Chrome Messenger bags

[ttcycle]

Seen the citizen and Metropolis - very expensive but does anyone have one? Are they worth it.

I'm looking for something with HUGE carrying capacity - backpack is not that comfy, makes my back sweaty and hard to see when fully loaded when looking back due to the size of the standard backpack. Current backpack is 15L
Comfy and properly waterproof

I'm 5ft3 and slim so was wondering how the bag would sit.

Failing that something completely off the back and mountable on the bike itself- looked into Carradice but being short there wasn't enough seatpost exposed.

Any ideas?

 

[potsy]

Seen the citizen and Metropolis - very expensive but does anyone have one? Are they worth it.

I'm looking for something with HUGE carrying capacity - backpack is not that comfy, makes my back sweaty and hard to see when fully loaded when looking back due to the size of the standard backpack. Current backpack is 15L
Comfy and properly waterproof

I'm 5ft3 and slim so was wondering how the bag would sit.

Failing that something completely off the back and mountable on the bike itself- looked into Carradice but being short there wasn't enough seatpost exposed.

Any ideas?

Take it you can't go down the usual rack/panier route tt?
I just have a small bumbag type waist pack which just about fits in my daily supplies much better than a backpack imo,don't even notice it most of the time.Though have just ordered an Altura fusion daypack which fits to the seatpost for when the weather warms up a bit.
What about a nice wicker basket for the front
ps stop bragging with the 'slim' comment

 

[ttcycle]

Yeah Potsy Slim, slim slim,streamlined, slim- ahaha wind up mode-

I do miss the rack for the panniers I had on the hybrid but don't fancy it on the road bikes.

 

[potsy]

Yeah Potsy Slim, slim slim,streamlined, slim- ahaha wind up mode-

I do miss the rack for the panniers I had on the hybrid but don't fancy it on the road bikes.

So you're slim then Must admit the only time I use my hybrid now is if I have too much to carry on the road bike,but it's not often.
I can't wait to be streamlined like you,any day now

 

[ttcycle]

Good luck to you on that btw- hope it's going well!
I'll enjoy it while it lasts as the trend with my family is that everyone is short and rather rotund...lets hope I can buck the trend and stay healthy.

Yeah my poor hybrid doesn't leave the house much either.

 

[potsy]

Good luck to you on that btw- hope it's going well!
I'll enjoy it while it lasts as the trend with my family is that everyone is short and rather rotund...lets hope I can buck the trend and stay healthy.

Yeah my poor hybrid doesn't leave the house much either.

cheers tt,it's going slowly tbh,certainly manage to put weight on much easier than shifting it,but I'm 20lbs lighter than I was this time last year so that's good.

 

[ttcycle]

Excellent Pots - keep up the good work - it is always trickier shifting what you've put on but you've come along..may it continue!

 

[redjedi]

Don't the messenger bags still sit on you back, but just use one shoulder instead of two?

Have you tried a rucksack with frame and mesh to raise it off your back? I use a Vaude Hyper Air rucksack and I'm very happy with. It's 14+3 litres so I can get a weeks worth of cloths in it. It's light and the mesh keeps the main bag off my back so I don't get sweaty (well not from the bag anyway )
It's not too wide and I hardly see it when looking over my shoulder, and it's fully adjustable to fit all sizes, even the slimmer rider.

Also comes with helmet holder, rain cover and water bladder sections.

I'll show you mine (fnaar) at the next ride if you can wait.

 

[ttcycle]

RJ - I have one of those already-the vent makes bugger all difference-it's a bike specific one but it just doesn't sit right and I've noticed when not carrying it on my back I can see much more behind me. I think the messenger bags have a lower profile and sit on the lower back rather than across the top and mid back as well.

Ideally if I could get something I didn't need to carry myself and could hook up on the bike without a rack I'd be a happy customer!

 

[GrasB]

Yes the bag is on your back but as it's at an angle rather than a squared off object I find they leave a clear line of sight over one shoulder or the other even when on the drops. For smaller female riders I, or rather my other half, has found that cycling specific ruck sacks are typically to long so they don't sit off the back properly.

ttcycle, I'm wondering if you could break your luggage down into smaller chunks. At one point I had a very large frame bag which could carry an awful lot in terms of clothes or items that could be made relatively thin if needed. Then you could use a smaller saddle bag that did fit on your seatpost & then a handle bar bag.

 

[Norm]

RJ - I have one of those already-the vent makes bugger all difference-it's a bike specific one but it just doesn't sit right and I've noticed when not carrying it on my back I can see much more behind me.

Hmm... Messenger bags do sit lower but, because they don't sit square, they can cause skeletal issues. Messenger bags also sit on the back, so there is no air gap at all.

Does your current bag have a waist strap? These can be invaluable, as you can loosen the shoulder straps to lower the bag and carry the weight on your hips without sacrificing any stability.

You say your current bag has "vents", do you mean the channels in the padding? If so, I haven't found any which work effectively. However, I bought a Lowe Alpine "Air Zone 28" pack in December which has a frame which actually holds the load 2-3 inches off my back, like this. This means that I get no more sweaty with that on than when carrying nothing and the effective waist and chest strap mean that the load is carried on my hips rather than my shoulders, so it is extremely comfortable on the bike. This is similar to but, I think, even further from the back than the Vaude which RJ mentions.

The downside of this design is that, because the weight is carried away from your back, it may not be as comfortable for carrying heavy weights for longer periods (more than a couple of hours) when walking although, again, proper packing to keep the weight low and on the hips should remove any problem. Because of the sitting position on a bike, though, this is not a problem.

 

[ttcycle]

Thanks for the replies GrasB and Norm

I'm going to peruse on this a bit more as I would like something like the Carradice SQR slim which is off the back completely but I don't think I have enough exposed seatpost...hmm