i might have to find an industrial sewing machine to do that as well.

i don't adjust the webbing much, i just unclip the main strap. i'm worried though because it seems like it is a very weak clip. the rest of the bag is awesome but the plastic clips feel like i could break them by leaning against a wall.

Those kinds of clips work very well for their intended purpose, but they are easily crushed or snapped. Just be careful, under normal usage they shouldn't break.

You can purchase an identical replacement for $2 at JoAnns and install it without sewing, or you can buy a superior one online for even less.

If you could find an old seatbelt buckle you could install it, cut off the The Backside logo and pretend you have a real Chrome. :lol:

Seriously though IP infringement is bad and I kinda feel bad after realizing it's an exact copy of Chrome's bag. :(

yeah i feel bad and then i see the amount of business chrome has and get a laisse-faire spark of indignation.

Your friend is Right.
 

Yep, knock off.

If The Backside had taken Chrome's idea for the angle-bag design but made it their own, I wouldn't feel bad.

definitely, but as far as it goes i have my issues with capitalism anyway so i don't really care. it happened, if they want to hire a bunch of lawyers and pad their wallets more, let them. i'm not going to dwell on it or feel bad for more than a passing, idealistic second.

I have issues with capitalism too but I also want to respect people's creative property.

i just feel that respect does not necessarily equal monetary compensation. i give 100% creative credit to chrome for their design(which i'm sure was similar to others before if not as exact of a knock-off)

it's a big bad world. chrome has a lawyer, i have a 40 dollar bag. it's not right but it's how the world works.

just like i have a car that i put gas in... i may not agree with it but i do it anyway.

Do you even have any idea what you're talking about? It's really starting to sound like you started out with an asinine statement and now you're trying to backpedal to a point where it makes sense.

Most people who hate capitalism tend to side with the little guy. Chrome is hardly a huge mega corporation and I think it's pretty ****ing stupid to buy a rip off of their bags to save yourself 40 bucks on something that may be lasting you 5 years or more. That's less than 10 bucks a year. Blah.

(Sorry Kemmer)

No worries. ;)

I don't know that there is any infringment here anyway. If chrome has a patent on the shape, the stash pocket or strap/buckle configuration that's one thing, but I somehow doubt they do. If they couldn't/didn't patent those features, there's absolutly no legal (or moral, IMO) issue whatsoever.

I'm sorry to hear that, but I always knew the webbing was the weak link. Which strap is it that is fraying? Is it just cosmetic or does it look like the strap will eventually fail? If the former, I guess it's not a big deal considering how cheap they are. If the latter, I'll probably stop buying them.

Yah.. for what its worth I'm an MBA focused on product development/entrepreneurism.. IMHO there is no problem here. I somehow doubt that chrome was the first to make a bag of this design and the only truly patentable item is the hidden pocket(IMHO). If they didn't patent it, that is unfortunate but it is really Chrome's problem for not following their due diligence.

In so far as "not liking capitalism", I have no clue what that even means. If you don't like a free economy I'm not sure what you could possibly like better. I think what you intend to say is that you don't like big box stores or large retailers. I don't like those either, but without capitalism there would be no incentive for anyone to do anything.. I don't mean to be argumentative but saying you "don't like capitalism" really doesn't make sense and is not expressing your view accurately. Maybe you would favor stronger anti-monopoly regulations or more protectionist policy to help small business. But without capitalism you wouldn't have bikes, computers, bags, or anything else. The barter system even capitalistic, so yeah, I think you should rethink your stance.

So, trying to put the thread back on topic.. I got my bag the other day and am very happy with it; I went to the beach yesterday and grocery store today. The zippered pocket worked great at the beach, and the size of the bag was great at the store. I picked up 2 decent size grocery bags and 3 2-liter bottles and the bag had plenty more room. Riding comfort was great and it was sweet. My GF used the bag last night and carried a bunch of junk too. All in all I'm very happy with it.. thanks Kremer

as always, ambiguous short statements cause problems on the internet.

first of all, i never said i didn't like capitalism, i said i had issues with it... one such issue being the idea that a good idea is profitable and anything that is a threat to profits is a threat to the idea itself.

second- i wasn't saying chrome is some big evil corporation... i am however saying that these backside bags don't pose any potential hazard to chrome's profit margin/market share. they're a copied design, sure... but i don't think you should feel bad about giving money to people who work very hard to use an existing design in a product with comparable utility and less durable materials. feel good about giving money to chrome, but don't feel bad about giving money to backside/kemmer. it's ridiculous.

in short- i wasn't very specific...
please don't misunderstand me and say i'm backpedaling(this is ssfg it's what we do) and at the very least don't misquote me. please. it only results in big drawn out discussions.

blickblock said she felt bad about giving a replica/copy enterprise her business, and that's fine. I just wanted to throw in my two cents before everyone got all negative on the bags for more than just their materials.

if you have a moral issue with these bags, feel free to voice it... just don't act like it's some super-noble thing to turn your nose up at replicas because of the poor designers who are making their living off their well executed, better selling, superior product. the inferior cheaper replica isn't stealing the chrome's soul or anything.

unless the PATTERN for the bags Kemmer sells is IDENTICAL to the pattern used by chrome, and unless the materials, coloris, and stitching is IDENTICAL to chromes, then the bag is NOT a ripoff of chrome.

lol

no one said that... so if you're joking maybe you should re-read the other posts...

and if you're serious, then no- it has to do with copyright law and patents. if you don't know exactly what that entails, you can read up on that too.
i'd still call it a ripoff. i'd just also add that there's nothing universally and inherently 'wrong' about a ripoff.
if i make a miracle invention and i don't patent it, and someone sees it, copies it exactly, and patents it and sells it for billions there's nothing i can do. unless chrome comes here and shows us the patents that backside used and didn't pay for the use of, there's no one who's going to convince me that this bag is or should be legally wrong.
as for moral judgements, i think it's fine. it's different enough to be a perfectly viable and cheap alternative. if you want a chrome bag, DON'T get the backside.

^ you writing that to me?

The matter with the webbing is that it has poor abrasion resistance, it is a very loose weave and has a coarse texture. I was leaving most of the excess strap between the tri-glide and the buckle, which put all the stress on the buckle's built in adjuster. Use the tri-glide to adjust the strap length and you should be good.

I feel that you've been very responsible in stating that the straps and hardware aren't as good as other brands, and you've provided a lot of us with bags that we like (and can afford), so I think you should keep selling them.

uhhhh the kemmer back is awesome. and i'm not about to pay 150 for a chrome. i'd rather get a bailey or reload for that much.

yeah.. I've been using my bag daily since I got it(a week or so).. it is freakin great.. I can fit all kinds of stuff in there and it is very comfortable to ride with. I'd buy it again in a heartbeat; thanks kemer..

OK.. there is one little bitty major problem with the bag; The name. Now whenever I use the bag my GF askes me "what are you putting in your backside? What do you have in your backside? Do you want me to put my hand in your backside? Can you fit the cat in your backside? Do you think he'll scratch your backside?" etc etc etc..

So yes, I had my computer in my backside...

ahh.. Yah, I love the bag. it makes riding the bike even that much more convenient.

jer

although i'm fully aware of the fact that this bag may have been designed with riding in mind, it's FAR from comfortable when used while walking around an airport terminal. i used it this weekend for a trip and my shoulder was going numb!

and yeah btw for anyone wondering, spring for the large bag if possible, i think id go bigger if i bought another one. the small gets crammed quicker than id have thought

OH question.

what is the velcro on the main shoulder strap for?

Phone pocket / lock / whatever you want.

ohhh sweet, that's what i was thinking.

glad to hear some good reviews. I will probably be ordering a small one pretty soon!