Whether you’re commuting, bike packing or day tripping, our expert recommends smart storage solutions for every journey

• The best bike locks, unpicked by experts

How many ways have you tried to carry things on a bike? If hooking bags on the handlebars is your go-to, or you’ve attempted to fashion some sort of bungee-cord contraption, it may be time to rethink your strategy.

I once cycled five miles with a vacuum cleaner in a pannier during a house move – so I’m as guilty as anyone for improvising. But as someone who’s been writing about cycling for more than a decade, and pedalling around London and farther afield in all weathers for even longer, I really should – and now do – know better.