not really an answer to your question, but i just got a reload courier yesterday... that thing is friggin huge.

at 5'6", 130lbs, when i have it on it looks like my bag is trying to kill and eat me, and is winning.

its signifigantly larger than my torso.

good for carrying file boxes, x-rays, blueprints, a case of beer.

looks totally ****ing ridiculous and feels like a cape when empty or near empty.

I've noticed no real correlation between riding position and type of bag appropriate for it.

I spent most of my life with an old-school one-strap messenger bag on a variety of bikes, ranging from 'holy **** instant back pain' to 'hey, nice apehangers', and it performed pretty much equally.

None of my current bikes have the stylish 3-foot drop from saddle to bars, but on my bikes set up 'eddy style', a backpack is working just fine as well. The backpack thing is still a bit new to me, and I find myself missing the convenience of just being able to swing the bag around, but that's more of an issue off the bike than it is on the bike.

This message was brought to you by yesterday's root canal. If it doesn't parse, blame my dentist.

dang, sign me up.