I've been won over to messenger bags

I used to disdain messenger bags. I was the pastor of panniers, prosletyzing for letting the bicycle and its bags be the beast of burden, while the rider was unencumbered by straps and buckles. I thundered, "Why did God give us racks, if not to load them down?"

And then I picked up a Timbuk2 Laptop Messenger, with TrueFit Cam Buckle, Napoleon Pocket and Crater Laptop Sleeve, at ExpoCycle, the Bicycle Trade Association of Canada event earlier this month in Toronto.

I have sipped the Kool-Aid, and it is good.

The chest strap holds the bag in place. The "memory cam buckle" remembers my fit. The egg-crate-like crate pocket protects my laptop.I am using it to commute, to shop and generally finding it tres handy to have around. Best: I'm not always unstrapping my pannier when I have to lock up the bike and go into some office or store where I can't have a clean line of sight to the bike.

And there yet remains a mystery: what the heck good is the Napoleon pocket? Your suggestions are welcome.

When I was talking to Tim Rehkopf at the Timbuk2 "world headquarters" in San Francisco, he asked if I have the custom bag or the "bondage bag".

Uh, what the heck is the bondage bag, I asked. He sent this link. It has to do with buckles. Of course.

Comments

[Albert Jhon]

I use it now as a motorcycle backpack. It been thru tropical storm at 60mph and still keep everything inside dry and nice. It's always served me well been a great buy

[pat]

http://blog.timbuk2.com/2010/01/22/new-napoleonic-classic-messenger/

[j.c. beynon]

As a former bike messenger, I can tell you that messenger bags are one of the worst possible ways to carry gear on a bike from an anatomical point of view...

Of all the messenger bags out there, Timbuk's bags are some of the worst going...Because messenger bags don't distribute weight evenly, they twist your spine and can lead to neck and lower back issues...

I'm still dealing with the effects of carrying one every day on the job and it's been over a decade since I carried packages for money...

The reason bike messengers use those bags rather than backpacks is they can swing the bags around to access their contents without removing them...They need that because they have to access their bags dozens of times in a day and time is a factor...

If you're not going into your bag more than a dozen times a day on a regular basis, you don't need a messenger bag and you shouldn't use one...

Timbuk uses a very unsophisticated shoulder strap with negligible padding...It digs into your neck and twists your spine...if you use it enough, it WILL injure you...

If you really MUST have that messenger look get a REAL messenger bag from PAC or PUSH the Envelope because they're much more ergonomically designed (and more waterproof and durable too)...

If you can set aside fashion, you're way better off with a cycling specific backpack that will center the weight and distribute it evenly...

Besides, messenger bags are more or less played out.

[j.c. beynon]

BTW, the Napoleon pocket is there so you can access things like your keys, your bike lights, or your wallet without opening the bag up...it's a handy feature if you're out in the rain and you don't want to get the contents of your bag wet when you access those items.

[Bill]

Re the Napoleon pocket: Still not convinced it is useful. If I were to, say, stuff my keys and BlackBerry in that pocket, and then were to open it while riding, I can easily imagine some of all of the contents sliding out that side zip and hitting the road.

[j.c. beynon]

The napoleon pocket isn't meant to be opened while you're riding...you have to swing your bag around to use it which is a pretty advanced maneuver while riding...it's just meant to be a pocket you use to access small items while stopped without opening the rest of the bag...It's actually a pretty smart idea for people who ride in bad weather and don't want to grab their phone or keys without getting the rest of their gear wet...Messenger bags are lined with truck tarp which is completely waterproof...Any water that gets in will pool in the bottom and could potentially wreck any documents or electronics you might have in your bags' main compartment...Of course, if you're not riding in the rain or snow, it is a pretty useless pocket.

I think Timbuk still makes a smartphone pouch that attaches to the bag's strap at around chest level if you want to access your phone while riding...You'd probably be safer mounting your phone on your bars with one of the eight jillion smartphone holders out there these days...

I am actually not a total Timbuk hater...IMHO they make the best seat bag out there...It's tough, it holds a lot of stuff without being bulky, it mounts securely with velcro straps yet it's quick and easy to install and remove.