bikelovejones

Working in the bicycle industry as I have for the last -- gulp! -- FOURTEEN years (!!), I have seen a lot of portage. Panniers, trailers, cargo bikes, and messenger bags of every stripe.

My shop sells quite a few "messenger" bags, both single-shoulder and backpack style. I have a couple of old Timbuk2 bags (from when they were still made in the USA), and I find as time goes by that I use them less and less on the bike. What I've discovered is that, along with single-speed bikes and way-down-low, racer-boy bars, I seem to have outgrown the desire to carry everything on my back as I ride.

It's a little bit of a pity, because two companies out there make THE prettiest and most durable bags I've ever seen (R. E. Load in Philly and Wig in Chicago) and yet there's no point in saving up for a bag from either of them anymore. They'd just get tossed into another bag or into a basket, and three-fourths of the functionality would go right out the window. Considering that these bags cost well over 150 bucks and up, that's a lot of money to spend and not get all the functionality you pay for.

But that's how it is. My back has rebelled and won't carry big things anymore. So I'll let the bike do the work. I think I've earned it.