to the Borough. Appearance: This is highly subjective,
but we'll give an extra half point to the Pilot. In our comparison each factor is worth only one point,
but your decision matrix may weigh some features more highly such as capacity and price. We always
bring video equipment with us, So the Pilot serves our needs in a way the Borough doesn't.
Of course, the Medium Borough has significantly more space, but we've taken the new Pilot bags on
a few day trips recently and i've been really pleased with them. Let's face it, if we bring a
bigger bag, we'll fill it, but with the smaller size bags we're being more conscious of packing
only our highest priority items just as we need to do on our longer trips. Although we
are pleased with the Pilot bags, of course we have a wish list of features for the Pilot version 2.0.
Lengthening the bottom straps and adding quick release buckles would allow them to carry larger
diameter items or other gear. Note that their existing location is not practical on the bike,
so this should be repositioned to the front and the fasteners should be robust enough to
withstand frequent use. The size of the side pockets could be expanded perhaps with mesh,
to be more spacious. A rain cover could be offered as an option although a Hy-Viz rain cover
could be purchased from Brompton: a Small for the 7 liter and a Medium for the 10. In addition
to these desired improvements, we would advise the company to include the frame in the Pilot
bag's purchase price because it's unlikely that a purchaser would have a Brompton frame of that size.
The standard S, C and T-Bag frames will NOT fit. Brompton's tagline "Made for Cities" has never been
more true, but the branding may need to be adjusted a little to "Made for A City", as local day
trips have replaced longer journeys. We know that we'll eventually be back to more adventurous
touring, but in the meantime, we'll enjoy being active outdoors in our own neighborhood.
And since our travel budget has been nil, maybe there's some extra cash to put towards accessories, hmmmm.
We hope this video inspires you to carry on with your folding bike adventures
even when you can't go far from home.