What size grubstake do you have? I kinda like it. It doesn't have any pockets, but can just use the laptop space to keep my electronics, and then just toss everything in the main part. It looks HUGE.

I actually like I think it would be last years model with the black and the grey, and the yellow timbuk2 sign. A few places still have them it seems.

What size do you have? How does it feel loaded up pretty heavily (on the bike)? What about keeping stuff dry? I won't be riding in a monsoon, but could be a few minutes before finding cover in heavy rain, or traveling in light rain/drizzle.

Thanks.

Only size I ever found was the M model. Although its huge, so I can only assume the L is massive.

1. No pockets. It has the separation for a laptop with a little 'pillow' sewed into the bottom. I put my EVO, and other electronics into a Lowepro flat camera case and then put that into the laptop area. But that's cause I treat my EVO like a mistress, so there's that.

2. I've used this bag for everything from (off the top of my head)

a. College books (3, including physics, algebra and an Oracle 11g manual); laptop, chain, lock, d-lock, phone, headphones, 6 pack of beer, 2 monster large cans, t-shirt, shoes and a pair of pants.
b. 3 12- packs, loaf of bread, 2 bottles of sauce+pasta, 2 frozen pizzas.

Bag sits well, adjusts on the fly, has a bottle opener for a Guinness on the front and has ringlet-style straps which make adjusting the bag pretty nice.

Waterproof...no. Water-ish-proof...yes.


I got caught riding to work in the outer bands of Hurricane Alex earlier this year and had a change of clothing in the bag. Nothing got soaked, but I could tell a little water seeped in from the top corners. I personally throw in a silicone pack or 3 into the bottom of any bag I use down here because of the humidity.

Honestly, if you want a backpack its just about the best one I've seen. The other one I want (and will buy this fall) is the Chrome Sultan ($200), but then again, I go out of my way to carry a ton of **** like a mule.

They come in S and M. Would you say the S would be fine? Or would you recommend the M? Have you ever thought the bag was too big?

Don't want something so huge that will be extremely bulky, or block my view of traffic. The benefit to this bag is looks, and the laptop area for if I decide to carry a netbook, tons of room. No pockets, and not so waterproof.

The banjo brothers commuter bag looks pretty sweet too. Looks more aimed towards cycling, additional support straps, waterproof, side pocket for mini kryptonite lock, additional pockets, still looks pretty nice.

Thanks

i have the REI Venturi 40 backpack that has a lightweight internal metal frame that holds the pack off of my back so there's an inch or so of airflow space between the pack and my back. it doesn't really matter though because i tend to ride so hard that my back would get majorly sweaty even if i didn't wear a backpack at all. it's not totally 100% waterproof, but short of an outright torrential downpour, the contents inside have stayed dry. i've been really satisfied with it. it's also large enough that i've used it for short weekend camping trips and as a day pack for hiking.

+1, got the recommendation from a BFer, made the purchase, and every day since I find myself increasingly grateful.

Marmot Zephyr through another BF'ers positive posts. It has a mesh back that allows plenty of airflow. It doesn't stop you from swetting but the cool breeze I feel on my back is a big positive.
http://www.trailspace.com/images/gea...yr-300x300.jpg

+100. I love this backpack. It also has 2L extra space if you need it by unzipping the top zipper otherwise it is very good general purpose size. 13L + 2L. IIRC it can hold 7 x 591mL gatorade bottles inside in the 13L setup. Can hold 1 x 1.89L but I think it can take 2 x 1.89L. I've not tested it yet.

Has a fast on/off helmet holder and fast on/off rain cover. Both are also cleanly concealed.

Yeah, love my panniers. For me it is a matter of time on your back. For up to 30 minutes of riding, a backpack was fine. But any more than that, and the shoulder ache begins to ruin my ride enjoyment.

Thanks for all the replies.

Think I'm gonna go with the timbuk2 grubstake S. The S dimensions are pretty much the same as other companies normal or medium sizes. 12.6 x 17.7 x 5.9 The M just seems too big for daily carrying. Plus just over $50 from amazon with good return policy helps. Will just send it back if too small, not comfortable, or if I don't like it.

The banjo brothers commuter pack, baileyworks, and mission workshop are all very nice too. Will check those out if this doesn't work out. Thanks.

I was in an REI recently and really liked what I saw in the Osprey Flap Jack.

http://shop.sdcmountainworks.com/sto...lapJack-G2.jpg

Of course I am a sucker for packs that have a flap on the top to keep your stuff drier in the rain.

Actually just ordered the M. I think timbuk2 was exaggerating the width a bit on their site, all the sites say a smaller width. I guess I'll see when it comes. Already with shoes, a hoodie, and a lunch my messenger bag is almost full. You can still shove a lot of crap in there, but need more room. The small seemed to be even smaller, so that wouldnt work out so good.

According to everyone that has talked about the straps on this bag and the hemlock say the bags are super comfortable to wear on a bike.

I know I am going to miss pockets, but hoping the laptop pocket will be alright for a few things to keep separated.

Really like how the bag looks.

http://a1472.g.akamaitech.net/f/1472...ei=280&wid=280

Ended up getting the bag today. Paid $64 shipped from ebags, so it didn't hurt my bank account.

This bag is HUGE. There are no pockets, aside from the laptop pocket, so basically just throw everything in there kind of bag. Today I carried my shoes, hoodie, ulock, 4 foot cable, 2 20oz pops, and then my wallet, keys, phone, night light, allen key set, and some wires in the laptop pocket and the bag wasn't even half full.

Also has all kinds of attachment loops to hook things onto it.

Felt pretty comfortable also. Straps are a bit stiff, but have to break it in a bit. Only rode 5 miles, but it's a backpack so stays put.

Might actually be a tad too big, and wondering what the S would of looked like. But with winter coming up, the extra room will come in handy. Plus having a little spare space to stop and get a few groceries on the way home is nice too.

Whoops -- just saw that the OP already committed, in the post above mine. But I won't delete in case others review.

One option to consider might be a serious messenger bag (made for real riders/ couriers, not a fashion imitation); Something like this: http://www.aerostich.com/aerostich-courier-bag.html

I ride with a backpack from costco, $35, made by Ful. It is serviceable, but far from perfect. It is large, has lots of pockets, and has a textured/contoured back to minimize back sweating (but I still sweat plenty...) minuses are: no good helmet space, no rain cover and the straps are a bit wider than is ideal for cycling. I also have some concerns about durability, though I am hoping that the first one was a true manufacturing defect. Of course, Costco will keep taking it back as long as I'm willing to return it.

North face makes a nice one called the recon -- about $90 -- which has a decent helmet space, as well as lots of organizational space, etc...

For context: I ride between 1 and 9 miles each way, and then get on Metro to finish my commute -- the range is because I choose different routes and different metro stations. Obviously, on bike options aren't very useful to me.

Long Answer:
If you aren't set on a particular brand you might try Ful (with a line over the "u") brand that is carried at places like target. They will fit what you want plus some, are lightweight, and mine served well for commuting. The Ful bag has been replaced by a Carradice saddllebag with a quick release system but the Ful bag still serves as my surf fishing bag so it sees more than its fair share of abuse on a regular basis. The Ful bags are also less than half the price of that REI bag at places like Target or Wal-Mart.

I couldn't agree with you more about TimBuk2 bags. I got tired of abusing my body so my mess bag now collects dust in the garage.

Short Answer:
Get a Carradice (or similar saddlebag product). You probably wont go back to anything else.

REI has Ortlieb Messenger Backpacks (classic version) on clearance so I decided to take a look at one over lunch. Even on clearance it was $100 which seemed like a lot for what's basically a big bag made out of a rubbery material. The waist strap is nice and wide which is good for off the bike carrying but I didn't like the "wings" at the corners on the top. They blocked my view to the rear. It also has no little storage compartments. It's just one big open bag. I decided against it.

My fallback was going to be to order a Banjo Bros Commuter Backpack from a site that was selling them for $59. Alas the price had gone back up to list - $79. If I was going to pay list I at least wanted to try one on. So I stopped by an LBS that carries them on the way home. They were on sale for $63 (yeah). I was a little concerned that the medium might not be big enough so I asked a couple of the people at the shop. One of them said that about 4 of the guys that work there use that bag and most of them got the larges.

Apparently one of the owner's of Banjo Bros rides by that shop all the time and it sounds like he makes sure he takes care of the staff. ;) The company is local but the bags are made in China. Too bad. Anyway, I got the large. We'll see how it works out.

If I were to go with another messenger bag, would get a pac designs. But there is no point for a messenger bag for me. Don't need quick access to my stuff, and riding with all the weight on 1 shoulder, you will eventually feel it. No point, equal across 2 shoulders and your back is by far the most comfortable.

This grubstake bag is pretty comfortable. I did a test yesterday and took everything home to fill it up. A pair of size 12 reebok classics, hoodie, fleece, 2 t shirts, pair of jeans, umbrella, a brinks home security lock box with all kinds of junk in it (11" x 7" x 4"), ulock, 4' cable, bungee cord, and all kinds of little stuff like cell phone, keys, wallet, allen keys, earphones, wires, etc. Was like a missile on my back, and still had more room, but would of had to start to take other peoples stuff to fill it more and didn't want to. Comfortable on m 6 mile ride.

The only complaint I have with this bag is I wish there was a single small pocket on the inside for wallet and keys. But I knew this before I bought it, so can't really complain. The laptop compartment is ok, just very deep. Maybe I can attach my own pocket somehow. And I do love the fact that to get in the bag you have to unclip it and open the velcro. Nobody is going to open that bag without you knowing, so your stuff is safe. When walking downtown in a heavy crowd would take my jansport and put it on one shoulder and keep it in front of me. Was always scared someone might try to unzip and see what is in there.

Going to use it throughout the week and see if I like it enough to keep it or get something else.

I have the same issue with no small pocket for keys, etc on my GoLite. It does have a key clip on it & I purchased some mesh storage bags off Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ef=oss_product) that have worked great. You get a set of 4, so you can choose the size that fits & they have a small clip on the top of them. I can clip the smaller mesh bags to the key clip on the backpack & always find it easily. The larger ones are color coded, so they are easy to find in the bag (except for the black one) even if they are not clipped in. they have really made the bag more useful for my needs.

I don't have one (yet), but I think these look really nice: Osprey Stratos 24. The mesh suspension system looks like it would work really well to prevent the dreaded sweaty back.

Great pack for hiking but not so much for biking as it rides a little high so your helmet might hit the top of it and it will block view a little when you look over your shoulder. And yeah my back got sweaty anyways. I sold my Stratos when I got a Banjo Bros pack.

So have had this bag around a week now. Really liking it. Pretty comfortable and holds a ton.

Today I had to carry a box that was 13in x 7.5in x 9.5in on top of my normal stuff. Even though the top flap couldn't close all the way, the clip still had enough slack to reach to clip. So everything was secure.

Lack of pockets are still kinda annoying. Thinking of getting a little zipper bag like the size of my hand to throw in the laptop section to keep my keys and wallet. You pretty much have to dump the bag to get your keys since the laptop pocket goes all the way down and keys slide down there. Will be easier to pull a little bag out.

Been really looking at the mission workshop bags though. They are really nice. My M grubstake is around 2000-2250 cu in ^3. But it's always that size. Mostly have it about 50-60% full. Having that extra space is nice, but don't always need that room. The mission workshop bags are a normal size, and then expand out when you need it. The medium is 1350 cu in, and then expands to 2700 cu in when needed. The Large expands out to 4000 cu in. Plus parts of the bag are 100% waterproof, and better organization since there are multiple pockets.

They aren't cheap. $220 for M and $240 for the L. Next time I decide to get a new bag, or see a special deal, will probably pick one up.

That's good that you like it. And it's not expensive either.

For a zipper bag, have a look at a Zing pouch with a drawstring; no zipper to snag or break;

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=bl_sr_ph...ndtextbin=Zing

I think the one I have is the Zing 561-226 MPP1 Medium Pouch. I use it to hold my Zune mp3 player and headphones (a Zing for my Zune). They're made out of some neoprene like stuff so they're cushioned and soft.

Go with the bag you provided the link for: REI Novara. I just recently purchased this one after doing lot's of homework and reading many reviews. If you commute in the rain you will like the attached rain cover. There are many other features too. I have a collection of backpacks and for the money this one has all the features that I like. This one also feels good on your back too. The only downsides I can find is that it is a little small and I am 6'5'' and the bottom strap attaches a little high on my stomach. IMO you can't go wrong with this one.

Ride safe,

I've had my Dakine Dispatch messenger backpack for 6 months now and couldn't be happier. Single strap bags may look cooler, but backpacks are the way to go for comfort. This bag really spreads the load well too, with an adjustable chest strap, semi rigid back panel and nice venting. And it's got a ton of nice details and features. The best being totally waterproof. The flap cover has a highly adjustable belt/clip that gives alot of options for bulky or smaller loads. Reflective strips, a clip for your blinky light, removable waistbelt, internal organizer, a clip on the shoulder pad for your phone, 2 outer side pockets (one of which deploys into a large water bottle holder) and a sweet u-lock compartment that you can access without even taking off the pack! I bought the white one which is great for visibility. Easy to wipe down too if it gets dirty. (it's vinyl) I got mine for $65, which is quite a bit ($35-40) cheaper than the ubiquitous ortleib packs and waaaaaaay more comfortable. The Dakine is a bit smaller, but still plenty big. I even do grocery shopping with it.
I spent alot of time searching for and trying out packs, and this one is hard to beat, in any price range.

Hey, check out these bags.

http://bluelug.jp/?pid=23000549

Pretty nice. If you only have a few things. All the good colors seem sold out, and looks like you would need a japanese person to order it for you, then send it to you. Very cool bag.

Booq bags are remarkable. for cycling I would recommend the Boa SQueeze: http://www.booqbags.com/All-Products...cbook-backpack

unless you have a lot of stuff to carry, in which case the Taipan Pack Steel is great esp b/c the fabric is somewhat reflective.here's a review: http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-...q.18372.0.html