Brooks Messenger Bags
 

There's a Brooks messenger bag being sold in my LBS for €299.


Are they (Brooks and/or the LBS) taking the piss or what?

http://www.brooksengland.com/shop/sh...-------------2

300 USD for a generic shoulder fabric bag with "brooks" written on it? No, thanks :roflmao2:

It's actually 450 USD.

Why yes, I think they are. There is no other reason why a canvas bag should be so dear. The really sad part about it is that I don't even think it's a PR stunt; some marketing wonk actually thinks there is a market for such a bag.

Brooks certainly has changed direction as of late; I hope their core product doesn't suffer while they are busy designing and making yuppie 'lifestyle accessories'.

That's for the medium; the large is $472, plus shipping.

EDIT: Their shipping charges are crazy too. Thirty euro to ship a bag to Latvia from the UK.

I've seen then in a shop and at NAHBS. They're not all that.

You know that somewhere, somebody is buying it. At that price, they probably only need to sell one or two to make a profit.

That said, since it is a brooks, I'm surprised it's water resistant. ;)

I think this bag would be helpful to an upcoming bike messenger. If you're 50lbs overweight, haven't rode a bike much since you were 12, but you just moved to NYC and want to become a bike messenger, then having this bag would ensure a strong and warm acceptance into the community.

That's pretty gay, yet pretty cool at the same time. Brooks have done it again!

I'm sold!

This invalidates the pricing of their saddles.

I have a large one. I use it as a business/laptop and travel bag. It's actually pretty classy and a different direction than say, a Tumi bag. It is a lifestyle accessory, but most would be better served with a real messenger bag.

I have an old Banana Republic bag what was $70 and looks similar.

Have you ever used it while riding? If so, how was the fit and feel?

i pictured it to look like one of their saddles except in bag form. like thick leather flap and all. I'm dissapointed

If it were all leather, it'd be too heavy.... Leather accents, though.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2076/...7108664896.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2402/...24420c830d.jpg

Sometimes people just like nice things. Sure, to you and me $450 might seem excessive, but to some wonk making $150,000, it's nothing. He'll use it for the occasional ride around on his classic track bike, riding down to the coffee shop.

I spent $350 on a crank and bottom bracket just because it made the bike look nicer.

People spend money. Thats why we earn it.

I've got no problem spending money on bike parts, hell, I've got things like a Phil Wood bottom bracket. With this bag it just seems to me that Brooks is trying ride on the new found popularity of their saddles in the US. I really hope they don't price themselves out of the market as I really like their saddles.

Looks like they're aiming more for the COACH crowd. My wife is an attorney who commutes on a motorcycle. This would be nice for her to use for work if it was slightly cheaper. Regardless of income, the value quotient doesn't seem high.

I can understand that it's Brooks and therefore expensive, but I really don't understand what's going on with that shoulder strap. It looks like those faux messenger bags you pick up for $50 at Macy's and are really meant for John Businessdude to *walk* to work with.

yea no cross strap? i'll take one with a side of fail.

I am not surprised to see Brooks head in the same direction that the fashion company Hermes Paris has. Hermes was started in 1837 as an equestrian leather saddle shop and quickly became a lifestyle label that specializes in high-end leather and clothing products.

From a business standpoint, I do not blame Brooks for their efforts, and wish them the success. This means that, when you buy a Brooks saddle, you're no longer paying for just the functionality of the saddle but also for the lifestyle it represents.

Oh, you can ride with it. The ends of the strap have small leather tabs with a "Sam Brown" fixing that allow you to cinch the strap around your waist. It's a slick design.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2106/...a7aa5aa284.jpg

I saw a vid of it's features. The strap system is pretty neat but not worth the $ at all. My PAC OS bag cost the same and does WAY more than that can ever do. If you're looking for a "life stlye" bag though, then a Brooks may be for you, but if you're looking for a real bag, go for a PAC, UTW, Seagull, Reload, etc
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/240/5...e0242b.jpg?v=0
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/223/5...c52649.jpg?v=0
those are 2.5 gallon water bottles