General Cycling Discussion - Do bike messenger bags work for you?

I just bought a Timbuk2 black classic messenger bag, and overall the bag is pretty sweet. But I was just wondering how you manage to wear the bag comfortably without the the strap ripping through your neck? I just bought the extra shoulder pad thing to ease up the tension on my shoulder.

The bag is perfect for what I need it for. But I dunno, it isn't exactly the most pleasant thing to wear. What are your experiences with similar bags?

My Chrome bag is great!

Yeah, I unfortunately couldn't come up with the necessary green to purchase one of those.

http://banjobrothers.com/

Not really--they're OK for short rides, up to about half an hour. Beyond that I get tired of swinging them back to the side. I finally put a rack on the rear of the bike I use most around town, then zip-tied a basket to the rack. Works great, looks dorky, but I have another bike for when I want to look less dorky.

I just bought a Timbuk2 black classic messenger bag, and overall the bag is pretty sweet. But I was just wondering how you manage to wear the bag comfortably without the the strap ripping through your neck? I just bought the extra shoulder pad thing to ease up the tension on my shoulder.

The bag is perfect for what I need it for. But I dunno, it isn't exactly the most pleasant thing to wear. What are your experiences with similar bags?

I put my Timbuk2 bag on "wrong" at first and it was really NOT comfy. The key for me was adjusting the length of the shoulder strap and the tension in the cross strap. Keep playing with yours...I love mine (once I "fitted" it properly).

I just bought a Timbuk2 black classic messenger bag, and overall the bag is pretty sweet. But I was just wondering how you manage to wear the bag comfortably without the the strap ripping through your neck?

I had the shoulder strap pad too but I dumped it. I learned to use the cross strap and that made ALL of the difference. I love mine now.

How exactly do you use the cross strap "properly"? I am just fitting it to my body, without any slack and without it being too tight. I'm not sure what else to do.

I wear the bag flat on my back like a back pack when I'm riding my bike (which I think is how you are suppose to wear it). I'm towing several pounds of books everywhere I go, but I don't see why it would be more painful on this bag as opposed to a regular back pack. After a few more uses of this bag, I'm going to need reconstructive surgery on my collar bone unless I figure out how to get it to be comfortable.

Use your cross strap.

I find that pulling the main strap as short as I can get it(the bag is almost sideways on my back) and using the cross strap works well. I usually have eight-ten pounds in it and my ride home is a little over an hour.

I have a pinched nerve in one shoulder. Sadly, messenger bags do not work for me.

I have an under the weather bag, and wear it while I commute to school everyday. It's always packed full, books, notebooks, food, change of clothes, lock, etc. It's always been comfortable for me, but it did take a little while to find the best spot on my shoulder for it. Now, with the use of the cross-strap I barely notice it.

Also how you pack the bag changes the comfort level, figure out a system that works for you and it will get better.
Hopefully..

Timbuk2 makes a shoulder pad you can velcro onto your strap. It works well but it slides all over the place.

I like mine for when i carry lots of stuff, it hangs lower on my back than a backpack would. It took me ages to get the strap set up right though and that drove me nuts. I get shoulder & neck pain on my right hand side so its ideal to have it hanging on my left..

this one's easy ... it has nothing to do with how you are wearing it, whether it's too tight, not tight enough, or whether the cross strap is adjusted right. The bag just simply wasn't designed by someone who rides a bike ... looks like it was designed for college students wanting to feel cool by latching on to a fashion statement. sorry to say that, and i'm sure a half a dozen people will say i'm an idiot, but the strap isn't padded, nor does it have any shape to it (so it will stay in place).

buy whatever padded strap cover and hope that works ... if it doesn't, get a messenger bag for people on bikes (i.e. chrome, reload, or PAC ...). Mind you, they are expensive ... but on the bright side, they are really quite comfortable (for much longer than a half-hour as one poster commented) and you probably won't have to buy another one for ten years (or more).

They kill my neck and back. Panniers thanks.

this one's easy ... it has nothing to do with how you are wearing it, whether it's too tight, not tight enough, or whether the cross strap is adjusted right. The bag just simply wasn't designed by someone who rides a bike ... looks like it was designed for college students wanting to feel cool by latching on to a fashion statement. sorry to say that, and i'm sure a half a dozen people will say i'm an idiot, but the strap isn't padded, nor does it have any shape to it (so it will stay in place).

buy whatever padded strap cover and hope that works ... if it doesn't, get a messenger bag for people on bikes (i.e. chrome, reload, or PAC ...). Mind you, they are expensive ... but on the bright side, they are really quite comfortable (for much longer than a half-hour as one poster commented) and you probably won't have to buy another one for ten years (or more).


Timbuk 2 was started by messengers who wanted to make a better bag and was making bags in the early nineties. That would predate the posenger/hipster movement by about ten years.

I started with a Timbuk2 bag and it performed adequately. I switched to Chrome and it's been fabulous.

Timbuk 2 was started by messengers who wanted to make a better bag and was making bags in the early nineties. That would predate the posenger/hipster movement by about ten years.

And now they're run by a guy on the Reebok Board of Directors. Y'know, if you want to talk about street cred, which has nothing at all to do with how comfortable a bag is to wear.

I've got two Timbuk2 bags, one of which has been given to my boyfriend to suffer his particular brand of abuse instead of mine. I still use my smaller Timbuk2 accessory thingies (reflecty bits, smaller bag things and such). For comfort I'm happier with my Reload though. I don't care about mixing my Timbuk2 reflecty clips with my Reload bag because it's a tool that I'm using to do a job.

Wear mine all the time. I even wore my Chrome for a 90 mile ride on a 90+ degree day, and it was fairly comfortable.

Anyone uses Crumplers? Every other person I see here uses a Crumpler even if they don't ride, but if it's durable and comfortable on a bike I wouldn't mind getting one.

Crumpler makes great bags, but, they're shoulder strap has all the faults of the Timbuk2. If I could have Chrome straps on a Crumpler it'd be bag nirvana.

this one's easy ... it has nothing to do with how you are wearing it, whether it's too tight, not tight enough, or whether the cross strap is adjusted right. The bag just simply wasn't designed by someone who rides a bike ... looks like it was designed for college students wanting to feel cool by latching on to a fashion statement.

I'm not sure how you would qualify a Timbuk2 bag being made for college kids who want to feel cool by latching onto a fashion statement, but Chrome bags aren't? If you ask me, the Timbuk2 bag is based on simplicity and utitlity as opposed to the "style" which seems to be more prevalent in Chrome bags.

A bag is a bag. I don't care who makes it, even if it's some big corporation, as long as it suits my needs. This bag suits my needs in terms of the space/pockets etc. but it doesn't suit my needs just yet in terms of comfort. I'm still waiting to get my shoulder pad in the mail, so we'll see how it feels with that on.

Other than that, I really like the quality of stitching and durability of the bag, which is very important to me.


I have a pinched nerve in one shoulder. Sadly, messenger bags do not work for me.
I'm not sure about Timbuk2 bags, but I know Chrome's give you the option of having a shoulder strap with left shoulder orientation, or right shoulder orientation depending on which one you prefer. If you feel like getting a messenger bag, I think you could surely find one that will fit over your shoulder without the pinched nerve.

Never had good experiences with timbuk2 and other similar style bags. Padded or not, the strap always ended up digging into my shoulder. And frankly the design just doesn't lend itself well to biking in my experiences.

My chrome bag on the other hand works like a charm.

Quote from Lullapalooza:

"I'm not sure how you would qualify a Timbuk2 bag being made for college kids who want to feel cool by latching onto a fashion statement, but Chrome bags aren't? If you ask me, the Timbuk2 bag is based on simplicity and utitlity as opposed to the "style" which seems to be more prevalent in Chrome bags."

Uhm ... style, eh? Chrome? Hmm. Neither my Metropolis or my Kremlin make my shoulder hurt when i wear them. Must be because of the padding and shape of the strap. Go figure. That the bags have any "style" to them does not take away from their very practical use (that is, being ridden by people on bikes). Which, if i may remind you, was my original point.

And for the "simplicity and utitlity" of Timbuk2 bags ... does that include comfort, or is that extra?

in any case, i hope you get it worked out ...

Messenger bags have some advantages. But in my opinion comfort is not one of them. (Warning, I'm a commuter, not a messenger).

Messenger bags have some advantages. But in my opinion comfort is not one of them. (Warning, I'm a commuter, not a messenger).

This is part of why I prefer a backpack, to me a pack is more comfortable and holds the loads where I want it, you just need to avoid the ones made for kids to haul their school books in.

Messenger bags have some advantages. But in my opinion comfort is not one of them. (Warning, I'm a commuter, not a messenger).

You need to try the chrome messenger bags, or any of the clones made by others. Really comfortable, riding or walking.

I find that pulling the main strap as short as I can get it(the bag is almost sideways on my back) and using the cross strap works well. I usually have eight-ten pounds in it and my ride home is a little over an hour.

My exact experience & loading with T2 laptop bag. Very comfortable. Have done 45min rides, but didn't notice bag at end and wouldn't see any problem with going further.

It does feel heavy on shoulder if walking with loaded back, but as soon as I get on bike much of the load goes across back, so it 'goes away'

Al