Winter cycling in the bag: The reflective backpack

The Notabag is reflective backpack that is helping push the disposable plastic carrier bags towards extinction. The lightweight and reusable design is made from a highly reflective material and is ideal for cyclists because it packs down to a pouch small enough to fit in a saddle bag.

In common with a carrier bag, each Notabag is made out of a single piece of material and is free of buttons or Velcro. But with a single pull on the straps, it transforms itself into an easy-to-carry backpack.

The origins of the Notabag will be familiar to anyone who has tried to cycle with a carrier bag attached to the handlebars.

Founder of Notabag, Adnan Alicusic, explains: “The idea was born during a trip to the local farmers market. It was one of those situations that many can identify with: the grocery bag filled up very quickly and I still had to ride my bike home. Things got pretty tricky once I found myself in the middle of busy city traffic. I was trying to maneuver my bike, while having a heavy shopping bag on my handlebar bumping against the front wheel. I couldn’t help but wish that I had my backpack with me, or that at least I could carry my shopping bag over the shoulders. At that moment, I started visualising how a simple bag could be transformed into a backpack.”

A successful crowd-funding campaign helped make the idea a reality and the Notabag reflective backpack is now available for £30 at bookman.se.

Win a reflective backpack

The clocks go back at the end of this month, so to celebrate the start of winter cycling we have a reflective bag to give away. Leave us a message at the bottom of the page and we will pick a name next week.

Protection for you and your bike

When it comes to protecting your bicycle, it's the small things that matter. ETA Cycle Insurance never devalues your bike, doesn’t charge extra for things like third party liability, personal accident or friends and family cover, and has a sympathetic policy on storage in sheds and garages. The insurance covers theft of parts and doesn't exclude quick release components - can your provider say the same?

For over 26 years, the ETA has been providing straightforward, affordable bicycle insurance and we are Britain's most ethical insurer according to the Good Shopping Guide.

Get an instant quote or call our friendly team on 0333 000 1234.

{{cta-cycling}}