I still disagree. I have really narrow shoulders and when the bag is empty I have it about as tight as the strap will go. The tighter you cinch it, the more horizontal the position of the bag on your back--thus allowing it to slide down one's shoulder. It's not usually a problem with large, bulky loads, but more with small, heavy items or flat, non-flexible items.

There is the old Classic.. Bought my first one in 1985..

S/F,
CEYA!

Baileyworks SuperPro Courier M

God forbid this thread becomes a sticky can we
spell messenger right?

Damn. I got my old DeMartini from CityBikes as well. That bag was mostly imprevious to my wanton acts of stupidity. I took the huge honking CityBikes patch off mine, because I hate being an advertisement.

It'd totally corroded the back and bottom with road salt, and the thing stank the stink of many years sweat. But it was comfortable as anything you could imagine. Replaced it not too long ago with a RELoad. It has a similar feel on the back, but the material is heavier. I went looking for another old skool bag, but no luck.

http://neuron.nervous.net/img/CRW_0353.jpg

Both were safety orange. Yup. I hadn't removed the patch on the reload yet. ;)

Hats off to Sam Houston for most creative demonstration of bag stability.
I smell a baty for best descriptive picture 2005 coming on!!

rofl

Cycled home tonight with 12 kg of Epsom salts on my back two small barrels - carried in the Timbuk2 Bag. This thing is incredible versatile.

Don't ask what I want 12 kg of Epsom salt for ................

I'd go with Pac Designs. Stable, Comfortable, and you can pick from thousands of custom colors.

Right on! I've got a couple of my old ones, one is basically shredded, and the other I had custom made for me at the mott st shop. Will never get rid of either.

Nice! I got my first Demartini bag at citybikes, no logo though.

hells yeah.
But alas, the bag has changed hands. I needed pedals more. Plus I just got a bag.

Chrome is in SF with a store on 7th and Folsom. They are an awesome company, and super nice. I have owned the three largest sizes of the Chrome messenger bags, and bought them all at the store. They are friendly and helpful, and given me discounts everytime, so that is always nice. I know reload is good too, and knew them when they were still here in SF, but for the money I gotta say Chrome.

I think I finally figured out why chrome slips/slides even with the cross strap. It has something to do with the position where the cross strap is attached as well as the shoulder strap. A baileyworks superpro does not slide, with the cross strap on. This is because the cross strap buckle slides on the flexible part of shoulder strap. As you tighten the cross strap, it tends to pull on the shoulder strap making the attachment point shift to the side. To put it another way, if the shoulder strap was a straight line prior to attaching the cross strap, then after attaching the cross strap (tightly), the shoulder strap would look like two segments intersecting at an angle. This 'crook' prevents the bag from sliding along the length (plane) of the shoulder strap. In a chrome bag none of this happen since the cross strap gets attached to the fairly inflexible (in the transverse direction) shoulder pad. I even tried their waist strap and it has the same issue. Chrome does not stay in place as securely as a bailey. Of course you can pull up both shoulder strap and cross strap so that both are damn tight (sometimes uncomfortable), in which case a chrome feels secure enough, but it is not as good as bailey in this regard.

I'm with the stickerguy on this one. I also have the Baileyworks SuperPro Courier M and i love it. I am able to work 70 dollars of groceries into it and i can ride with it nearly empty too. I've had a chrome before and i feel like their design just doesn't hold as much. The Bailey's medium is double the size of the Chrome medium. Reload makes nice bags but they don't have the quick d-ring thing going on in the front, they also don't have the buckle like chrome and baileys so you don't have to pull heavy loads over your head. Timbuk is total crap. I haven't had a PAC bag but have only heard good things. Frietag makes really interesting one of a kind bags out of recycled stuff, the only thing with them is that they only have 2 sizes, small and huge. Hope this helps.

Chrome is made in Colorado

i'll be the first to admit there are several that are probably better with more gizmos' & dohickeys'...but everytime i need a new one i just end up buying another timbuk2 bag....i have lost count and its not because i wear them completely out, we just seem to part ways...

I like it when people are with me.

I think the other reason the Baileyworks doesn't slide around is
because it is more of a box shape than the giant envelope the
chrome is. Also a big thing is the Bailey works straps are sewed
on at an angle. AND a feature they don't mention is that since
the Baileyworks strap is totally replaceable it means you can trim
it if you're a svelte guy like me. svelte not skinny.

jeff

how is the bailey liner holding up. I know they use thinner stuff than chrome or reload.

can't say. I haven't had it for long at all. It looks thicker
than my timbuk2 (which held up 5+ yrs), and actually feels the
same as my old Chrome. The Bailey has a built in "boot" on
the bottom at no extra cost which looks indestructable. also
all the seams look amazing. Are you worried your Cutco knives
sales kit will rip through the liner? j/k!

jeff

I don't like the costco. Get messermeister or masahiro if you want some proper knives.

What size bailey are you using?

What about the buckel on the Bailey, does it stick in your ribs at all?

i'm using a medium. By the way, Bailey strap can be changed to the other side too.

aren't chromes made in sf?

i like my chrome - the build quality, the buckle thang, the d-ring thang.. but it's too dang small. which is a shame, because it'll probably last forever, but i'll be buying a new bag soon cuz it's just too small.

Yep mine looked like that also. I had it for 14 yrs.
I like the metal clips better.

S/F,
CEYA!

[QUOTE=arcellus]aren't chromes made in sf?

That's what i thought, with store in SF and all, but last time i bought one, the sales rep told me they're made in Colorado.