Best commuting bag for laptop

Triathlon Forum
1

Commuters…

Can folks make some suggestions on what bag is the best for commuting with a lunch and a laptop?

All suggestions welcome. I will be riding a road bike if that makes a difference in what you recommend.

2

Rather than those hipster messenger looking bags, best is a medium sized “camelback” type. I run commute even in one and have several, but my favorite is the Dakine Amp. Nice, firm backrest so no jostling, plenty of room and well padded (my little laptop has solid state hard drives though) and fits tight with hip/chest strap (yeah, made for cycling!)

3

Thanks. Is your Amp the 12L or 18L size? What size is your laptop?

4

I’ve been able to easily go running with my laptop,change of clothes and assorted other stuff with my Camelback Rim Runner.My laptop is a 7’ Acer which is pretty tiny…

…

5

Thanks. Is your Amp the 12L or 18L size? What size is your laptop?

I have the Amp 18 since I bring a change of clothes and food (leave shoes in the office), but it cinches down thinner/smaller if not needed. It is a good size. I have a couple of smaller ones (a Camelback and a Salomon), but this one is my fav. My commute laptop is a Sony Vaio Z-series 13.3" with 2 SSD drives Raid 0 config, Intel i7, full HD screen, nice :wink: Only laptop I really like better than my MacBook Pros that would be tanks to travel with (yeah, tried a MacBook Air and hated it - still have it the kids use).

6

There are probably better cycling specific bags, but I run commute 6+ miles with my 15" MBP in a Deuter Giga Office and it is amazing.

Definitely not the lightest bag, but has amazing back padding/shoulder straps. It also expands to accomodate tons of stuff, but can be synched up pretty thin.

7

http://www.lezyne.com/products/bags-packs/messenger-caddy

I have one of these and like it. big enough laptop pocket to hold my 17" macbookpro, enough room in the main compartment for a change of clothes and shoes, and it has pockets for a minipump, levers, tubes, multitool, etc. holds the rain off pretty well, too.

8

You can give the RSS messenger bag a try. Converts from a messenger bag into a backpack. Its almost like RSS rocket/elite transition bags cousin. Has space for everything. Should fit a laptop also.

9

Thanks for the suggestions. I like the running suggestions because the office is runnable.

Keep the suggestions coming!

10

Just bought an Osprey Momentum 34. Haven’t tried it yet, but it looks really nice.

11

I think you need to first assess what your riding preferences are. I personally hate having stuff on my back when I ride, but also prefer that over the sluggish feeling of a bike w/ panniers. So for me the question becomes one of “less evil” when looking at packs for my back.

I prefer a messenger-style bag for this reason…only one strap and I can adjust where it sits on my back a little easier. One shoulder is “open” to the air as opposed to a backpack, etc.

12

This conversation begins and ends with the Chrome Messenger Buckle Bag, although they do have laptop bags:

http://www.chromebagsstore.com/bags.html
.

13

I have a Deuter briefcase/laptop pannier and it works great. You can zip up the pannier clips and you don’t even know it’s a bike bag.

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14

+1 on camelbaks… very well-built bags

15

I just picked up the arkel commuter. It’s pricey (~150), but quality. It has a water proof main compartment, with a laptop specific sleeve that is on a suspension system in order to prevent jarring. It also has a cam system that allows you to detach the bag in seconds from the frame. It weighed in at ~2.5lbs.

16

Does anybody use a frame bag for this? I’m looking at my bike, and it seems like my laptop would nestle nicely in the triangle. Seems to me that that would be less awkward than panniers, but have never tried it…

17

If you are okay with a backpack, the ergon line of backpacks are the best. It allows your torso i.e. the shoulderstraps to move independently from the waist belt, this really allows degrees of freedom not achievable in any other set up. I have 20 some messenger bags, backpacks and this is what I ended up finding as the best thing to ride with. Got mine at competitive cyclist at a great price. Check it out.

18

Commuters…

Can folks make some suggestions on what bag is the best for commuting with a lunch and a laptop?

All suggestions welcome. I will be riding a road bike if that makes a difference in what you recommend.

Timbuk2 Messenger

19

a small, handmade, U.S. company called Zulu Nylon Gear makes two beautiful laptop compatible, tactical styled laptop bags:

http://zulunylongear.com/itsbag.html

and

http://zulunylongear.com/emissary.html

Timbuk2 has an entire page devoted to the category including custom options:

http://www.timbuk2.com/tb2/products/laptop/#laptop-messenger-style

20

Thanks for all of the suggestions. I like the idea of a bag that I can run commute and bike commute with.

Will check out the dakine, camelbak, and others.