Review II:
The Timbuk2 Shift Pannier/Messenger Bag
I ordered this bag from Timbuk2 because of their good return policy. Basically, if I don't like it, send it back for a full refund, no questions asked. The messenger bag/pannier came in a plastic bag with a note that said "This is not a plastic bag, it is a bike map of San Francisco". Sure enough, it was a bike map of San Fran. I love this company's casual attitude. Even in the email communications for order confirmation and shipping, they seemed to have rid themselves of the corporate jargon that usually fills your inbox.
I will edit this post once I've ridden with the bag a few times, but I wanted to go ahead and post pics and initial 'out of the box' thoughts. The bag looks bigger in pics than it is in person, so I will have to see what I can fit inside. I have a 13" laptop, and the 'sleeve' included in the bag is said to fit a 15". It is not a padded sleeve, just a divider. I like the quick attachment of the bag to the rack. It has two hooks with velcro on the back that hook over the top of the rack, and one bungee hook that hooks to the bottom. So far, it's pretty snug. I'll have to see how it handles in climbing, etc. The bungee looks like it could lose elasticity over time.
Anyway, here are some pics if you would like to see. I'll post more info next week after I've ridden with it a few times both as a messenger bag and a pannier.
EDIT: So it's been a few weeks, and I have commuted with this bag about 2x per week, 42 miles round trip. I will start by saying that I love the bag and might keep it, but it isn't big enough for a commute in which you have to carry clothes and a laptop. I have a job where I have to wear nice pants/shoes and a dress shirt. Those are my commuting days, which are the days I don't have to wear a suit and drive to appointments.
In the bag, I can "barely" fit dress shoes, nice shirt/pants, socks, , small golf towel, 13" MacBook Pro laptop (pretty thin, no power cord). The bag is straining even with those items, and I cannot fit a lunch, and it has totally scratched up my rear rack because the hooks are also metal. Not sure if this is common with other panniers. I think this bag would be perfect for a student commuter as it would hold 3 or 4 text books and a computer, then strap over your shoulder once you arrive to school. You would have to buy the strap as the bag doesn't come with it, the primary reason I am thinking of returning it and just getting a sale messenger bag off ebay or something.
If I keep this bag, it will be to go to my parents or brother-in-law's house and take my laptop and couple of other items, or I may still use it to commute with a pannier on the other side for clothes and a lunch, but it simply doesn't have enough space as my sole transporter. So what do I like about it? The bag is very well made, and I like the fact that the bag is canvas "ballistic" on the outside with a waterproof liner on the inside, unlike some panniers. This gives the bag a nice stylish look without compromising quality. As you can see in the pictures, the bag also has reflective material on both sides and loops for blinkies.
The back of the bag is tough, and there is a 'board like' surface that backs up to the rack, keeping the bag very stable. My bike even fell over this morning and the bag didn't budge. There are also several pockets under the front flap for keys, phone and such. I do wonder over time how the velcro will hold up, but I guess velcro is pretty commonly used on these types of bags. I wish I could review the messenger part of the bag, but alas, no strap. I have heard that the hooks can be uncomfortable against your back, but the bag is meant to be carried at waist level when being used as a messenger off the bike, minimizing the hook to clothing contact.
Edit II: I just wrote the edit above this morning, and lo and behold, a hook on the bag broke on the way home. I only had a laptop and some clothes in it. I'm sending it back and wouldn't recommend it at all, even for a student.
