Advise needed on messenger bag for laptop

flynn160603

Help needed,

Twice a week I commute to work which is a 22 mile trip each way, i've been using a Pakuma messenger style bag to carry my note book over the last few months, its worked okay but not completely stable on my back.

Work have just issued me with a new bigger laptop a widescreen 15.6 inch jobbie, and it wont fit in my old bag, however work have given me £50 towards a new bag and i'm going to make the rest of the money up myself if I need too.

I need something thats large enough to carry the laptop and a couple of thin files, not worried if I bought a seperate latop sleeve, needs to be water proof, needs to have a good stabilising strap to stop it moving around on my back.

In the summer i use the bike to nip to site meetings etc so it needs to look fairly understated nothing too garish.

I've looked at the crumpler bags/chrome/pakuma but the choice is giving me a head ache and alot of the bag descriptions on websites dont detail the stabilising strap which I think is a really important feature that must work

Does anyone have any recommendations, I want to buy something online early next week so that I can use it next week in earnest

Thanks in advance

NGale

can't go wrong with a crumpler bag. I however don't get mine through Crumpler UK, I go to the Canadian site where there is far more choice and the colours are better. They wil ship to the UK.

flynn160603

I've read tons of reviews which reckons they are good, but I find the websites both uk and canadian confusing.......alot of the descriptions dont say what size laptop will fit and if the laptop pouch is padded, plus they dont specifically state any details about the stabilising straps

AndyManc

flynn160603 wrote:

Work have just issued me with a new bigger laptop a widescreen 15.6 inch jobbie, and it wont fit in my old bag, however work have given me £50 towards a new bag and i'm going to make the rest of the money up myself if I need too.

Ask for a netbook ... :roll: ,a fixed rear rack and panniers are the only solution I would consider, I hate bags :?

.

White Line

Timbuk2. Simple.

However, I recommend not getting the laptop messenger bag. Just get a normal messenger bag and buy the laptop pouch accessory. The laptop sleeve can't be removed on the laptop messenger bag and makes it a bit chunk, and less wrap aroundish, when there's no laptop in it.

flynn160603

AndyManc wrote:

flynn160603 wrote:

Work have just issued me with a new bigger laptop a widescreen 15.6 inch jobbie, and it wont fit in my old bag, however work have given me £50 towards a new bag and i'm going to make the rest of the money up myself if I need too.

Ask for a netbook ... :roll: ,a fixed rear rack and panniers are the only solution I would consider, I hate bags :?

.

Large laptop needed for presentations etc a net book would be useless, no pannier mounts on my litespeed

flynn160603

White Line wrote:

Timbuk2. Simple.

However, I recommend not getting the laptop messenger bag. Just get a normal messenger bag and buy the laptop pouch accessory. The laptop sleeve can't be removed on the laptop messenger bag and makes it a bit chunk, and less wrap aroundish, when there's no laptop in it.

I'll take a good look at them thanks for the tip

g00se

I got one of these recently - might be classed as "garish", I don't know.

Prob not authentic enough for the LFGSS crowd but it has the sternum strap, the buckle to pull it right up on you back but release it quickly so it falls into your lap to open. Pockets for spare tubes, toolkits etc, laptop sleeve and it'll wrap around OK. If you're in London, Brick Lane Bike Shop have them on sale for £60 :



http://road.cc/content/review/12479-lezyne-messenger-caddy-bag

It has a built in bottle opener too!

flynn160603

nice bag but i'd feel daft walking into a meeting with that one

andrewc3142

I don't like riding with a bag unless I absolutely have to.

For when I have to carry heavy things (shopping, laptop, etc), though, I much prefer a rucksack. Messenger bags are good for messengers because of size for large packages and they give easy acces - not such a consideration for a commute. However, they don't distribute the weight on your shoulders as well.

flynn160603

andrewc3142 wrote:

I don't like riding with a bag unless I absolutely have to.

For when I have to carry heavy things (shopping, laptop, etc), though, I much prefer a rucksack. Messenger bags are good for messengers because of size for large packages and they give easy acces - not such a consideration for a commute. However, they don't distribute the weight on your shoulders as well.

I agree with that If I can get away with it I would'nt take a bag, but sometimes I do have too, its the same with mountain biking I regularly go over to cwncarn for some trail riding and see loads of people with camalbaks, i'd rather stick my tube/pump in a back pocket and carry 2 water bottles than a camalbak full of water, i find them far too sweaty and restrictive, which is the reason i'm not going for a back pack, my messenger bag I use at the moment works okay except its too small and moves a bit because the stablising strap is useless

Stuey01

I have a black north face messenger bag, it doesn't have a padded pouch but does have plenty of room for a large laptop (mine is a chunky thinkpad with a widescreen), along with files and clothes, it has a sternum strap, totally waterproof. It is also quite understated.
It is relatively cheap at £55, and does the job, won't win you any style points with the fixie crowd (if you care about that..)
Very annoying zips though, they get stuck and aren't quick to use.

It's OK, not great.

rjsterry

NGale wrote:

can't go wrong with a crumpler bag. I however don't get mine through Crumpler UK, I go to the Canadian site where there is far more choice and the colours are better. They wil ship to the UK.

Ditto. Mine has stood up to a fair bit of abuse, although I didn't know about the Canada thing.

EDIT: I would also agree that when you load them up, messenger bags can leave you a bit achey as they put all the weight on one shoulder. The more upright your riding position, the more this is the case (if you are a roadie with a low riding position, the weight tends to spread across your back rather than pull on your shoulder).

andrewc3142

Some of the bike specific rucksacks are better at keeping air circulating round your back. The Rapha large fixed bag (at a price), but also the Deuter ones are pretty good in that respect.

But what works for one doesn't necessarily for another.

I do have a fairly large Crumpler messenger bag that has seen a lot of use and has lasted well. I think it's meant for a 17", but takes my 15" laptop MacBook Pro with space in the laptop pocket for the cable and a mouse, which is handy.

flynn160603

just ordered a timbuk2 messenger bag in large, i'll see how I get on with that thanks for the advise folks

flynn160603

Well its arrived and i've used, laptop fits a treat and the bag fits nicely on my back, so far so good[/list]