R.E.Load and Messenger Bags
 

My current bag is way too small for my needs these days. I've been thinking about upgrading to R.E.Load's Courier Deluxe. I've never tried their bags so I'm looking for some insight on them. Yays, nays, possible features worth adding such as the split strap? Give me the goods.

Any recommendations regarding other companies would be greatly appreciated.

i own it and like it a lot. but i wish the strap was a little better. it is built to last forever that's for sure, but comfort wise and adjustability...... it lacks. I can carry damn near anything i ever wanted to with this bag, but my old chrome strap was much more comphy. I went with R.E. Load mostly becaue I live in PA and I love to support PA based companies. If I had the $330 back, I would get a Seagull or PAC (possibly Bagaboo). Either company looks to have a better strap. And i do love the X strap. I never tried either, but all the shots of what a PAC bag can do make me a believer, and looking long and hard at those Seagull straps makes me want to try it. Hell they are only one state over from me. And if you don't need a lot of pockets, you can not beat their black bags. hands down, if i was not a pocket freak, i would have gotten a Seagull black from the get go.

I think the R.E. Load strap will out live the roach population, but it is killing my shoulder. I wear it everyday to work ( I commute to work on a motor scooter, to far and to many hills to bike to an office job every day), and it has me looking at backpacks after only 6 months of use. don't get me wrong on the quality, top notch! But every day it will wear you down.


here is my initial review of the bag when i first got it compared to some of my other bags.

http://themeepers.blogspot.com/2009/...ew-monday.html

hope this helped a little.

I've been using my reload civilian bag since the beginning of summer, and so far I have no complaints. When I ordered mine, I chose to go with the split strap because I simply don't like having to swing the strap over my head each time on and off. The design isn't as fancy and shiny as the chrome buckle, but it's just a solid and very functional. I've seen the original reload one piece strap at my lbs.. and yeah, I can see how it would be finicky and uncomfortable. I hear that the original strap takes years to break in.. and once it does, it's golden.

Anyway, I used to own a chrome metropolis before the reload.. and in comparison, the reload is every bit as comfortable and functional as the chrome. The quality/fit and finish is what you'd expect from a handmade custom bag. I love the double outside pockets. I don't know how I ever got by without the huge double pockets on the chrome.

Bottom line, you can't really go wrong with a lot of custom messenger bags today. Reload is a great small company with a great product.

PAC bags are amazing and from my friends with RELoad bags, they are too. Seriously consider getting a backpack. The new(ish) RELoad midpack looks really nice but doesn't have base compression straps. I opted for the Freight Baggage backpack as a result. I got the medium but most of the time, I think the S would be sufficient.

A properly designed messenger bag is meant to be ridden while at least slightly hunched over. So wearing it on a scooter or motorcycle or while walking won't be as comfortable.

Do your back a favor and go for a backpack. I love my R.E.Load Midpack. It is water proof, comfy, awesome quick-adjust straps, and it can strap a huge load with the flap and sliding buckles.

I prefer baileyworks over reload, personally.
that is, if I were in ever in the market for a messenger bag again.

I have side mounted pegs on my ruckus. i am use to riding sport bikes. not the same riding posture as a bicycle, but still hunched forward. the bag cradles my body nicely, and the over all fit is great. my qualms with the strap are not due to the fit, they are due to the lack of "on the go" adjustablity in the strap as well as lack of padding. I have a Chrome Metro, that is my main bag when i am on any of my bicycles, i use to use that bag all around, scooter, bike, walking around the city (i walk around Philly a lot and have done so with more bags, and styles of bags i can count) and the strap that hurt me the most was the R.E. Load. I can solve this by buying/making a pad, but for $300 I wish it came a little better equipped.

Quality wise, this thing is going to last me forever. This strap is never going to wear out, I can carry damn near everything in my apartment, and it is PA made. And the double outside pockets, are far superior to the small Chrome pockets. It could use a zipper pocket for the small things you don't want bouncing around, or lose.

edit: every one is going to have their own favorite bag. The best thing for you to do is sit down at your computer for an hour or two and read. Go to the different manufactures web sites, see what bag or bags have the options you are looking for and read reviews on them. See what bags hold up and how the comfort level fairs with each one.

i'm going to go with the guy who recommended a backpack. rode my friend's ortlieb velocity the other day and it feels SO COMFORTABLE compared to my chrome bag. definitely recommend the ortlieb velocity

Meepers, just out of curiosity, was the reload split strap design not available at the time you ordered your bag? I know it's a relatively newer option.

it wasn't an option when i got mine. i ordered it in march of this year. I am sure i would have been much happier if i had the split strap.

I've got a courier deluxe currently and love it when it comes time to haul ****. It's a heavy ****ing bag though. Sometimes the weight brings me down. There was no such thing as a split strap when I got either of my 2 R.E.Loads. In fact, this is the first I've heard of it. I think the strap is fine. It breaks in. Or it breaks me in, whatever. I don't find it uncomfortable.

Edit: Just looked at it and looks like crap. I wouldn't trust that plastic buckle to last with the amount of weight I carry around in that thing. In fact, the ONLY gripe I have about either of the bags I've owned is that those plastic strap clippy things (on the main flap and the sternum strap) break waaaaay too often. I probably replace them 2 or 3 times a year and replacements can be hard to get a hold of sometimes.

Meepers, since you're from philly, you should see if reload could swap out the strap for you.

LoRok, it's great how you automatically assume the plastic clip is crap without having used it. As I mentioned earlier, I used to own a chrome metro before this and so far, this plastic buckle has proved to be just as durable as the seatbelt buckle. Also, do you really think a company with a reputation for durability such as reload would settle for a crappy plastic buckle?

i am actually 2 hours north of philly, but my girl an i go down there a few times a month. she lived there for 7 years, so we go to visit her friends a lot. but i was thinking of contacting them to find out if they would swap it. i think they will put another strap on a bag for you if you wear it out.

I always like to giveSeagull Bags some views because they make excellent custom bags.

Although they are local to Columbus, and only offer a few generic bags. But I love my custom bag!

+1 million!!
I love my Seagull Black Bag!! Simple, well-priced, and durable=Awesome!

Re Load
 

I was a messenger in Philly years ago when they started making them there. The have come along way and are good bags, with custom options like writing and what not. They are big enough for a xerox box. I used, and still have a DeMartin Globe Canvas Co. Bag. They have always been my favorite. They last forever, but I don't think you can get them anymore.

i love my pac ultimate deluxe. the x-strap is beautiful when i have a heavy load and it's always comfortable no matter what.

as another poster noted, messenger bags are designed to be most comfortable under load when you are riding your bike. i've had mine on a couple of times just walking around and even just the weight of the bag itself can be tiring. if this is a concern for you, i suggest you take the others advice and go for a backpack.

+1 on a backpack. do your shoulder/back a favor.

I rode with a Chrome Civilian for 4 years and a custom Seagull for the past year & a half. Both bags are great, but the Seagull is truly awesome. I took it on a 2 and a half month trip through SE Asia and China, use it daily on and off the bike. It's a warrior. The only complaint I have is the same complaint I've got on all mess bags at this point: somewhere down the line, if you use one for long enough, your shoulder and back will pay the price. Especially if you use it extensively off the bike. There both great bags, and I still don't anticipate going away from the Seagull anytime soon. But a backpack purchase is definitely in the near future.

I would suggest you to at least look at the Bagaboo bags. I bought the large Workhorse pro a long time back and it has been great. In retrospect I likely would have been content with the medium, but the large is nice sometimes. It probably took a month from the time I ordered it 'til it arrived from Hungary to Atlanta. It can be an extremely good deal depending on the Euro to Dollar exchange rate. I was fortunate to get mine before the dollar took a huge dive, and it ended up being far cheaper than similar REload, seagull, and baileyworks bags even considering air mail costs. They were very pleasant to work with and answered all my questions in a timely manner. Regarding the strap, it is very comfortable, and there's a 2nd shoulder strap to make a backpack for heavy loads. I rode with a 30 pack of beer, bag of chips, loaf of bread, change of clothes, and my school books and it was comfy. It has been raining essentially non stop here for the last 3 months and none of my things have gotten moist.

Just my suggestion.
Of all the bags out there, I'm certain they are all excellent and will more than exceed anyone's expectations.

I automatically assume the plastic clip is crap because plastic breaks, plain and simple. Saying the plastic clip is just as durable as the seatbelt buckle is simply not true. Could you beat your plastic clip with a hammer? You're comparing metal and flimsy plastic that's about 1/4" thick in some places. The plastic clips for the smaller straps on my bags break all the time. It's not like I'm saying anything bad about R.E. Load. Obviously I like them, I've bought two of their bags. I'm glad yours is working out for you, but I wouldn't trust it. Don't take it personally.

best bag around in mu opinion, just get a shoulder pad with/for it or get the split strap. ive had my reload for over 5 years now and its still kicking, but i may get another courier with the split strap since i tried my frineds on right before they came out while he was beta testing it. awesome bag, and for 330 you couldnt get a PAC bag dude, atleast not one of comparable size to a relaod courier/deluxe.

they will replace the strap i believe at no cost since its got a lifetime warranty but it'll take time for them to work it into their schedule.

How often do you find yourself riding your bike while hammering yourself in the chest, beating the buckling mechanism? In fact, if you were to beat the metal seatbelt buckle with a hammer, after a few hits, the metal would bend and be rendered useless. Bottom line, for every day use.. or rather, for use that it was intended for, the plastic buckle is still just as durable as any. And for you to assume it's not, or to say it's crap without having used one is plain ignorance.

So even though I've already said this twice and you still aren't getting it: THE PLASTIC CLIPS ON THE BAGS BREAK ALL THE TIME! But, you know, rock on. When your bag's busted, mine will still be rockin' it. And to say that you think flexible plastic is as durable as metal, well, that's just plain idiocy.

I have an aerostitch courier bag that I have 30k miles on, (motorcycle miles), and it has been great.

http://www.aerostich.com/aerostich-courier-bag.html