UKC

Going to start cycling to work again. And my old Lowe Flywheel has shot it so recomendations for a good bag for cycling please. not sure weather to go rucsac or courier

I am quite tempted by a critical mass in a very gerish colour.

In reply to Ricky Martin:

How long is your commute and what do you need to carry?

I've never really got on with courier bags. Rucksacks are good but you get a swaety back and can get in the way of helmets. Panniers / Rack bags are good.

In reply to Ricky Martin:
Courier bag all the way. Prevents sweaty backness. Although if packed badly it can end up under your armpit. I have a lovely fluorescent brixton cycles bag and have cycled 50 miles with it no problem. Just swap shoulders when it starts to ache!

In reply to Justaname:

Its between 8 and 12 miles, need to carry (office) work clothes and shoes. Plus the usual cycling stuff waterproof, basic tools and inner tube.

In reply to Ricky Martin:

For a short commute, I use a courier bag. For longer commutes (5 miles+) I use a rucksack with back venitilation. I can put up with the courier bag sliding about for a short while, but not for long. Panniers would probably be best, but I didn't really want to spend the money (or have a rack on all the time).

In reply to Monk: Not really keen on the idea of panniers though I quess they are by far the most sensible option. I would like to maintain at least some semblance of street cred.

In reply to Lloydy Boy:


Totally agree, as long as you have a small to medium load. Needs to have a waist strap though for stability of course. Always wanted a Patagonia one just because I'm a sucker for the Patagonia crunchy-hipster schtick, but I currently have an older version of this http://www.ospreypacks.com/en/product/performance_1/flap_jack_courier and its been bloody excellent. Thousands of kms ridden with it and in use daily for a couple of years. Still looks brand new.

In reply to Monk:

Do you use a cross strap? My commute used to 25 kms each way and my courier bag was fine - stayed where it was meant to even on the days I carried a laptop in along with my normal crap.

In reply to TobyA:


Agreed no other way to go so long as the load you're carrying isn't too large.


Couple of folk I know here, Dublin, have them cause of the Patagonia outlet store. Whilst they have the usual high standard of construction you expect from Patagonia they aren't anywhere near as good in terms of functionality as a courier bag made by one of the dedicated manufacturers like Timbuk2. Which is what i'd recommend the OP gets http://www.timbuk2.com/tb2/

In reply to Ricky Martin:

Ah, I won't suggest a carradice saddlebag then!

In reply to Ricky Martin:

Cycling Cred trumps Street Cred every time.

In reply to TobyA:

Fair point. My smaller bag that I use most days doesn't have a cross strap, and my bigger Osprey bag just feels unwieldy when I'm on the bike, so I prefer the rucksack option. I do cart a lot of stuff about though.

In reply to Ricky Martin:

I use a courier bag for my commute. Chrome somethingorother (the mid-sized one), which I guess makes me a pretentious hipster douche (along with my fixed gear bike... set up as a single-speed!).

It has a cross-strap and as long as you crank the strap down (you should be doing this anyway) and use the cross, it won't go anywhere. Sometimes I don't even bother with the cross.

Sometimes I'll bike with a pack but I find it a little unwieldy, somewhat sweater and since I have a big beefy chain lock I tend to carry that over my shoulder (like a climbing runner...), which plays much better with a courier bag.

In reply to Monk: My limit when I was cycling a lot was normal crap + laptop but no power pack, courier bag. Normal crap + laptop + power pack, rucksack! So I know where you are coming from. I am terribly hot and sweaty though when doing exercise, so that was the main reason for favouring the bag.

In reply to Robert Dickson: Nice.. Reto I think.

Hat Dude, to be fair I would settle for any Cred to be honest.

All thanks for the advice I'll have a look at those timbuk2 ones as well thay look very nice.

In reply to Ricky Martin:

Look at Chrome too. Frankly the seatbelt buckle is a bit of a style thing but they're insanely well made, well designed and really comfy.

In reply to Ricky Martin:

I used to work as a courier in London. I used a karrimor 30 the entire time. In fact I use that bag for everything and it hasn't fallen apart. Don't get a 'trendy' messenger bag because they're shit. I'd reccomend a rucksack for what you say you want. I always had enough space to carry everything and if not, used 'ingenious' ways of attaching it to my rucksack.

I did try a couple of messenger bags but just didn't get on with them. Also the proper ones were very expensive and I wasn't exactly rolling in money.

In reply to napoleon: I've used over the last decade a Jansport, Jack Wolfskin and now Osprey courier bags. Found all of them on sale I think €40 is the most I've ever paid, and none have fallen apart - more I just got bored with them after three years. I gave my mate the Jansport one and he still uses it daily for his work satchel.

In reply to Ricky Martin:

Do you? If at the end of the day at work you do not need them til the next day at work, why not just leave them at work in desk drawer/underdesk/in locker etc?

In reply to Ricky Martin:
Jadias: please don't carry your lock over your shoulders! Unlikely, but strangulation potential * i've seen horrible bruises when people fall off. Not awfully likely, though..

What are you carrying? you can roll a suit & carry it in a rucksack if it's tall enough. a 'proper' PVC A3 size courier bag can carry a suit folded only once.I don't thing you can get a suit in any other courier I've seen.

I love my crumpler courier bag for small stuff, not as sweaty as a rucksack; a rucksack is better for shopping.

if it's just a shirt, laptop, i'd probably use a courier bag & a pack-it folder. I cycle slowly . You can do more with a rucksack [slack off the straps to make it a bit less sweaty]. You're gonna get sweaty anyway?

In reply to Ricky Martin: ....goo dluck if you go for a proper pvc courier bag....the only places i could find were closed or £40+ quid... Ended up making my own from a couple of newspaper delivery bags, used to be £3 from The Guardian offices...then i found my old 'work bag'

In reply to nickinscottishmountains:

Lockers are like rocking horse Sh*t and its a 1/4 of a mile walk to the Changing room.

In reply to Ricky Martin: I've an Ortlieb courier bag for over 15 years. Bombproof construction, waterproof (to the point of being submersible) and never had it move about due to an excellent strap system and big enough to fit a suit, shoes, towel/soap and bike spares.

In reply to dazwan:
Has anyone fondled the Ortlieb Sling-it in the flesh. I'm thinking of getting a size small for not much stuff day commutes... NO need for shoes, shirt etc, just lunch, drink for wandering round town and netbook...