jim-bob

Five bucks says he's talking about one of their leftover kozmo bags. They had a plastic buckle, and an orange pvc shell. They were mostly worn by moped/scooter messengers, so it's not like they needed to breathe all that well. I had one of 'em for a while, since it was dirt cheap. It got stolen, but I liked it enough to replace it with a real chrome bag.

Here's the bag in question.

OneTinSloth

the chrome bag i have is an old kozmo model. basically, the cheapest thing they make...it's still quality though...aside from the rib-bruising clip:



that design, right there is what did me in. different clip, but still, no padding underneath it lead to a bruised rib after carrying a pretty light load (an etherwave theremin and some other random equipment). it was down by my rib because i like to have the strap pretty tight, so the bag fits up on my shoulder.

skin said the buckles on chrome bags are unecessarily heavy...i happen to agree. the plastic clip on my old chrome and my newer pac work just fine and probably weigh half what that big, bulky metal thing...he said the pac bags are heavy because the actual BAG is built heavy, something that's actually useful. it's not a contradiction. i'd rather have a bag that's heavy because there are more layers, than a bag that's heavy because it has some fancy buckle.

before i bought my pac, i tried a higher quality chrome bag (same size and price range). i had actually gone out intending to buy a chrome bag. slung it over my shoulder, liked the weight, liked the shoulder padding on the strap, didn't like the buckle, didn't like the way it hung on my back, and i didn't like the strap adjustment. tried on a pac, felt okay about it being a little heavier, liked the pocket assortment, liked the buckle, felt okay about the strap padding, liked the way it hung on my back, AND the fact that the straps are reversible and it'll hang the same, plus pac will add options to your bag later on if you send it to them. the other really great thing about my pac bag is that i got it for $120. it was marked down because it was supposedly a "proto-type." the actual large street scene bags retail for $140. so i couldn't turn it down.

that said, i think we can all agree that both chrome AND pac make high quality bags that are different and unique in their own special ways.

if i ever need another bag, i'll either go with the pac ultimate, or a REload backpack and get a custom flap,

OneTinSloth

yep. leftover kozmo bag. i cut the strap apart and sewed the clip back on so that the padding goes under it. i don't know why the hell they designed it like that, it's not very comfortable...props to them for making the shoulder straps MEGA-wide though...

jim-bob

I haven't had a problem with either the kozmo bag or the metropolis i'm using nowadays. Then again, I'm pre-padded.

SD Fixed

First rule of the 'net is that most folks will defend to the death anything they have spent money on. Emphasis on most and defend. Objectivity is a rare and unique beast when interaction is anonymous. To criticize one on a wieght penalty, and then go on to talk about how another is better, though it has weight issues, perhaps I'm the only one, and I'm picking and bikini line pubic hair, but it seems to be a contradiction. I suck at communication, and maybee I'm the only one seeing what he, you or the others ***** about.

Anything beats a plastic grocery bag tied to your shoulders. Let's agree on that and call it done, eh?

Jonny B

I will say one thing and one thing only on this whole weight thing: the difference between any two products (be they bag buckles or cranksets) is more than likely so insignificant, that by only eating one piece of toast for breakfast instead of two will save you the same amount of weight. It's all relative. Granted lighter things are easier to ride with, but a few grams worth of buckle isn't going to kill you.

OneTinSloth

eh...i just think it's a dumb idea...and i can see myself throwing my bag on and really smacking my head or my chest and hurting myself...plus there's no frigging padding under the buckle!!! ouch!

ephemeralskin

"Then again, I'm pre-padded."

im a skinny mother****er. maybe i shouldve said that. a heavy metal buckle pressing on my ribs isnt so comfy. its not the overall weight, its the localized weight of a hard, metal seatbelt buckle crushing into my scrawny chest and ribs. also, have you ever tried to sling it over your shoulder and had the stupid thing crack you in the head? maybe im just clumsy. i dont see any use for making the buckle out of metal. and the website hypes it up as if its some innovation! as if it makes a chrome bag 'extra strong'. if i ever broke a plastic buckle i would consider it, but it just doesnt happen. the seatbelt buckles are flashy and aesthetically pleasing. but ergonomically they suck. for me. for skinny people maybe.
another cool thing about pac bags is that they have padded backs. that is a huge improvent, imo. have you ever carried a bunch of books, parcels, or other things with pointy corners and finding theres just no way to get them to sit comfortably on your back? i never have that problem anymore. and again, here is another thing that adds weight. but it also creates a real improvement to the bag. i dont have a problem with added weight, i just want it to be justified by functionality.

WakeUpOnFire

Yeah but doesn't the pac bag cost twice as much as the chrome?

SD Fixed

Uh, you could, uh, UNBUCKLE it. Just a thought. It's quick, easy to guide in and out.. that's what it's designed for... So, you're critical of the design because of something you do that it's not designed for...

Well, yeah.

Fast and easy click in, and out. Like a seat belt.

Well, if you actually used it like it was made, then, perhaps you'd see the benefit. Whatever. You don't use it right, don't *****. Have a nice day.

Well, the functionality has been explained, you didn't use it the way it was intended, and it didn't work out for you. Sorry 'bout your luck. Caveat Empor, etc...

GreenFix

I am deciding between the Kozmo crome bag and a courierware large standard bag now. Does anyone know how these bags compare? Is the Kozmo version of a crome bag a compromise? The bags will cost me about the same.

Thanks for your opinions.

s2sxiii

A messenger bag "not designed for" slinging over your shoulder? I don't think so

now i'm not really interested in joining the little flame war here, but are you seriously saying its easier to clip the buckle when you're putting the bag ON? Over the shoulder is clearly the way to go. My bailey works has a clip in the strap, like a chrome, just not the treasured "seat belt buckle" and i've probably put it on and taken it off literally a million times. I've put it on by clipping the strap back together about twice. If whoever it was hits himself in the head with metal buckles putting the bag on over his shoulder, he's not doing something wrong in the way he puts it on, he's just a big-headed freak.

SD Fixed

I'm not sure who you're trying to troll.

But, anyway. Anything beats a plastic bag.

s2sxiii

troll? like for fish?

and it depends on whats in the plastic bag.

WakeUpOnFire

Does anyone own the pac designs "street scene" bag?

OneTinSloth

i do!! i do!!!!

ephemeralskin

yes i a have a large 'street-scene' pac bag. but i thought the flap was ugly so i had them do a different design. also i got velcro stitched in for my laptop sleeve. reload has some nice laptop sleeves, by the way. pretty colors like celery.

it was an expensive bag. but it is durable and exaclty what i wanted. and race horses cost more than peacocks.

WakeUpOnFire

the reason I ask is because I am sort of considering a new bag, my timbuk2 is not cutting it and I was looking at the chrome/pacs mainly because of the padding/ergonomic design elements... which size street scene's do y'all have? and what can you carry comfortably in them?

jim-bob

Is there a dealer here in the bay area? I kinda need a new work bag now that the big orange monstrosity got stolen, but I'm not too into buying bags sight unseen.

OneTinSloth

i don't think pac has a dealer here, but i could be mistaken. i got mine in boston. you could check out my bag some time if you like...and we could like, y'know...ride....

where do you work?

OneTinSloth

i have the large street scene and i can carry 12 double rolls of quilted northern toilet tissue in it comfortably. that's the largest thing i've carried IN the bag, definitely NOT the heaviest though (itfilled the bag to capacity). i have also carried a standard sized plastic carousel horse strapped to the back of it. that was comfy as well, except trying to stop and go and trackstand...and then dismounting the bike...i was also drunk at the time, so that may have had something to do with it.

lucklust

yeah, imagine that

OneTinSloth

oh poop on you! i could've been trying to make off with a carousel horse sober...i and i probably would've tried to do it sober anyway...it just so happened that me seeing the carousel horse after going to the bar coincided...y'know, all coincidental-like.

lucklust

So, everyone knows what that means, right? It means there's one of these roaming the streets of Berkeley!

p.s. not like anyone would notice out there

p3ntuprage

some of my best being-drunk-would-have-been-an-excuse-steals have been while sober.

fsnl
sparky