wetjett01

I'm looking for a good commuter bag that's big enough to carry basic office gear( manuals, paperwork, etc.) as well as a pair of shoes and my other bike gear for the ride to work. my commute isn't too long(less than 5 mi.) but it rains sporaticaly and without warning in the summer here so the bag being waterproof is very important. A modest budget limits my choices of top-shelf equipment so keep that in mind when suggestions are made. I know this topic has probably been beaten to death in the past but fresh opinions are always good.

thanks for the input...

azesty

If you dont need to many shoes you can save space by leaving them at the office?

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lilHinault

Timbuk2 makes messenger bags, "Chrome" does too, I was looking at some HUGE Chromes at Supergo today...... I'm not physically large enough for a bag of that size to work well for me, the medium Timbuk2 looked ok though.

Guest

Timbuk2, Chrome, and ReLoad are bags that come to mind. I like Timbuk2 especially because they have really cool designs on them (or at least, mine do!). I have more Timbuk 2 bags than I can count right now.

Schwinn also has a cool retro messenger bag that's huge, waterproof, and costs like 50 bucks if you can get your hands on one.

Koffee

joejack951

Are you looking for a messenger bag or something like a rack trunk or pannier bag? I recently bought an Arkel Tailrider and so far, I love it. My dad is getting into biking and I ordered him a Topeak Super MTX trunk bag for his new bike. The Topeak is $15 cheaper and supposedly holds over twice the amount of cubic inches. Honestly, I don't see how they got that measurement. I can really pack the Tailrider with stuff thanks to the expanding top panel. FWIW, I use the Tailrider daily to bring my change of clothes (I leave shoes at the office), lunch, face wipes, and a few other small items to work. Occasionally, I have a few small padded envelopes that get stuffed in there too. While the zippers are waterproof it also has an integrated rain cover if I ever got stuck in a downpour (it's going to happen eventually).

While the Topeak should suit my dad well, there is a huge difference in quality in my opinion between the two bags. The Arkel is just better laid out and easier to use and since I use the bag everyday, that matters. So there's your unsolicited comparison

Boogs

The Soma Folsom messenger bag (I got mine at Nashbar) is sensibly laid out, well constructed, and waterproof. I anticipate having mine for a long time, at leasy for shopping and errands. I picked up a Cannondale Rack Trunk for hot weather rides (for food and repair stuff), and I have the Jandd Economy Panniers coming for heavy commutes this coming Fall.

DerekU2

Do you find the Arkel Tail Rider wide enough to accomodate your clothes without wrinkling them? I'm trying to decide between a trunk or Panniers. To me, a trunk LOOKS better, but it just doesnt look like it'll fit my clothes (jeans, shirt, socks, underwear) without wrinkling them...

joejack951

I can fit all of those items relatively easily and while my definition of wrinkled may be different than yours, I think my clothes look fine even after being stuffed in that bag. The trick is to roll them up as opposed to just stuffing them in.