The Lone Peak BP-500 Briefcase Pannier

On my recent trip to Aruba I took my Bike Friday New World Tourist folding bike and a single Lone Peak briefcase pannier (The BP-500).

My goal for this trip was to travel light. My bicycle fit inside a suitcase and flew for free… and my pannier doubled as a briefcase, held all my personal belongings, and I checked it as my carry on item while traveling on the plane.

Upon arrival in Aruba, I unfolded my bicycle, quickly attached my briefcase/pannier and rode off toward my hotel.

For the next eight days my folding bike and briefcase/pannier were my sole companions on the island. During the day the Lone Peak BP-500 hung off the back of my bike and at night it transformed into a briefcase, which I then used to carry my computer down to the pool and shuttle food from the nearby supermarket.

Here are some of the things I really like about the BP-500 Briefcase/Pannier:

  First of all, the product is very large. Lone Peak says it is 900+ cubic inches. The “+” is there because the briefcase is expandable, so you can make it as large or as small as you please. I was able to use the briefcase to carry all of my clothes, my laptop computer, digital camera, battery charger, journal, two books, sunglasses, bike pump, multi-tool, two spare tubes, three pens, patch kit, and a rain jacket. I probably could have added a few more things if I had really tried.

  Secondly, the BP-500 quickly converts from a briefcase into a pannier… and then back again. On the backside of the briefcase is a zippered flap that rolls up to expose the hooks and clip used to secure the pannier to the rack. It takes about five seconds to make the transformation. It’s fast and it’s easy.

  The BP-500 also has a number of different pockets, which makes staying organized easy. There is one large main pocket and four smaller zippered pockets on the front side of the bag. There is even a space to organize your pens and a loop onto which you can secure your keys.

  An important part of the design for this product is that the bag is positioned at a slight angle while on your bike. This is done so that your heel does not rub up against the bag while riding. I have large (size 12) feet, so this is often times a problem for me with traditional panniers, but it wasn’t an issue with the BP-500.

  The thing I liked most about traveling with this briefcase/pannier was that when I was off the bike I had a great bag to carry my things in… and no one even suspected that my briefcase also doubled as a pannier for my bicycle. The best part was that because it was so incredibly hot and humid in Aruba, the briefcase hung off my shoulder and did not cause a big sweaty spot on the back of my shirt like a normal backpack might cause. Instead, I fit right in with the people on the island and cooly went about my business.

  Lastly, the Lone Peak BP-500 is constructed with the same quality and craftsmanship as all of Lone Peak’s other products. The bag has heavy-duty zippers, reflective safety tape, and a compression strap. Because it is so similar in its construction when compared to other Lone Peak products, you could easily replace one of your touring panniers with this bag and use it while on long distance tours. In fact, when I go back to Europe next, this is likely what I will do so that I can have a bag to use when walking around town and exploring.

Unfortunately, the BP-500 does have some drawbacks:

  My main complaint with this bag is that once it is on the bike, it can be difficult to get to your belongings. Unlike traditional panniers, which open at the top, this briefcase/pannier has a zipper that runs along the entire topside of the bag. Unfortunately, when the bag is placed on the bike, the topside suddenly becomes the side-side. With the zipper located on the side of the bag, getting to your belongings can be somewhat difficult. There were even a few times while trying to get into the bag that I opened the zipper and an object or two from inside the bag accidentally fell out. This is not something you want to happen while traveling by bike, so you need to be careful when opening and closing the zipper. Make sure the bag is properly zipped before you take off down the road. You don’t want to be surprised at your next stop when you learn that you forgot to zip up and you’ve lost everything that you had been carrying!

  Another negative is that because the bag is positioned at a slight angle to avoid any confrontation with your heel while pedaling, you can only place the pannier on the left side of your bike. If you try and put it on the right side, the angle of the bag pushes it’s rear corner right into your pedaling foot.

  Finally, the BP-500 only comes in one color: Black. If you want to use this bag as a replacement for one of your touring panniers and you want your bags to match, then I hope you have black panniers. Otherwise, you’re out of luck.

All in all, I am extremely happy with the Lone Peak BP-500 briefcase/pannier and I look forward to using it again on future tours. For now, I’m simply using it as my around town bag for trips to and from the post office, grocery store and bank.

You can purchase a Lone Peak BP-500 Briefcase/Pannier here.