Enrge Sports Backrider

ENRGE SPORTS BACKRIDER

CW EVALUATION

For The W essed rider

ANYONE WHO HAS TRIED TO CARRY A business suit on a motorcycle knows the problem: How do you get one of the damn things to the office? Wearing it while riding the motorcycle doesn’t work, and trying to attach a regular garment bag to a motorcycle is a great way to raise your blood pressure.

The Backrider from ENRGE Sports (25 Norfield Woods Road, Weston, CT 06883; 800/245-9099) solves the problem. Designed by a couple of executives who regularly rode bicycles to work during the summer months, the Backrider is a high-quality, tri-fold garment bag that features a fully padded backpack harness. Thus, the suit is easily carried on your back while riding. Once at the office, the bag is unfolded and hung up via a steel hook stored in its own zippered pouch.

Even without its concealable backpack harness, the Backrider would be a worthwhile product. Made of polyurethane-coated, 420-denier nylon, this water-resistant bag is strongly sewn, fitted with a variety of zipper-closed pockets, and has a stout briefcase-type leather handle that makes it easy to carry when it’s not on your back. A patented hanger clip securely locks regular hangers into the Backrider, and regardless of the trip duration, the hangers stay in place.

We used the Backrider on motorcycle rides and business flights, and found it to be one of the most useful garment bags we’ve tried. The compact size of the tri-fold bag let it fit easily into the carry-on spaces on airplanes, and our suits, shirts and pants came through relatively wrinkle-free.

Priced at $149, the Backrider is available in black or blue directly from ENRGE.