I am in the market to buy a messenger bag (or comparable type bag). My main requirement is that I be able to wear it on my bike and not have it slip everywhere, and also use it as a general going out bag (I usually carry a lot of stuff - sketchbook, paperback, umbrella, water bottle, etc). I’ve been using a backpack, but it gets really hot here and makes my entire back really sweaty and gross. Also, I feel like a dork wearing it out as it’s just too big.
At first I was just going to get a Timbuk2 bag, since everyone seems to think they’re pretty solid, and I like that you can customize it. But I did a little googling and there are several other bags out there that are intriguing. I like the Chrome bags, but I don’t know if I could get away with wearing it around town as even the mini looks huge (TMI: another concern with them is that the front buckle, while cool, looks like it might create the dreaded middle-of-the-boobs-sweat-stain. Any girls have experience with this? It’s one of the reasons I gave up messengers several years ago, but that was before I was riding).
If you use a messenger bag, which one do you have? What do you like about it and has it held up well? Any other bag recommendations?
I think so, the strap is attached to hang right for bike wearing. I wish the strap was padded, particularly with that giant buckle, but I can live with it.
I’ve got a Timbuk2 laptop messenger bag that I’ve taken everywhere I’ve gone for a year now, including many places that were less than kind to it. It still looks like the day I bought it. I couldn’t be happier with it.
You may want to take a look at Ortlieb Panniers. They clip on to a rack easily, are waterproof and roomy, and have a good shoulder strap for carrying as a messenger bag when off the bike. They’re quite popular with college students and bike commuters who usually have to carry books and paperwork and such. They’re somewhat expensive, but they last forever.
I have a large Timbuk2 bag. I’ve had it for about 8 years, and it’s been pretty durable. What’s nice about it is that you can reverse the secondary strap to make it left-handed. I’m sure a dedicated left-hand bag would be more comfy. But when I had a tattoo done on my left shoulder and needed to shift the weight to my right shoulder, it did the trick. I like the choice of available colors and fabrics (including ballistic nylons, which weren’t available when i bought mine) and the options. I switched phones and have yet to find a phone pouch, but I’ll probably visit R.E.Load and see what they have.
I love my Timbuk2 bag. I bought it used off eBay when I was headed to Europe about three years ago. It’s been to, across and back from Europe, used daily as a school bag for 2.5 years, has hauled groceries, library books, laundry, and quite a bit of beer. Other than some dirt on the bottom, there’s practically no sign of wear, and it’s surprisingly water-resistant. It’s incredibly durable, and pretty comfortable. It does tend to shift a little bit when I ride, but that’s mostly because I’m a teeny tiny person, so I don’t know if that’s an issue for others. Mine also doesn’t have a secondary strap, so that’s part of it too.
I do not, however, have a solution for the mid-boob sweat issue. I think the only way to avoid that is wear a backpack, in which case you get sweaty shoulders, or to not sweat.
