Originally Posted by
Aaron_F
I carry a small point-and-shoot on my bike, but I'll also have a larger camera with me when I'm biking in NY. Getting things out of my backpack are a pain, since I have to take it off and hold it in front of me while I access the stuff I want. It'll be easier to just swing the messenger bag around--without taking it off--grabbing my camera, taking some pics, then putting the camera back.
Two things you should know:
1. Swinging a messenger bag around is easier than taking a backpack off, but not much. It gets increasingly difficult to remove items from a messenger bag depending on their size. You'll need a certain amount of slack in the strap to get the mouth of the bag open wide enough to remove large items while it's still wrapped around your body, and eventually it's just a PITA and you might find yourself taking it off anyway depending on the size of your camera. Don't expect that you'll be able to do this on the fly while you're riding down the road.
2. Walking with a loaded messenger bag is a study in discomfort. Quite possibly the most uncomfortable way to carry crap around while off the bike. But on the flip side, it's perfect while on the bike. I do recommend picking up a padded back-saver for your bag, especially if you're going to have cornered objects (cameras, boxes, books etc) in it. I keep a neoprene laptop sleeve inside my bag for just that purpose. But I would seriously recommend against carrying a mess bag if you're going to be doing any walking over like 5 minutes.