Messenger Bags??

[gwd]

Several people post here recommending messenger bags for shopping and
carrying things. Some one gave me one as a gift about a year ago and I still don't get it. It seems awkward when loaded, it sways or feels like it brings my center of gravity up too high. My Ortlieb panniers have these shoulder straps for shopping and seem very steady when on the racks. I look at the bike messengers around town and notice several styles for hitching the bags- high 'n tight, low 'n loose, swinging or cinched with the belly strap. There seems to be no one preference among the messengers. Do the messenger bag advocates have any rules of thumb for using them that they'd care to pass on? Now I just use mine when I walk or I amplify the dorkiness of my utility bike by strapping the messenger bag to the rear rack.

[pedex]

Ya, cinch it tightly and load it properly if you dont want it to move. The stabilizing strap varies from brand to brand, sometimes they work, sometimes not, with the good bags they do. If the stabilizing strap is designed properly it will run across and right underneath your armpit and will pinch the main strap enough to where the bag wont move at all.

What makes messenger bags better than panniers is load carrying ability, they dont get filthy from road grime, and you can get in and out of them quickly. Most decent bags can swallow several panniers easily. Mine holds in excess of 9 2 liter bottles.

[shishi]

trick for me has always been keeping it on tight. Plus a good bag should have equal weight distribution over your back w/ a large and heavy load.

Advantage, what Pedex said "they hold a lot"

[mrkott3r]

hey im interested in these messenger bags, what are good brands, would one be useable for uni? I haven't seen one before

[randya]

For everyday riding I usually use a medium-sized messenger bag, I find it more comfortable than a backpack. The stabilizer or cross strap is essential to keep it steady. However, for large loads, I'd much rather have the bike support the weight than my body. Therefore, I've got also baskets and panniers to use when I want to stock up at the grocery store, the only groceries I carry in my messenger bag are small or essential items that I might stop for on the way home from work - like a six pack of beer or a bottle of wine. ;)

[knoregs]

hey im interested in these messenger bags, what are good brands, would one be useable for uni? I haven't seen one before

I use a Chrome messenger bag http://www.chromebags.com/

[mrkott3r]

Do you get enough ventilation on your back with a messenger bag? Ive found witha a backpack my back gets incredibly sweaty.

[cabana 4 life]

hey search the fixed gear and single speed forum. theres a bag thread a day there.

[mrkott3r]

sorry for the hijack
*runs off to the fixed gear single speed forum*

[pavorese]

I've got a Freight, locally made here in SF (in the lower Haight, I believe).

The benefit of mess bags is that you can also carry much more of a variety of things than with panniers, at least in my experience. This is especially true for delicate items -- if you go shopping for produce and use only panniers, something inevitably has to go into dinner that night, like tomatoes, peaches, etc.

[2wheeledsoul]

You can always shell out some hefty $$$ for an Extracycle kit. But a bag or two is way cheaper and easier to install.

[gwd]

Thanks, for the hints. I never knew what to do with the cinch strap. I think with panniers and
a messenger bag and handlebar bag I can carry a lot. It seems like the messenger bag is cooler
than a backpack in summer. When I walk with it, from the grocery store, the load seems to
shift more than with panniers. With panniers, especially the tallish ortliebs I can stack the delicates
on top but things don't stay put in the messenger bag. Of course, I haven't been using the cinch strap.
The brand is Timbuktu and medium size if that matters.

[eblaska]

I use a timbuk2 messenger bag to go back and forth to work in. I highly recommend it and their stabilizing strap is good.

[thebankman]

Chrome bags are really comfortable, the strap is padded unlike the timbuk2, which adds big time to comfort. timbuk has better immediate storage cubbies and is cheaper. I've probably seen the Freight bags on the streets here in SF but can't recall, must see that website...

[eblaska]

If the strap is bothering you with the timbuk2 bag, you're wearing it wrong.

[gonzohill]

I use a Timbuk2 bag also. I have had it for probably 5 or 6 years. It holds practicly anything I want to put in it. I have never had a problem with the bag not riding on my back right, and it has never cut into my shoulder. Although I have had sore muscles from carrying to much weight in it.

[Alexi]

I can fit 2 30 packs of beer in my chrome :) I'm going to move up to a relode next.

[geist]

Try Manhattan Portage. They're the oldest company around and their bags are worthy of savage abuse.

[david.l.k]

I just ordered a messenger bag. I ordered a push the envelope bag. They are made in Toronto (where I live). It's a small business run by former couriers. The bags are made to order so I got a forest green one.

[thebankman]

This was my birthday present from my girlfriend this year, it is SWEEEET! She loves me very much :D chrome should add a flashing red chrome logo where the current logo is

[gwd]

OK, for the past few months, off and on, I've been experimenting with the Timbuk2 bag. It is living up to Pedex's description for how it should work. Last weekend I ignored Pedex's tip to wrap liquids in plastic so a re-corked bottle of wine spilled on my clothes. Also I didn't pay attention to which way is up for the bottle when slung on my back. The more important thing is that I used it for errands in Sunday's downpours. The radio weather people bleated about record rainfall. Anyway, the load got wet even though I thought I was sealing it tightly. I think the Ortleib panniers with their rollup seals would have kept everything dry. If the weather people are correct then I won't find a comparable rainstorm anytime soon.

[pedex]

the waterproofing on timbuks doesnt last long, doesnt last long on ANY of the bags, but the chrome and baileyworks it lasts longer than the others ive tried, about 18months or so for the chrome and baileyworks, maybe 6 months to a year for the timbuks

for just general light usage a timbuk is fine, as a working messenger I wouldnt buy another timbuk, its baileyworks or chrome, anything else is a waste of my time and $$, its bad enough that I can wear out a chrome bag in under 2 years, the things dont come cheap

[Domromer]

Messenger bags are a current fashion item, I worked as a courier for 2 years and used a messenger bag. It was great for large and small envelopes. But sucks for anything that is bulky or odd shaped. If I carry anything on my bike I use panniers. They are by far the best way to carry most things, next choice would be a regular backpack with some padding on the back.

[pedex]

Pffft, havent seen any panniers yet that can handle the stuff I haul all the time. Odd shaped or bulky?Please, my bag will swallow 3 of the biggest panniers Ive ever seen and still have room leftover. Ive hauled all kinds of odd and large items. Last week I hauled the 50lb size of copy paper boxes packed with legal files in the bag with the flap closed, that happened 3 times last week. Then theres the blueprints I haul all the time along with stack of depositions from the court reporting agency I have as a client. I haul big stuff that wouldnt even come close to fitting in a pannier, unless they start making 3800 cu inch panniers !! Biggest Ive seen are 2100 cu inches per PAIR........thats freakin tiny. 3 of those will fit in a chrome kremlin with room leftover.

Dunno what kind of service you worked for, but sheesh, sounds like you didnt haul much.

[fuerein]

I use a mix of panniers and my timbuk2 messenger. I can fit just as much in the panniers as I can with my large timbuk2. The key to using the messenger bag is being a little more deliberate when packing it. Think of how everything is going to be resting against your back. Place large, flat objects in the back of the back and more oddly shaped objects near the front. If you place odd shaped objects in the back you are going to have a very uncomfortable ride. Nothing like the corner of a box jabing into your back everytime your weight shifts as you pedal to make you wish you had payed more attention while packing the bag.

[davidmcowan]

the waterproofing on timbuks doesnt last long, doesnt last long on ANY of the bags, but the chrome and baileyworks it lasts longer than the others ive tried, about 18months or so for the chrome and baileyworks, maybe 6 months to a year for the timbuks

for just general light usage a timbuk is fine, as a working messenger I wouldnt buy another timbuk, its baileyworks or chrome, anything else is a waste of my time and $$, its bad enough that I can wear out a chrome bag in under 2 years, the things dont come cheap

!!! My Chrome is ULTRA durable and comfortable (when packed right). I can't believe that you wore yours out in 18 months. The average users should know that "commuter" use of one of these bags should allow it to last MUCH longer than just 18 months.

Chrome Metropolis was the best money I've spent in many years.

[pedex]

Commuter usage and they might last 20 years or more, all I can do is relate what Ive been thru. Im a working messenger, I ride for a living, Im also car free, meaning my bag gets used for errands when Im not working too. Typical work day, my bag gets opened and closed about 70-100 times and hauls around 150-200lbs during the day collectively. There's a difference tween worn out and no longer waterproof, the bags go longer than when they lose their water proofness. In my line of work, wet cargo is a death sentence, and I get rained on all the time, got monsooned on today for about 10 minutes, rained so hard I almost had to pull over. I carry a garbage bag and a plastic bag made for blueprints just for this reason, as secondary liners for my bag to keep my freight DRY. But ya, they do wear out, using them does that. Sure im an extreme case, but at least people can get some sort of idea what to expect.

[gwd]

I wasn't trying to start an argument about the merits of different messenger bags, just warning other people new to them about water infiltration. My Timbuk2 is too new for the waterproofing to wear out. From the pattern of wetness it leaked in through the flap near where the shoulder strap attaches. If it looks like rain I'll be sure to bring garbage bags. It rained pretty hard here for brief periods on Sunday. As I went about my day the load expanded beyond what I had expected.

[bragi]

No disrespect intended, but I've found messenger bags to be inferior to both backpacks and panniers:

1. Messenger bags' contents sometimes shift during travel, making them inferior to backpacks (though they do have a much higher volume); nothing is more vexing, in my opinion, than broken eggs and beer that's been shaken to the point of pure froth.
2. On a really hot day, backpacks are pure hell, especially on big hills, and messenger bags are almost as bad; panniers, on the other hand, are nice and cool, since you don't have to wear them on your body.
3. A good pair of panniers will have enough volume to carry as much as a big messenger bag, and the bike frame supports the weight quite nicely.
4. The only bad thing about panniers, really, is that they seem to increase air resistance, so that, instead of going 20 mph, you only go 17. (Go ahead and smirk; I believe this to be true, and so only use panniers when it's hot or I have a lot of beer to carry.)

Bottom line: Messenger bags aren't good for much of anything; they're silly, in fact. Backpacks are better if you're carrying small loads in cooler temperatures. Panniers are best, especially for larger loads, unless you're really into going fast, in which case they're a major cause of vexation. (Of course, if you're carrying a large load, you won't be going fast anyway...)

[davidmcowan]

bragi,

I'm glad that you enjoy your panniers but to claim that messenger bags aren't good for much of anything is complete B.S. Previous to your post are several claiming the advantages and also being honest about the drawbacks. Maybe we could do that with Panniers?

Panniers weigh your bike down which makes it a clunkier ride. Panniers are attached to your bike which make it difficult if you have a lot of stops or one long stop where you don't want to leave your bike. Panniers don't hold as much. Panniers increase air resistance. Panniers are much more difficult to access. Panniers aren't good for much of anything.

Messenger Bags?
1. Big
2. Easy to access and then throw right back on your back.
3. Waterproof.
4. Many pockets for different things.
5. Properly packed THINGS DON'T SHIFT AROUND.
6. A Messenger Bag lays on your back differently than a back pack, providing a comfort no backpack can provide. (unless of course, you don't know how to pack it)
7. Messenger bags can come and go with you in and out of stores.
8. Messenger bags look stylish for those carfree folk looking to "get chicks". :)

Okay, I feel better now.

[gwd]

bragi,

I'm glad that you enjoy your panniers but to claim that messenger bags aren't good for much of anything is complete B.S. Previous to your post are several claiming the advantages and also being honest about the drawbacks. Maybe we could do that with Panniers?

Panniers weigh your bike down which makes it a clunkier ride. Panniers are attached to your bike which make it difficult if you have a lot of stops or one long stop where you don't want to leave your bike. Panniers don't hold as much. Panniers increase air resistance. Panniers are much more difficult to access. Panniers aren't good for much of anything.

Messenger Bags?
1. Big
2. Easy to access and then throw right back on your back.
3. Waterproof.
4. Many pockets for different things.
5. Properly packed THINGS DON'T SHIFT AROUND.
6. A Messenger Bag lays on your back differently than a back pack, providing a comfort no backpack can provide. (unless of course, you don't know how to pack it)
7. Messenger bags can come and go with you in and out of stores.
8. Messenger bags look stylish for those carfree folk looking to "get chicks". :)

Okay, I feel better now.

As a new messenger bag user I noticed that my utility bike handles better with groceries in the messenger bag compared with the weight being on the bike. So I can understand for a messenger racing through traffic the messenger bag would feel better. For a long legs of a trip without a lot of manuevering I'd rather have the weight on the bike, I think.

My expensive panniers snap on and off the bike very easily and have a shoulder strap so they are easy to take into a store. The messenger bag is a quicker but not by that much.

The ortleibs are also more water proof than the timbuk2.

I may need more packing experience with the messenger bag because it seems to me that things shift less in the panniers.

I don't think I'll be using the messenger bag on my recumbent unless you guys have some ideas on rigging it to my belly so it won't interfere with vehicle operations.

I don't know about a style advantage, I'll have to ask my daughter if I'm more attractive to the ladies with the blue and grey messenger bag, the red rubberized ortleib panniers or the blue cloth novarra grocery getters.

[bragi]

bragi,

I'm glad that you enjoy your panniers but to claim that messenger bags aren't good for much of anything is complete B.S. Previous to your post are several claiming the advantages and also being honest about the drawbacks. Maybe we could do that with Panniers?

Panniers weigh your bike down which makes it a clunkier ride. Panniers are attached to your bike which make it difficult if you have a lot of stops or one long stop where you don't want to leave your bike. Panniers don't hold as much. Panniers increase air resistance. Panniers are much more difficult to access. Panniers aren't good for much of anything.

Messenger Bags?
1. Big
2. Easy to access and then throw right back on your back.
3. Waterproof.
4. Many pockets for different things.
5. Properly packed THINGS DON'T SHIFT AROUND.
6. A Messenger Bag lays on your back differently than a back pack, providing a comfort no backpack can provide. (unless of course, you don't know how to pack it)
7. Messenger bags can come and go with you in and out of stores.
8. Messenger bags look stylish for those carfree folk looking to "get chicks". :)

Okay, I feel better now.

I'm glad one of us feels better. Go ahead, use your messenger bag, and may God bless you; I'm sticking to panniers, smarty pants. The only truly bad thing about them is, as I said, the air resistance, which can actually suck sometimes. Your other criticisms are not valid. It doesn't matter if the weight is on the bike or on your back, you still have to haul it around; just because the weight is attached to the bike doesn't mean there's suddenly more of it. Good panniers are waterproof, they go off and on the bike in seconds, and they're actually easier to access than messenger bags. Yes, it's true that panniers look sorta dorky, but then I'm a skinny 45 year old man riding down the street in a beat-up old hybrid wearing an equally battered 1994 bike helmet, so, for me, it's clearly not about impressing chicks with my pretentious hipster messenger bag. :)

[literocola]

I can fit 2 30 packs of beer in my chrome :) I'm going to move up to a relode next.


Ditto man. I have had my Chrome for over 3 years now and still holding strong. After bieng a messenger, riding hard, landing on my back with jumpin and wheelies gone wrong. I ride with mine everyday and love it. It has survived everything, hell lasted longer than any of my bikes.

My problem with chrome bags is this- They are getting too trendy. I ride through college campus's and there everywhere, people that dont even ride. It bothers me to see these bags become a trend because of the seat belt design. So, I am actually putting my bag down and in the market for a new bag.
Its good for Chrome to be getting so much business, but not good for die hard riders/ messengers to see their bags go to people who dont even ride. Its putting Chrome to shame.

I even get bad looks from messengers when I'm on my urban assult bike...new messengers who dont know me; it drives me crazy.

I'm not a fan of Timbuk, their just not the same as too Chrome. If you are debating between timbuk and chrome... go chrome.

[Domromer]

yes your right a messenger back can carry big bulky stuff, And for about 10 minutes it's fine until all sorts of crap starts poking you in the back, I'm just saying for normal around town stuff I think panniers are better. Or there is always the flat bed milk crate. Holds a lot and you can leave it on the bike and nobody will steal it.

[carless]

I use a Chrome messenger bag http://www.chromebags.com/
I agree, I think they are indestructible.

[blknwhtfoto]

Now that I ride recumbent, my XL Timbuk2 just isn't viable to ride with. It makes me sad!

[davidmcowan]

Actually, where the weight is makes a huge difference. Especially if you like to haul around town at a good clip. The handling of the bike is COMPLETELY different when you have panniers versus a messbag.

But, we both have our preferences so you continue riding with panniers and me and every other person that responded to the OP will continue to use our Chrome bags.

[Domromer]

yes when your jumping curbs and trying to dodge car doors a messenger bag makes great sense..but if you are riding to the grocery store,shopping or what ever. Panniers have them beat. Caryying a load of groceries in a messenger sucks. Yes you can carry a big huge box, in them, and all sorts of other stuff but you can't say that it's comfortable. The guy asking the original question is not a messenger. He needs the bag for regular day to day stuff. You can put all sorts off odd shaped, sharp edged stuff in panniers and it want bother you at all. You can also ride 20 miles with all that odd shaped stuff. Try doing that comfortabley with a messenger bag. I know all you hard core he-man out there can do it. But the rest of us might want comfort over the latest urban fashion accessory.

[literocola]

yes your right a messenger back can carry big bulky stuff, And for about 10 minutes it's fine until all sorts of crap starts poking you in the back.

Indeed. I totaly forgot about that. I keep a hard flat piece of somthing to keep things from sticking my back over and over. But due to my bag's sheer size, its impossibe to keep everything from jabbing and poking my back.

I can typically feel my lock, water bottle, and other things putting pressure on my back because you have to keep the bag tight so it wont slide over onto your tummy.

[bragi]

Actually, where the weight is makes a huge difference. Especially if you like to haul around town at a good clip. The handling of the bike is COMPLETELY different when you have panniers versus a messbag.

But, we both have our preferences so you continue riding with panniers and me and every other person that responded to the OP will continue to use our Chrome bags.

Okay, I'll give you that; with panniers, you lose some performance. Your BMW is suddenly transformed into a station wagon. But if you choose not to have a car, you have to make other choices, too. With panniers containing two six-packs of bottled beer, a pound of coffee, a pint of half & half, some carrots, and a whole chicken, I can still comfortably go 18-22 mph (according to my hand-held GPS), which is acceptable to me. I have a question for you, and it's a sincere one, I'm not trying to make a rhetorical point here: if you were going to carry the same load in a Chrome bag, how would you do it so the load doesn't shift around while you're riding? When I tried using messenger bags, they always moved around, and when I see others using them, I often see them moving their bags back into position after they've slipped, too. (Again, I'm not trying to bash messenger bags here, I'm just asking.)

[pedex]

as far as that tiny little load goes, the sixpacks on the bottom side by side, coffee on the bottom next to those, pint of half and half can go anywhere same with the carrots, and the whole chicken can sit on top of the beer--------still have room for 1 more chicken, 12 more beers and some other stuff

shut the lid, cinch it up, then use the load strap if needed, and start riding, done properly it isnt gonna move or go anywhere

how to wear and handle the bag is actually a pretty common problem, some never understand it so it seems, cinching it up seems to give some folks problems for some reason

[gwd]

Thanks for the responses. I like the way this thread has drifted to a comparison of panniers vs. messenger bags, along with packing tips too!

A few weeks ago I took a bike trip with panniers. I posted a photo on another thread about someone else's new panniers. I think I could've squeezed everything into the Timuk2. On the all day rides I'd imagine my shoulders would get sore. Running errands last weekend with multiple stops at different stores and visiting friends the messenger bag worked just fine.

This morning I put the messenger bag on my luggage rack and it fell off so I stopped and slung it over my shoulder for the rest of the trip. Then I thought, is it better on the right shoulder or left? I did right since it then hangs to the left and the bike is to the right before you mount it. Then a woman on a fixed gear hauled past using an identical bag but she had it on the left. Is one way better?
I'd alternate sides on a ling ride.

[Sammyboy]

I've got panniers, and I love 'em, but fill them up, then strap a case of beer to the rack, and see what happens when you drop off the kerb coming out of the supermarket, or try getting out of the seat and pumping up a hill. For nice smooth straight line riding, it's all good, but if you're cranking the bike around at all, you know all about the panniers. I want both, for different situations, and for using together.....

[caroline_c]

i use a baileyworks bag (M sized messenger bag) and i can fit a decent amount in it- typically all of my groceries plus 2 U-locks and whatever other crap i carry on a regular basis (notebooks, sunscreen, changed of work clothes, etc.etc.etc.) i'm thinking of getting a larger one for when i transport my photography equipment. personally, i like mine very high on my shoulders, with the x-strap pulled very tightly. it rarely sways or slides, and it was a pretty affordable bag. wearing it low gives me terrible back pain and causes more sway/balance issues, so the higher the better. also, if you're packing your bag to the gills with stuff, try to pack the heaviest stuff (canned goods, cat litter, etc.) at the top of the bag and the lightest (boxed dry goods, paper towels, etc.) at the bottom.

[Slow Train]

Then I thought, is it better on the right shoulder or left? I did right since it then hangs to the left and the bike is to the right before you mount it. Then a woman on a fixed gear hauled past using an identical bag but she had it on the left. Is one way better?
I'd alternate sides on a ling ride.

No way is better - just wear it they way it feels most natural to you. Most people are right-handed and prefer to wear the bag with a "right swing" - i.e., over the left shoulder with the bag resting across the right side of the body/hip. This way you would be using your dominate hand when accessing the bag.

I'm left-handed and, naturally, prefer it the opposite way! The Timbuk2 bags are all reversible and can be set up either way. The Chrome Bag I'm using isn't reversible so I had to specify which "swing" I wanted when I ordered it.

P.S. - a bit of a stretch but one could argue my way - with the bag on my left side - the side facing traffic - might give me a little extra protection if struck by the bumper of a large vehicle.

[EvanGaffney]

I prefer a messenger bag and here's why:

I hate leaving things on my bike. I know i'm probably just paranoid but i absolutely hate it. I love going into a grocery store, paying for my items and loading the them right into my bag rather than bagging or carting, transporting to my bike and loading outside in the heat/rain/cold/etc. Also, most paniers that I have used were never quite waterproof enough. My baileyworks is like a ziplock bag.

Try a baileyworks and you will never go back to timbuk2. I used to be a rabid TB2 fan until i recently bought a baileyworks. A little less flashy but far far superior. The strap system is amazingly secure and comfortable. I can carry large loads with ease (50 wooden hangers, an old specialized MTB i found in someone's garbage 2 towns over. {not at the same time of course}). Take my word for it, baileyworks is top notch next to the overly expensive PAC designs.

[gregtheripper]

baileyworks are definately pretty awesome. my xl bag swallows up stuff. it looks huge on me because i am skinny (5'8' 140-150 lbs) but i am loving it. i agree you need to pack it correctly in order to be comfortable. i really like the padded strap and the stabiliser strap, its a lot better than the one on my old chrome.

i'm sure panniers are pretty good for a lot of things but i don't think i would want them because they would be another thing i would have to take off the bike, as opposed to just bringing my bag in places.

[bragi]

When you're using a messenger bag, how do you avoid getting all hot and sweaty? (Or rather, even more hot and sweaty than you already get anyway...) Panniers have their detractors (see almost everyone's posts except for mine), but the main reason I still like them is because it keeps stuff off of your back, so you get better air circulation and stay more comfortable in warm weather.

[pedex]

sweat is a non-issue really, that got fixed by getting in much much better physical shape, kinda funny to watch the guy I just hired deal with it though :) .........he had a rough time today and he didnt even do much LOL