I now commute with a Carradice Pendle Saddlebag. It holds a change of clothes (shirt, pants, undergarments), shoes, lunch and tools with some room to spare. Once it gets cold again I'll most likely get a slightly larger saddle bag. I love not having the weight on my back.

I got a chrome mini-metro off craigslist for 60 bucks. Pretty good deal and it'd only been used a few times. I love college kids who don't understand the value of a buck :D

Like Raleigh said, I don't mind the sweat. I don't see any reason to try to NOT sweat when you commute 20 miles a day. It's like trying to fight getting water in your mouth when you are a swimming champion.

Sweat is good.

WTF?

http://www.baileyworks.com/faq.cfm

They're made in NH. And where are you getting your 'agenda' crap? I'm telling the OP my opinion about bags I own. You did catch that I own a CW? And use it to commute almost every day. As to implying they're bad,I'm saying that for the price you can do better. My med Bailey SuperPro cost like $20 more than my small(now called med) CW. Bailey has raised their prices since then,but Comparing CW's and Baileys of the same size,and adding the strap pad and stabilizer(stock on the Baily),they're still within about $20 of each other.

If you love your CW so much,then run with it. But owning both bags,I'm saying the Bailey gives you much more bang for the buck. Weatherproof,way better strap/strap system,and nicer fit/finish.

I was looking at the Seagull Black Bag, too. I've heard fantastic things about them.... but then I decided to give Seagull more money for a customized deluxe :)

Rather t han start yet another thread, I decided to post my question here. I've seen lots of manufacturers listed here, but I just discovered that Jandd makes mess bags as well. Does anyone have any opinions on their line? Or perhaps a formula for determining how big of one I should get? Will be using it for college/commuting (haven't determined yet if I need to bring the laptop all of the time, if at all).

I got a Timbuk2 medium laptop mess bag for the mornings when I like to take my laptop to the coffee shop. I usually don't haul much else when I take my laptop out so it suits me. I'm still researching, but I'm going to acquire a bigger bag for more general commutes so I can carry shoes, fleece, books, water, etc. I'm leaning towards PAC for that as I'm really liking their strap system.

One thing is sure here. Both bag companies are owned, and run, by hardy New Englanders!:thumb:

I want one of these:
http://www.chromebags.com/products/accessories/show/51/

It would be perfect for me!

Yeah? What would you carry in it?

Not so much feelin that one for myself...

Looks good for keys/pen/ulock/book. Which is just about all I carry these days =\

Yeah, I carry my mp3 player, keys, check card, and sunblock.

all i need really.

I decided to go with a Cocotte Alfredo for my larger bag.

ORTLIEB.

nothing compares.

For panniers, yes. Backpacks, not really.

I've repeatedly heard that their backpacks tend to fall apart after a few years. Plus the design shortcut, er, choice, of having a rear pannier with shoulder straps makes the bag a giant gaping black maw. Hard to find things at the bottom, hard to really organize things at all. For a good cycling backpack I'd rather go with Chrome, Chicago Wig or Seagull.

If you like the giant gaping maw thing, Chicago Wig's pack could eat two Ortliebs for brunch. And their huge compartment folds away when you don't need it, leaving a more normal sized pack.

http://img295.imageshack.us/img295/8840/dscf0157bp3.jpg
Woah cool!

I just realized I have a hip bag!
http://www.bikeforums.net/http:http:...f0157bp3.jpg//
it's not as sweet looking at the chrome bag but it works. I've been using it for my camera.
60 bucks is kinda steep for something so small IMO.

I have the Ortlieb messenger backpack and do like it, but that is my one complaint. It has a vertical format, that is, taller than it is wide and opening on the top, and the inside is mostly black. Most of the things I put in it are black or dark, so it really is this black pit when you look into it. Several times I have almost gone after a flashlight when I have wanted something that had migrated to the bottom of the bag.

I don't know, but I think some of that design is intentional. There are no organizing pockets on the outside, no attachment points of any kind. It is just a waterproof bag with a roll top. But the advantage of that is, there is nothing much to get really wet. You can come inside from a pouring rain, wipe the thing down with a towel, open it up, and everything inside is completely dry. That was my personal main reason for getting it, total waterproofness, and it has performed flawlessly in that respect. I traded off organizing pockets, I traded off a hook for a blinkie, I traded off easy access, but I got guaranteed total dryness.

There's a Knog something or other at my LBS for 90 bones. I'll probably buy that or the smaller Seagull Black Bag. Given how I have scoliosis, a fully loaded mess bag won't work for me, so I'm rethinking my approach to things.

Previously I'd been hauling all my heavy stuff in my Targus backpack and the lock/pump/tube/tools would go in my trunk bag, but I've decided that I will flip that idea around and bungee the books to the rack and have a small-ish mess bag for the essentials: pump/lock/lights/batteries/tube/tools/iPod/Bible/current reading material.

That way, I save my back, and the rack gets used as it was meant to be.

The trunk bag will remain for non-commute/around town stuff, such as group rides, rides, weekend rides, long rides, etc.

And I really want a hip pouch to stick all the tools tube patch kit yeeha in.

Raleigh531 -- I realize that you just posted indicating that you went with Cocotte instead of PAC (Canada still FTW! ;) ) but I'll just add this comment in case others read it on the search.

I've owned a PAC ultimate for several years now, and while I stand by the quality and design of almost everything in the bag, if I had to choose between the X-strap and the waist belt, I would go with the waist belt every single time. The X-strap is a nice design idea but it's got a basic flaw in that the point where the strap clips in is relatively high -- basically coming in just above your sternum. So, what tends to happen when you engage the strap is that you get some weight shifted off your primary shoulder to the X-strap, along with a bunch of pressure applied to your chest.

When on a bike in the drops, this is generally fine, since the bag is sitting on your back and the pressure on your sternum is relaxed, but it's really uncomfortable for walking around; to the point where I don't use it unless I'm carrying something really heavy for a few miles on the bike and I need the extra stability of the X-strap.

The waist belt, on the other hand, is indispensable. I've actually been kind of wimpified by it, as I'll use the waist belt for any load that's more than 10 lbs. on my back. Being able to shift weight distribution to my hips is immensely useful. As a weight-distributor, the X-strap is really perfunctory. It's main benefit is stabilizing top heavy loads while you're on your bike.

(oh and fwiw, I had a couple of the strap retaining clips on my Ultimate bag snap off after a year or use and Pat was really nice and prompt about sending me free replacements. I haven't had a lot of interaction with PAC customer service over the years, but all of my conversations have been great and efficient)

Thanks for the comments on the X-strap anyways. It's good to know these things as one never knows what they may end up with in the future.

PAC was looking solid, but it was just too much money. After comparing Chrome, Manhattan Portage, PAC, Timbuk2, Bagjack, DeMartini, Push, CourierWare, and Concotte, I decided Concotte offered the best bang for buck as far as what I was looking for.

I just picked up a Patagonia Critical Mass bag at a sample sale this weekend. Its MUCH improved from their past designs. Its 47 litres and has a huge well-padded laptop sleeve, plus a tonne of room in the main compartment. The shoulder strap is way easier to adjust than the past design, which is why I would have never have recommended the bag a couple of years ago. It also has a very large reflective strip across the entire bag. All in all, much improved and I would definetly recommend this bag now.

Woot.
I just won a chrome hipbone for 30 bucks on auction.
If you order it from the site it's like 70.