Some bags are just cut from a different cloth. VéloColour’s Day Runner bag is cut from, well, repurposed cloth. The Toronto boutique paint lab and bag-maker makes almost all of the Day Runner with repurposed or regenerated fabrics, and it makes for an amazing, and incredibly versatile bag.
VéloColour Day Runner: By the numbers
The Day Runner is designed to be a versatile bag that easily fits on the bike but also follows you through the rest of your day. VéloColour made its name in highly-detailed custom paint work but that attention to detail is clearly evident in its line of soft goods, too.
Like the adjustable handle, that quickly switches from a handle to a shoulder strap via one small buckle, which is the key to making the Day Runner just as comfortable off of the bike as on the go. With one buckle, a 29cm handle grows to a 62-110cm shoulder strap. This lets you set your shoulder-strap length still quickly switch between handle and that length.
The main compartment is very easy to access with angled zippers
Made in Toronto! 
Repurposed sailcloth comes with some cool patterns
The second key element of the Day Runner is the quality of the repurposed and regenerated fabrics. There’s no compromise here in VéloColour’s choice not to use fresh fabrics. The chosen fabrics, like repurposed sail cloth, are well suited to surviving the elements and look good doing so.
On the function front, the Day Runner has a broad front-access panel, granting easy access to the entire main compartment. There is a smaller front zippered pocket for valuables, like phone, keys and cards. A rear magnetic pocket adds more space for easy access items, like snacks, a second spot for a phone or a small bike lock. All in, that’s 14.5L of storage space in the Day Runner. Enough for quick shopping trips, a day of adventures or commuting.
Day tripping with the Day Runner
VéloColour designed the Day Runner to fit both VéloOrange’s Porteur Rack and Wald’s 137 Basket. I used it on a slightly larger rack. I used it with the slightly larger rack on my cargo bike, mostly. The magnetic straps made it easy to securely fit to that rack, but also quick to release it so it could travel with me when needed.
The bag is great for smaller shopping trips and errands, where you don’t necessarily want to leave items in the bag on your cargo bike when you go into a second store but also don’t want to lug a big, awkward bag around. The Day Runner is easy enough to carry around that it wouldn’t be out of place in a coffee shop or store.
Easy magnetic closures keep the bag secure on racks and still quick to remove/instal 
A magnetic closure on the rear pocket 
With more space for quick-access items
A more secure front pocket for keys and valuables
Where the Day Runner really shone was for day trips and park hangs. Being able to, again, take the bag off the rack quickly and carry it around easily make this a good substitute for a backpack. And it’s nice to arrive at your destination without a sweat-soaked shirt in the summer.
I have two small humans right now, so we spent a lot of time at parks this summer. The Day Runner holds just enough to keep two toddlers entertained, dry, and fed for a few hours. Being able to access all parts of the interior space without rifling through everything, like you have to with a backpack no matter how well you pack it, was a really appreciated feature here. I can access food, or drinks, or fresh clothes quickly and easily (while wrangling toddlers) without turning the bag into a mess.
Taking the time to do things better, not easier
Recycled and repurposed fabrics are great, too. I know Noah and Suzanne spend a solid chunk of time chasing down appropriate materials, for the Day Runner and for other bags, instead of just buying new materials. For what it’s worth, they also offer repair services for bib shorts and other cycling gear that tends to be very pricy and very difficult to fix. The return on that time investment has to be less, financially, than painting another fancy bike would deliver or just taking the easy route and making all their bags entirely out of new material.
That’s an effort I value and think others will too. It’s a stark contrast to the disposable ease of Amazon, Temu and all that “good enough, maybe” crap. Even if you don’t care about that, though, this is a great bag that is easily superior to many bags made of all-new materials.
Getting around the city by bike is, to me, a far more relaxing way to travel than any vehicle. Anything that makes that easier for me to do is a great thing. VéloColour’s Day Runner makes all kinds of trips – from functional errands to fun trips – easier. With its detailed construction, it looks like it will keep making bikes easier for a long time.