pinetreeforest1

I live in a city where single shoulder strap messenger bags are popular, however I notice that since I've been using one, there is more tension than usual in my left shoulder blade. I also wonder long term, if these things do damage to your back. Logically it seems that even if your carrying 20 pounds or so in your bag at any one time, the body has to compensate somehow considering all the weight is on the left shoulder. I'm curious if anyone has information regarding this?

Zero_Enigma

I think the best person to answer that would be a doctor specializing in the shoulder area tho I'm sure the famly doctor can help you out on that one when you got for your annual check up.

slvoid

I don't know about a doctor but the chick who gave me a massage noticed in like 5 seconds that one side of my body was a lot tighter than the other side.

unkchunk

If under 30, keep using the messenger bag regardless, because you won't be able to handle the social stigma of not using a messenger bag. If over 40, then by all means stop using the messenger bag because not being in pain is more important than social standing. If between 30 and 40, ehhh... flip a coin.

qmsdc15

A lot of messengers use two strap backpacks for this reason. Mine is from Chrome. Better yet, panniers. Best, jersey pockets (travel light).

MrCjolsen

I don't think the type of bag -messenger vs. backpack - matters so much as how much weight is carried. I was carrying a messenger bag 30 miles a day for 3 months. I seldom put more than 10 pounds in it. My back never felt better. And I'm 45 with degenerative disc disease.

qmsdc15

If you don't carry a lot, a fanny pack might do. If you carry a lot, distributing the weight evenly over both shoulders is more comfy, for sure. I strap boxes on my Jandd rear rack. Groceries and big loads go in the B.O.B. trailer. Don't ask me why I wear a large back pack when I'm pulling a trailer. I don't know!

gazer

I like my Timbuk2 bag as it is the most waterproof bag I've ever owned, and the messenger style helps with that (no zippers).

At a bike skills course (run by a LAB licensed instructor), the instructor mentioned that the fact that messenger bags generally ride lower on the back as a benefit - they end up being supported by your pelvis, which is good.

In getting adjusted on a new commuting bike, I've found that position matters a lot. For me, a little bit of saddle tilt improved my comfort by 100%, as it helped to kick my bag back onto my pelvis.

My main concern with the messenger bag is that it is less stable than a two-strap backpack. With a quick maneuver, the bag will want to swing around to your front, which can be bad. I'm used to it by now though!

ryanparrish

Chrome Bags have a chest strap to prevent the swing you describe, so should any decent mess bag. OP switch shoulders or get more padding

h2o_polo_boi

hmmmm i settled with a chrome bag after months of research. before i would commute up to school (up an 14% average grade hill) with my school books in a backpack with hydration back. i now used my chrome bag for more than a year and thinking of upgrading to the bigger metropolis.

things i liked about my chrome messenger:

1. ease of getting stuff out on or off the bike!
2. seatbelt buckle made it look cool and easier to take off bag
3. waterproof! not just water resistant. will keep contents dry even in heavy downpours
4. not as bad sweat marks on my shirt
5. can hold a lot more than backpack
6. no more hitting backpack when I look up

the thing about chrome bags are they ride on ur back like backpacks. very high. i never had any trouble with manueverbility or stability because i have mine on very tight, wrapped around me. the chest strap helps with keeping the bag still.

now here's the trick. depending on your bike geometry, the bulk weight of the messenger bag should not be carried by your shoulder but rather by your back. it's almost like a turtle's shell. i often found it to be much more comfortable to ride in the drops when i have a heavy load. if your body geometry is right, the weight should be perfectly distributed between your shoulder and back. however, if you ride in a more upright position with a heavy load, then of course your shoulders will be off balance.

not sure if it helps but this is a pic me and my bag. my friend snapped it at an intersection.

qmsdc15

Chrome makes large two strap bags, that have the all benefits of a messenger style bag with the only downside being ease of access and less capacity, neither should matter unless you are a messenger. Large loads (bigger than can fit in a large Chrome backpack) carried over distance should not be hanging from your neck. If you regularly carry large loads on your bike consider a rack. Just my opinion based on twenty+ years working as a bicycle messenger. If you think a rack looks dorky and a messenger bag looks cool, and that matters to you, go with the messenger bag.

slvoid

Are you wearing a skirt in that picture?

h2o_polo_boi

actually it's a kilt...haha jk

no they're just black cargo shorts. it wouldn't be wise to wear tight lycra shorts to class...might blind somebody lol

pinetreeforest1

So I'm not really feeling a consensus here. Messenger bags are OK for your back if worn properly? I really like the look/style/functionality of the messenger bag, but I don't want to tweak the muscles in my back.

slvoid

Oh the suction cup outline...

h2o_polo_boi

here's what it all boils down to. messenger bags are OK for your back if worn properly AND you are not carrying a heavy load (say around 10 lbs). anymore and you will be better off with a backpack or a rack. otherwise you risk back problems. that is one of the reason why camping backpacks are backpacks and not messenger bags lol.

just lighten your load for a while and see how it feels. i had the same problem before carrying medical/nursing books. i had a weird feeling and a small hint of pain in my shoulders. i decided to just leave the books at home, share a friend's book in class if needed, and just bring my notebooks. never had a problem since.

deuter makes good cycling backpacks with rain covers and helmet carriers


if you want to go with the rack option, you can still get the benefits of a messenger bag with this at Performancebike.com. Just look under panniers.

it converts to a messenger bag and also has a rain cover.

andydreisch

I've commuted for 10+ years now, more than 9 of them with a bag (single strap). But I'm getting older and the bag was starting to take its toll. So I recently bought a rack and panniers. It's nice to have the weight off my back and it's cooler, too.

huhenio

It's a 100 degrees here and the least i want is a messenger bag

I am going to panniers

qmsdc15

Different strokes for different folks. My friend has a huge messenger bag from PAC, the biggest they make. He carried a case and a half of Champagne in it once. He said it felt like the main strap and stabilizing strap pulling on each side of his neck almost made him pass out by blocking blood flow to his head. Another time he carried 75 Federal Registers and 36 Congressional Records (which he weighed at the drop, 92 lbs). He rides a fixie, doesn't want a rack and is happy with his choice.

Messenger bag can cause shoulder/neck pain for some, not all.

joelpalmer

The Tibuk2 bags do too. The original question reminds me of when I was in jr high and they made us all get tested for scoliosis. After the test everyone got all paranoid that wearing backpacks over one shoulder would cause spinal problems. Having done wilderness med for years (a lot of which involves carrying HEAVY loads long distances) I have not found much info that beyond higher tension/muscle development (unless you're carrying a huge amount of weight for hours at a time) there is any issue.

joelpalmer

Yup. Single heaviest load I've had to deal with was a battery for my pickup. Carrying it lead to the same feeling of extreme weight on my neck/shoulder where the strap was (not to pass out point, but it was less weight) but had no lasting problem from it. I have a screwed up lower back from an unrelated injury and the mess bag has never caused a problem, even on my old commute, which was 15 miles one way (and often longer). The sweat patch was another issue...

markhr

why has no-one mentioned Pac-Designs bags? massive bags that have 2 shoulders straps and are bomb proof.

https://www.pacdesigns.com/action.htm

https://www.pacdesigns.com/xstrap_instructions.pdf

Captaffy

I've got one of the Chrome backpack style messenger bags, and used it while messengering. They are much better, even if you do have to take them off to put something in them.

I would never carry anything heavy in a regular messenger bag for any period of time.

h2o_polo_boi

but the seatbelt buckle on the chrome messenger bags are so cool!

qmsdc15

Don't your 'friends' poke the release button for a laugh?