zanq

I've moved due to a new job and I'm looking to get back into bike commuting (~10 mi. one-way). Before I just had tuperware containers in a plastic grocery bag, inside a backpack and got mixed results with stuff, spilling, etc. I'm looking for a better way to carry lunch to work, both on the bike and in the car. I've been looking at all of the soft-sided, 6-pack type coolers and they are either too big, too small, not enough pockets, etc. Then I saw this thing:

https://www.amazon.com/Topeak-MTX-Tru...8510173&sr=8-1


It has the extra pockets I want to keep wet/dry separated, is somewhat insulated, can be on the bike or off, and can serve to carry other things when not commuting to work. I take a lot of left-overs for lunch and sometimes the tupperware is large, so I can't have some tiny thing.

Does anyone have any experience with this bag or am I better off getting a cheaper, simpler lunch bag?

Thanks!

JoebikerLa

I have one very similar to that one. I use the DXP that has the expandable paniers and water bottle holder on back. I've yet to fill it to capacity. I carry a complete set of work clothes, lunch, tools, and newspaper.
I like it a lot.

andymac

I use a Mountain Equipment Co-op trunk bag for my lunch, tools and spare tubes. It is somewhat insulated and I throw a small ice pack in with my stuff to keep it cold. It is smaller than what you are looking at and it almost works for me. I end up throwing a few things like bagels or granola bars into my backpack as any fruit I want to carry gets too squished if I try to cram it all in the trunk bag.

JustBrowsing

I ordered one of those a few weeks ago from Amazon to go with a Topeak Explorer rack. The way the bag and rack work together is pretty nice. While the bag was very roomy (more than enough space for a few days worth of lunches, since that's what you'll be using it for), it ended up being too tall for my rack/seat combo, so I had to return it. I ended up ordering the smaller EXP version of the bag from bikesomewhere.com (Amazon doesn't offer much of a discount on this one). The smaller one is still quite roomy and suits my needs very well (dress pants and shirt, belt, t-shirt, socks [shoes stay at the office]--and I haven't needed to use the paniers yet).

If you do get the DXP version, be aware that you need about 25cm of clearance between the rack and the bottom of the seat (assuming your seat is over the front end of the rack). And that's without the expanded part opened. If you expand it, you need to add another few cms. With the EXP trunk, you only need about 20 cm of clearance.

Feel free to PM me if you have any other questions, although I'm sure a few more people will chime in with their experiences.

lil brown bat

Mr. Bento.

WillisB

I have panniers. Clothes go in one and an insulated lunch bag goes into the other.

What you have shown should work well.

JustBrowsing

BTW, the picture that Amazon has posted (and the one pictured in this thread) is the wrong bag. They show the DX model. The DXP has foldout paniers along with a bottle holder in the back. There's a good sized picture of the right one here.

larryfeltonj

I dealt with the problem by adjusting my lunches. I have a pair of large jannd commuter panniers, so storage space isn't a problem. At this point I carry sandwiches, fruit, one non-healthy splurge junk food snack (usually something like fig newtons) and sliced carrots. None of those items tend to leak.

Schwinnrider

I used a Topeak bag very similar to that for years. The rack trunk is insulated enough to keep stuff cold or hot for the 1 hour+ of my commute. Topeak makes OK stuff.

2_i 

I wrap every single fruit separately in bubble wrap. This has made the fruit, even such as soft pears or apricots, arrive in a decent shape to work.

ItsJustMe

I chuck leftovers into tupperware and toss that in my bag, along with a sandwich. 3 years now and I have yet to have a problem of any kind, even though I ride over 4 miles of bumpy gravel road. Probably easier for me because leftovers are always some kind of casserole or stuff tossed together in a container; I'm not picky, I just want something to make me stop being hungry until I go home.

donnamb 

I have a Mr. Bento. It goes in my pannier and holds a lot of food.

Jarery

Hey that Mr Bento is cool. If i could find the motivation to actually make lunch for myself, id be all over that thing.

vrkelley

Wow you guys are so fussy with those expensive containers. I just drop a grocery sack with fruit, canned goods etc into my backpack and haul a few canned goods, fruits, whatever each day. Keep a "pantry" at my desk or locker.

When lunch rolls around, I look...oh an apple..I don't want pork and beans today...PB and J works. Make it up fresh. I keep a large microwaveable soup mug for making mac and cheese or whatever. No dirty dishes to haul home. Cook'n at work rocks!

Cyclon

Instead of Tupperware I use Lock-and-Lock containers. I've taken soup and haven't had any spills.

vrkelley

At work, it's fun to make fresh soup from those Knorr and Lipton Aside pouches. 1/2 pouch plus water makes a good hearty meal. No mess in the pack pack either

tspoon

I use something similar to these, in the size that will just comfortably hold two sandwiches and jam a cordial sachet on top. If the sandwich filling is messy I use clingfilm around the sandwiches.

lil brown bat

No, I'm just friends with people who give me cool stuff for my birthday that I'd never buy for myself.

I like my Mr. Bento, but honestly, it is a bit too bulky for everyday use. I wear a pack, no panniers for me -- I often stop on my way home to do an errand, and taking off panniers and hauling them into a store is a PITA. So, the Mr. Bento is a bit big to jam into the pack along with clothes and all that. But if OP's been using tupperware and such and having problems with leaks, something like the Mr. Bento is really the way to go.

evblazer

My wife uses an MTX trunk bag with fold out panniers on her Fuji Finest road bike. It is nice and has held up really well.
She has put big 3" binders and heavy books in the panniers without much fuss, carried some groceries up top and everyday she brings her change of clothes and lunch in it without any problem.
She has the one that slides on into the track and locks on. It hasn't had any problems yet. The only issue she has with it is the bike is top heavy and it is far out to the rear.
I think it has to do with the geometry/size of the bike, 45cm I think. We had to put the rack out back so that it could slide onto the rack since the bag is so tall. Riding it she is fine but manuevering the bike while beside it when it is full is another story.

CliftonGK1

I have a Nashbar Elite rack trunk, and I can fit a ton of stuff in there. It's tall enough that the large size Ziploc twist-top plastic containers (great for soup) fit in there without having to tip them on their side. The inside is padded enough that soft fruits don't get bruised up if they roll around.
If I have too much other stuff to go in the trunk, then lunch goes in the matching handlebar bag (same construction to keep things from getting beat up during the ride.

b_young

I have the MTX DX similar to the OP. I have not been able to fill it yet. I normally carry clothes, lunch and 4 to 5 cans of coke. I would recommend the Quick track set up with it. It slides in and locks into position without the use of straps. The downside is that I do carry a lot of extra stuff I probably do not need.

nick burns

I use these Tupperware "Rock 'N Serve" bowls. They're a bit more sturdy than the standard Tupperware and even though they're called the small round set, they actually hold a lot. I've never had one leak, but I put them in a large ziplock freezer bag for insurance anyway. A little pricey at $35.00, but they seem like they will last forever. They fit nicely in my messenger bag.

jeff-o

I use a rack bag from Axiom as my lunchbox. It works well, though I have to cover it when it rains or the contents get soggy. If you want a fully waterproof bag, get an Arkel Tailrider.

jimlamb

I've had good luck with my cooler bag:

mstrpete

I work at a restaurant, and get half off anything on the menu