What kinda bag do you use?
 

I'm looking to invest in a messanger bag or otherwise waterproof bag. I'm moving to Eugene, OR and expect to be commuting in rain for much of the fall/winter. I need a bag that's big enough to carry several text books at once. Any advice/ recommendations? I have a fellow that wants to sell me a Sidetrak Messanger bag- anyone familiar with this bag? It's a steal, but don't know if it will suit me needs. thanks in advance!

Hey i hated the messenger bags. I think they are only good if you have to get on and off your bike often. I ride with a Deuter backpack. It's from Germany(via Vietnam), has a rain cover, nicely vented back and narrower than the average daypack. Many different sizes, mine is 1700CI. They haven't caught on in the US yet so you can snatch 'em cheap with a lot of looking. I think I paid 40.0 for an 80.00 bag at Livetoplay Charlie

Chrome makes excellent messenger bags and messenger backpacks. Lifetime warranty and guaranteed to last. www.chromebags.com

I use a timbuk2 messenger bag. It's called the deedog. It is water-proof, bomb-proof. I use it almost everyday. It holds alot. You should get what you can afford. Check out a few bags before you buy one, then you'll find the one you really want.
Thanks.

i'm not familiar with the sidetrak bag, i've used timbuk 2 and chrome bags; the chrome with the seat belt buckle is my fav for fit and overall usability. the timbuks have served me well, too and work better with larger more unusually shaped loads, i.e. groceries. regardless, I'd buy a bag made by a company that has it's bags used by actual messengers. goto www.messengers.org. there's a good section there on bags if memory serves...

I have the largest timbuk2 and I love it to pieces. It has held up for years, biking and not biking, and is big enough that it wraps around the sides of my body when not full and can carry a gallon of milk, a big box of cereal and other assorted groceries. It's enormous.

(It only looks a little ridiculous on 5'3" me.)

I have a Jandd Hurricane series bag. Amazing quality and a decent price. The 1950 cu. in. model is cavernous. I can hold all the books, notebooks and anything I need for an entire week in the bag. I paid cost so that makes it worth a bit more to me, but at retail its still worth checking out.

I should mention that although I recommended Chrome above, if you are interested in a backpack style bag you should look into a camelback or hydrapak. My wife is ready to commute to work but needed a bag to hold her scrubs and lunch in. After she had looked at several bags (chrome being the fav) I had her look at the hydration system bags. She choose a hydrapak snowstorm with 100 fl oz bladder and 1500 cu in. of space. The pack was chosen because it:
a. served as a backpack
b. doubled as convenient hydration
c. safety device if you happen to land on your back. don't laugh, there is a recent thread supporting this.

my girlfriend calls me late last night saying, "i'm sick - come home." which was sucky 'cause i hadn't gotten any work done yet. worse... it was 10:30pm... worse... Chicago was getting rain worse than any hurricane down south... worse... i needed to take my lab's 200 GB hard drive home with me to finish work there.

But my CHROME bag held in and did the trick. After a couple miles in the most drenching rain, I crawled into her place, opened up my bag to find it absolutely dry... not a single visible sign of moisture. That's good too... cause had anything happened to the hard drive, my ass would've been canned today.

Chrome Bags... http://www.chromebags.com/

Here are pics of hers and mine. mine is the yellowish one and also has 100 fl oz bladder but only 500 cu in. space.

I use a BaileyWorks, which is great and well-made and waterproof and all that, but if you're going a good distance and carrying some textbooks, you might want to think about panniers: two or three good-sized books + lunch + rain gear + tools + whatever other random thing you migh have that day = backache, sweaty back, etc. When I had to carry big law books and a laptop, I went with a rack and panniers to ward off the scoliosis.

I am on my second Timbuk2, this one is about two years old, and the company is just pissing me off lately. I wanted to replace it since it's torn to shreds, but apparently they don't make waxed canvas bags any more. (Hmm... they make schmancy graphics bags now, but no waxed canvas? Says something.) I've also found they tend to get scraped up and torn somewhat easily, and that they lose their waterproofability. In all honesty, I was only looking to replace it since so many of my friends identify me on the street by my bag colors.

My next bag will be a Chrome.

Ortlieb. Ortlieb. Ortlieb. 100% Waterproof, welded seams, roll-top closures. I've had a messenger bag of theirs for nearly 10 years, used on a daily commute for 7 years til I moved to panniers, and still it's in good-as-new condition.

Carrying textbooks in a backpack on your back while riding might not be good. I would suggest going for a pannier that doubles as a backpack. Available, as of this posting, at bikenashbar.com.

thanks for all the incite- looks like I have a lot to go off of!

what did you finally decide on?

Chrome bags get the job done! I bought one because of recomendations from other roadies. These things are 100% water proof and durable with lots of functional pockets for storing stuff. I can store wet stuff in my bag and keep it from getting other items wet.

www.chromebags.com

they are pricey,but you will not need another bag. Give them a call, they always have a few factory seconds on hand, I got a 130 bag for 93 bucks, nothign wrong with it at all. I use it every day when commuting and its great for traveling.

Ride on!

adam

Yeah I stood out in a downpour for more than an hour Saturday with my Chrome bag on. Everything inside was completely dry.

Don't get a messenger bag unless you need remove it and put it on a lot. The best pack I've used so far is an old lowe alpine running pack, it forms an aerodynamic tear drop shape on my back and straps on tight and is comfortable. Unfortunately, I have carpal tunnel in my right hand and a strap on my right shoulder cuts off circulation pretty easy so I use a messenger bag across my left shoulders.
I've also stood outside in a hurricane with my lowe alpine pack full of holes and the contents of my bag inside a black plastic trash bag, contents also remained completely dry.

I just ordered this bag yesterday, and can't wait for it to arrive. It looks roomy, and I like that it can be used as a backpack as well. I am a student, and I travel a lot for my job, so having my stuff portable is critical. Plus, it was cheap! (Although I just noticed that the price went down another $15 since I ordered it just one day ago.... Grr....) Only $34.99 now.

Just called Nashbar, and they gave me a refund for the difference, how cool is that!

I rode home with my new timbuk2 and I dont like it that much. felt way too thing. I was carrying books, a hoodie, bike lock, and some other random ****. It still felt like it was going to fold in half on my back.

I have a timbuk2. It's a real solid bag, I bungee it to my rear rack, though, I don't use it as a shoulder bag--it kept slipping around in front of me (pain in the butt).

It's got a lot of pockets though, and I can fit a ton of stuff in it.