Build Your Own Bag
I was initially bummed to see that 992 other bag builders created the bag I did, but then kept trying and got this message: “this color combination has been created just once.” An original bag … cool. While the Bag Builder works well, I’d like to see it have persistence. It doesn’t remember you, if you leave and come back. I’d also like to edit what I created or duplicate it and for it to send me what I made and let me download it.
As for the bag, like all the Timbuk2s messenger bags I’ve owned, it’s well made (note that I only purchase the models handmade in San Francisco). The medium size fits well in the S&S case snug under the wheel. It’s filled with bike parts, tools, a saddle bag, etc. When I travel, I compartmentalize everything and all of the pockets, zippers, and pouches support that.
For trips with the Dahon, I use the much larger Crumpler bag (also in Hugga Comfort colors) and fill it with clothes and bike gear. Both Timbuk2 and Crumpler make quality bags, but with a different design aesthetic. Where the Timbuk2s are rugged and urban with lots of zippers, the Crumplers offer a cleaner, more designy style without zippers.
One issue with Timbuk2s bag is “floppiness.” That’s the less-than technical description for what happens when you load a bag and it falls over. My older Timbuk2 bags with thicker, heavier materials were sturdier and more rigid and didn’t flop. I liked the bag, but was repeatedly frustrated by the fact that it’d fall over when loaded with a laptop. There’s probably an equation for bag material density, rigidity, and floppage. I suggest they flop less.