I have had one of these bags on test for some weeks now, and it performs very
well. As with the Day Bag, it does not hinder leg movement at all, and the
Velcro fixings hold it firmly in place immediately behind the seat tube.Luggage carrying has always been a particular strength of Moultons, not just in terms of capacity but also the fact that the design of the racks is an integral feature of the bicycle. On most of the early Moultons (1960's and 70's) the rear carrier was a part of the frame, which had the drawback that you had the weight of the carrier whether you needed to carry a load or not. The AMs and later models switched to a removable carrier and softer, lighter, bags, but initially the carrier, if fitted, was quite large, which again was a drawback for short outings. When the Day Bag and Day Bag Carrier were introduced, they provided a remarkably light, unobtrusive but capacious carrying system. I even managed to go to the launch of the New Series Moulton in London on a Friday, then go direct to Bradford on Avon for the launch to the Club, and return home on the Monday carrying everything in the day bag and a rather large bum-bag, and that included a jacket and tie, which are not normally part of my cycling apparel. That sort of weekend outing was really stretching the capacity of the Day Bag, but the large rack and bag are something of an overkill if you are using B&B and travel light for a weekend - some people opt for the large rear carrier fitted with the smaller front bag.
Now Moulton are introducing a Weekend Bag, which is very similar in design to the Day Bag and still fits on the Day Bag Carrier. It is about the same overall height as the Day Bag, but the top is much less rounded, and it is also marginally longer front to back, and the overall result is a small but useful increase in capacity. It is made of a more substantial material than the Day Bag, so there is much less risk of something sharp, like a screwdriver, damaging it. Access to the inside is via a long zip, similar to that on the Day Bag. The stitching is with a cord which is reflective, providing improved visibility at night - photographs in which flash is fired make the white stitching, which seems in daylight to be quite unobtrusive, stand out, even in bright sunlight. Another useful feature is that the bag is just big enough to take A4 papers unfolded with a slight curl on the top corners - a few millimetres more, and they would go in perfectly, and when I mentioned this to Shaun Moulton he indicated that they might increase the size fractionally to allow this.
I have had one of these bags on test for some weeks now, and it performs very
well. As with the Day Bag, it does not hinder leg movement at all, and the
Velcro fixings hold it firmly in place immediately behind the seat tube.
The Weekend Bag is a very useful accessory for an AM owner who on occasion needs something bigger than the Day Bag, without needing to go to the full rear carrier and bag, and it saves around one pound weight compared with the full rear luggage system. Some people may also prefer it over the Day Bag due to the more robust construction. As with the Day Bag, those who have very short legs may find that the top needs squashing down a bit to go under the saddle - it just fits in on my AM7. Although there is no official Day Bag Carrier for the APB, it is not too difficult to fit something similar, and the ubiquitous Steve Parry (01934 516158) has produced a nicely engineered equivalent. However, because the mounting is higher on an APB, there is more of a problem fitting both the Day Bag and Weekend Bag in under the saddle of an APB if you ride with the saddle low - a small carrier which actually hangs below the mounting might be an advantage for an APB, providing it does not interfere with the brake cabling.
Alex Moulton Bicycles are on 01225 865895.
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Last updated: 15 August 1999
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