True, and a lot of those add on racks actually have a flat metal bottom rather than bars to protect cargo from dirt. For now I'm going to stick with professionally made bags though. I'm pretty crafty, but in general I've found that I can get better quality utility items with a cheaper material cost and no labor investment by buying mass produced products. I learned that the hard way by making really cute purses that look awesome upfront, but don't stand the normal wear and tear that comes with use. Same would go for a rack bag I would think.

Also, just a heads up--I can't respond to PMs until I have 50 posts. I wrote a long winded response before I found that out , but I'll summarize: I don't normally wear a helmet, but with the switch to a new sportier bike I am going to for a while. I am also transitioning to clipless pedals and road shoes for the first time, so I don't want a nasty accident if I have some mishaps while I learn to clip in/out. I'm just crossing my fingers that I don't scratch up my frame at all while I'm learning. I've had my share of road rash and bruises, but I've learned that while legs can heal, frame damage is forever