Carry it by bicycle: Messenger bags

Timbuk2 messenger bag / j.michael @ flickr.com

Oooh, you're thinking, messenger bags! They're trendy, they're cool, and they'll give you instant bike messenger street cred, right? Wrong. At least about the street cred. But they are my second favorite way to carry things with me on a bike.

If you've never seen one before, a messenger bag is a large pouch with a flap that secures the contents. A single, adjustable shoulder strap goes over one shoulder and the bag slides around to the rider's back. Generally, they're made of durable material and have waterproof liners with a variety of pockets and dividers. Messenger bags make it very easy to access your goods while wearing the bag by loosening the shoulder strap and sliding the bag around to your side, which is one of the great attractions to bicycle couriers.

I've owned a half-dozen and loved or hated each one depending on the make and model. Because they only have one strap (and, occasionally, a second, under-the-arm stabilizer strap), they're quick and easy to adjust, but are limited if you need to fine tune the fit. It took me a while to find the makes, models, and sizes that really worked for me. Once I found the magic combination of size, shape, and shoulder strap padding, I fell in love, carrying everything from groceries to 6-packs, office clothes to laptops.

My messenger bags distribute their loads across my back very comfortably, even on long rides. The large messenger bags will hold just a bit less than a full grocery bag of stuff, yet still remain reasonably comfortable to wear. The smaller sizes are perfect when I’m just going out for a few hours and need to keep necessities close at hand. I've ridden in pouring rain and the contents have always stayed dry.

On the down side, I now own three messenger bags of different sizes and features for different situations. The biggest issue is that I often just need to carry a u-lock, phone, wallet, keys, and waterbottle, so I have a small one. Other times I need to carry my laptop computer, work clothes, shoes, lunch, and coffee in a Thermos, so I have a large one. Then, other times, I carry my son's diaper bag, which is a messenger bag with internal dividers. Small messenger bags can't be expanded, and it's very hard to compress a large one when it's partially empty.

Because messenger bags only have one strap, the weight of a big load can be uncomfortable after a few hours. When I used to make multiple grocery runs each week, shopping bag by bag, I was always thankful that Whole Foods is only 2 miles from our house. Some winter mornings, the thought of shouldering the big bag with my computer, backup battery, shoes, clothes, and lunch on the ride to the office was enough to make me drive the car.

However, if I hadn’t caught the cargo bike bug, I would still be a dedicated messenger bag user. I think they’re flexible, comfortable, and perfectly designed for bicycle commuting. If you’re interested in trying a messenger bag, I recommend looking at bags from these manufacturers: Bailey Works, Chrome, Timbuk2. Or, for the ultimate in messenger bag usage, look for a custom tailored bag from WIG and R.E.Load.