The cyclists who met outside the Anverwick post office did not initially have a club name. They had a departure time, a preferred road and a red canvas bag containing tools. The bag travelled on a rear carrier and was passed between riders according to who had the strongest straps and the least other luggage.
Its contents grew through use. Tyre levers and patches were joined by a small spanner, spare valve pieces, string and a cloth that had once been white. A pencil and folded paper recorded borrowed parts. The bag was heavy enough that its custody became a modest but recognised contribution to the day's ride.
Rider Nell Darr devised the practice of stopping at the first sheltered gate after a repair. The delay allowed the repaired tyre to be checked and the tools to be counted. Before this, the group had repeatedly arrived home with a successful repair and an incomplete collection of equipment.
The red-bag name appeared on a supper notice before it appeared on any formal rules. It distinguished this group from a faster set that left from the station. Neither group considered itself slow. The difference lay in whether a Sunday run was principally measured by distance, arrival time or the condition in which everyone returned.
A later replacement bag was brown, but the name persisted. The original object had done more than identify a collection of riders. It gave practical form to an obligation: a mechanical difficulty belonged first to the person riding the bicycle, and then to the company that had chosen to go out together.