Messenger Bag Advice
 

I'm sure there are more than a few threads on this topic, but since I can't search, here goes...

I'm trying to decide on a messenger bag, as my usual laptop bag / man-purse isnt really working so well for my commute. I'm a fan of this guy (Aucliar Messenger Bag) so far...
http://www.nashbar.com/nashbar_photos/medium/AA-AMB.gif

Most of my friends have timbuk2 bags, so i figured that is a pretty ringing endorsement. Has anyone had issues with Auclair products in the past? Should I just swallow my pride and fall in with the timbuk2 pack?

I'm pretty sure the aucliar bag would be fine, but id rather not get burned by inferior craftsmanship thats going to fall apart in 2 months.


Thanks ahead of time for any advice.

ask in the SS/Fixie forum.

They have gouts and gouts of pages on mess bags.

The fixed gear/track forums have many discussions about what the best messenger bag is for a cyclists. There are some fans of Timbuk2 but also many who do not like them. I think Timbuk2 is the most commonally available but not necessarily the best.
I bought a Chrome after reading many of the threads and looking at the various websites. I am very happy with my pruchased 2 years later. I commute with my Chrome Metropolis everyday in all kinds of Cleveland weather. It is holding up well and keeps the contents dry. Plus it is comfortable and can hold a ton.
If you want something a little more unique there are several smaller manufacturers that will make custom bags with your choice of colors and even designs.
Good luck in your search.
Craig

timbuk2 bags are chinese now. lame sauce. support someone in the states, hey how about people who are actually messengers? re:load makes the finest bags around, and they do incredible custom work

Lame sauce? That is a term with which I am not familiar.

I cheaped out and went to WalMart. Got th ehouse brand bag for 14.95. No waist strap and so cheap, it reeks. Use a neoprene laptop sleeve to augment the porr cushioning. I like the Patagonia and the REI bags but I figured I could make do with the cheap crap until a sale came along.

I just got an Inertia designs "Pro" messenger bag. Bag in a bag style so it is waterproof, made in usa (California) and the bag is great. I have a garment bag from them I use to carry my full suit, shoes etc. to and from work. I noticed that about after a year one of use one the clothes hangars in the bag was breaking down. I contacted Inertia regarding the life time warranty and they sent me a loaner to use while mine was being fixed. No receipt, no credit card # needed!:D After a year of use! Anyway I had some ideas on how to improve the bag which they thought were worthwhile design changes. So I got my new & improved bag back, no$'s and the messenger bag as a "thanks" from the company for the ideas. Small business gotta love em'.

Can that thing hold a case of beer? That's the usual test.

I'm looking at the chrome bags myself. How big is the metropolis? It looks huge from the pictures on the site. I'm leaning towards the Citizen, a little smaller, but now I'm wondering how much it'll actually hold. Anybody have any experience or opinions? Think the metropolis is 2000 cu in and the citizen is 1200.

Exactly.

This has been the one hangup regarding my attempts at maintaining a more bike-friendly lifestyle. Biking to the grocery store is great, but biking home without beer isn't.

the bag in question is 11 by 14 by 11, I think I'll be good for a 6 of boston ale, or magic hat, or pbr, or...

The Metro is the perfect size for me. It is large and can hold alot but you don't have to use all of the capicity and you have it if you need it. If you are just using the bag for light commuting and as an oversized purse the Citizen is plenty big but if you occasionally need to pick up things from the store, or haul clothes and shoes, or carry a laptop in addition to your change of clothes and a lunch the Metro will have room to spare while the Citizen will get tight, fast.
I normally carry a pump, thermos, lock, change of clothes, and necessary tools in mine. However occasionally I pick up groceries or dinner and the extra space comes in handy.
Now the Kremlin looks absolutely enormous. That is what the messengers use so they can handle the largest of packages.
Craig

FYI someone my PerformanceBike shopping cart screwed up because every item I looked at ended up going into my cart, and I didnt see until after I had ordered it. So I ended up buying an TimBuk2 right after I bought a Chrome Metro. PerformanceBike said they couldnt cancel the order, even though it hadnt shipped yet :rolleyes: but I didnt fight it because it was 99 cent shipping. I guess I'll have a pretty good un-biased side-by-side comparison this weekend. Unless the TimBuk2 blows me out of the water, it'll be returned next week.

The metropolis will carry a case (24) of beer, a few books books and some clothes all at once and still properly close so that it will be rain-proof, but that's getting close to it's limit. I regularly use it to carry the bike gear like a lock, multi-tool, co2 inflater plus a full change of clothes, a towel, shoes and a 6 pack or a couple bottles of wine. I've never felt like it was getting too close to full for that, but if I switched the 6 pack to a 12 pack, it would get tight.

My wife and I use Crumpler messenger bags (Barley Rustle Blanket) and love them. They are unique (at least in these parts), very comfortable, and even though I commute in the rain (sometimes forgetting my rear fender!) they strangely stay quite clean.

I highly recommend Crumpler.

I had a crumpler messenger bag that was perfect for a laptop, change of clothes, lunch, and a small electrician's tool kit. I ended up giving that to a coworker for his motorcycle and then he died.
My experience is that the timbuk2 (medium) is better with a small load and gets cumbersome when its fully loaded. My chrome metro's the exact opposite, it feels kind of loose with my usual load of lunch, work clothes, and pair of sneakers.
But every couple of days when I really need to stuff it, it feels great on my back. If I were you and I don't plan on carrying around too much, the citizen stuffed would work pretty well.

I got my chrome in all white vinyl, which is basically two thick liner type layers instead of the usual liner and nylon. The advantage is that it's completely slick and doesn't absorb any water or sweat at all. The disadvantage is that it's completely slick and doesn't absorb any water or sweat at all.

Read and be informed:
http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/reviews/messengerbags/

Personally I have a Chrome Metropolis and love it. Since I got it as a Christmas present I can't really complain, but I would have checked out the BaileyWorks bag too. My brother has the smaller Chrome bag, the Citizen, and when you throw in work clothes, shoes, and lunch the bag is stuffed. I like that the Metro has enough room for all that and more. Of course the flip side of the argument is that when not fully loaded the Citizen fits better because it is smaller.

That's the nashbar bag.

For $40 it looks great.

Best as in which is most fashionable or carries the most street cred?

The nice thing about a cheap bag is that it affords you the opportunity to try the messenger bag option, both in terms of comofort and size, before commiting a good chunk of cash on a high quality one.

For me, the biggest challenge was determining the appropriate size. I've got a Chrome Citizen & Crumpler Barney which I find just about perfect for my needs (change of clothes, lunch, bits and pieces). I've got a Crumpler Seed for when I need a bit more capacity.

I ended up ordering a Timbuk2 classic, size L from performance. With a 20% discount applied it comes out to around $14 more than the Auclair.

China mans gotta eat same as the American.

i've had a medium timbuk2 for about three years now. when i started commuting, i bought an extra large used, with the tags still on it, for very cheap. i use the medium for most commutes, i travel pretty light. but the extra large is great for grocery/beer runs. i can fit a 30 pack in that thing with room to spare, and it's still pretty comfortable.

Plenty of that too but if you read enough you can start to filter out which one people like to use and which ones are more for show.
I havn't tried many different bags but the cheap ones look to be a completely different bag than the Chrome I have. I'm sure I'd be just as unhappy with a cheap messenger bag as I am happy with my Chrome. I do think there are other bags and backpacks I would be happy with but I am not sorry about my choice.
Actually the biggest problem I have with my Chrome is that people think I am some kind of hip messenger. I try to counter act that by wearing a helmet mounted mirror and riding with fenders and lights.

Craig

I've got a Timbuk2. I bought it off Craigslist used, so it's got two black panels and one blue/white camo panel in the middle. Not the flashiest or coolest looking, but sure is effin durable as hell. Mine's a medium, and it seriously holds a lot. Last thing that I love is the quick release strap-length adjuster.

Good stuff.

http://bikeforums.net/showpost.php?p...00&postcount=4

Reading this post pretty much dissuaded me from buying that bag from nashbar.

chrome, bailey works, reload, freight baggage, take your pick. i have a bailey works, i like the dimensions better than chrome. they are durable, waterproof, and have better strap mechanisms/pads compared to the timbuk2.

I have a Chrome Metropolis and simply love it. I had the Timbuk2 first and didn't like the strap adjustment at all (I know it is a matter of taste), but the buckle is waht sold me on the Chrome. The first time that you have are tired from your ride and have to sling a fully loaded bag over your shoulder and almost take off your head, you will appreciate the seat belt buckle disconnect of the Chrome (makes it worth every extra penny you just spent) for easy removal without slinging over the head. Also, from what I read, the Timbuk2 is still made in the USA unless you purchase their laptop specific bags and they are now being made in China (and all other may follow suit shortly, but for now the Messenger bags are still made in the USA, by chinese women though I beleive).

I've used a Sundog (offbrand?) that I picked up from sierratradingpost for cheap. Carried it around Europe twice & use it for office commute. Expandable, separate 'document' sleeve on inside. Waist strap is completely unusablel to me since it's way too short to even fit around my waist so I just shorten the shoulder strap until it's up in the middle of my back & it works fine. After 5 years the Sundog still serves admirably. But our climate means that keeping stuff dry is rarely a problem.

You only say that cause you've never been able to locate the Chromes stash pocket.

I have a few Timbuks from years ago. They've lasted very very well and I beat on them. I don't like the fact that they no longer offer a 'ballistic bottom' - the extra cordura exterior on the bottom. I am sure my main bag would be dead by now if not for that option.

I agree that their capacity for lots of stuff is negated by the lack of separators to organize stuff & keep it from slopping around - They're very good for stuff like clothes, lunch or tools, etc but they suck for books and magazines, which always slide down flat and act as a knife in your back.

I also don't love the strap lock mech - the tab always pops out and stabs me.

But I like the little pockets, the looks, the velcro flap and the durability. I called them a few years ago to replace the black plastic strap closures and they sent me some free.

If I was buying a new bag tomorrow, I'd check out Chrome (everyone seems to like them and they certainly look well made on a quick first glance) or an Ortlieb, as I am preferring the two-strap backpack thing these days (not a mssngr, I don't need to swing the back around frequently). I think it distributes the load more ergonomically than the one strap. That's nice for me as I get older.

I have a Timbuk2, and I love it. Holds a lot of stuff, and rides comfortably. I like that it is easy to adjust on the bike.

BTW, the classic messengers are made in San Fran still. The others are made in China. Timbuk2 claims that they are too complex to be economical to make in the USA... but after watching all the stuff made in the US on John Ratzenberger's show (Made In The USA), I have to agree - lame sauce. I would get another Timbuk2, but I'd use my money to send a message by buying a San Fran made model.