As I’ve finally sorted out a Rear Rack for my Pashley, what would the next logical step be? Adorn it with a new Pannier of course…
I was very lucky (and utterly over the moon!) to receive* this Kitsch Kitchen Pannier from CycleChic for a review. Founded by Caz Nicklin, this independent London-based online store offers an array of stylish cycling accessories for women, including Clothing, Helmets and of course Panniers.
The Kitsch Kitchen bags come in various patterns – this one is the Florapola, which is pretty lively! I went for the Yellow colourway (it also comes in White and Orange) as the contrast between it and the Pashley was nice and bright…and I reckon it’ll go very well with my summer cycling wardrobe too 😉
Other than it being rather beautiful to look at, the Pannier also very practical. The clip-on system it uses is really simple, so attaching it to my Pletscher was smooth…
Cleverly concealed under a zip-up flap are two metal hooks that attach to the Rack. I found that they clipped onto it firmly and without any problems.
I wanted to test out how secure it was when cycling, so I used it as the main form of storage on my cycle date with The Boy… notice the lack of front Basket on Frankie – she looks so different without it! Although I adore the Basket, it can be quite front-heavy when riding with everything in there. I had plenty of stuff in that bag, (including some bike accessory shopping that The Boy did), but there was no danger of it rattling off the rack while riding – nor did it bang against the wheel or my foot – Huzzah! Weight doesn’t appear to be an issue with the Kitsch Kitchen Pannier – it’s a very sturdy bag and anyone one with a heavy bike like mine will know that weight distribution is pretty important…
Now, I’m sure you realise with me almost everything forms a part of my Cycle-wardrobe, so I’m pleased to say that the Pannier fits in nicely with this. It certainly became part of my wardrobe for the day:
Sunglasses: Ray-Ban
Earrings: Primark
Top: Warehouse
Brooch: Tatty Devine
Ring: Mawi for ASOS
Jeans: Diesel
Sandals: TopShop
All I needed to do was un-clip it from the Rack, zip up the flap which conceals the hooks and you have a lovely large handbag for the day – just like that 🙂 It makes for a very spacious handbag or shopping bag & with the inner-zip pocket and two roomy outer pockets, you have plenty of storage solutions for your keys, phone and any other small items.
Retailing at £36.99 from CycleChic you certainly get your money’s worth with this Kitchen Kitsch Pannier. This bag definitely gets full marks from me and Frankie: it’s beautiful, practical & is certainly a very welcome and fashionable addition to my cycle wardrobe… certainly one to check out for sure.
More photos of the Bag in action can be viewed in this set on Flickr.
Many thanks to The Boy for the photography.
*This bag was kindly gifted to VCG by Cyclechic for a review.
