New backpack
This bike commuting thing is certainly more expensive than it looked at first. I’d planned on the bike and bike accessories. I even factored-in Gore-Tex rainpants. What I didn’t plan on was how it changes my needs, and how my trusty, 11-year-old Beach Cities backpack no longer meets them.
It’s unable to adapt to two major changes. First, the helmet. When I’m out, but not on the bike, wearing the helmet is a little weird. And people look at me strangely. I’ve taken to strapping the helmet to the backpack using its chinstrap. It works, but the helmet flops around on my back and I’ve knocked it into things and people.
Second is bike shit. Between lights, gloves, ankle biters, the toolkit thingie and, sure to come, a bike computer (electronic speedometer/odometer) there’s a bunch of small crap that I now carry around. The other day I opened my bag and the blinkie lights were flashing merrily inside. They’d jostled around and the far too convenient power buttons got pushed. Grrr.
Plus, I’d like to be able to attach a blinkie light to the bag itself. And it’s not quite big enough to carry my rainpants and raincoat inside and still have room for books, lunch, water bottles or shopping.
I can’t believe that last night I spent $147 on a new backpack.
I started out innocently enough. The June issue of Bicycling Magazine has a piece about their favorite gear (kit to you lot across the pond.) Best Commuter Bag was one of the categories. I looked at the “best” and the two runner’s up, but they didn’t quite do it.
Actually, one of them, the web site was such an obtuse piece of Flash, that I never could figure out how to get past the splash page. Too cool for its own good, that web site eliminated even the possiblity for a sale. Lesson in web usability at http://www.crumplerbags.com/. Too bad for them, but fortunately for me, the “back” button worked just fine in Firefox.
Next stop was Google. Search term: Backpacks. Ye gods! Who knew there were so many? I worked down through both the paid links and the free ones. One site had five pages of the things. The choices were overwhelming, yet not a single one seemed right. There were a couple that might work, but the styling was a little adolescent. I wasn’t willing to risk looking like a 15-year-old on a maybe.
About to give up, I clicked on the ninth free result, TOM BIHN = Laptop Bags, Laptop Backpacks, Laptop Cases.
I clicked on Backpacks and then with a sneer, thinking to myself, Yeah, right, clicked on one described as “The ultimate backpack”.
And I fell in love with it.
A backpack for grown-ups. Whoda thunk?
The thing even has an umbrella strap on the front! What’s kept me from carrying an umbrella is, well, carrying one. I won’t need one until winter bus season, but I think the umbrella strap can be used just as effectively for my helmet, and a clip-on blinkie light.
If the upper pouch holds only my lights, I’ll be happy, but it looks like there’s room in it for other bike shit too. The two interestingly-shaped pouches on either side of the umbrella strap should corral all the other stuff that roams freely around in the front pouch of my existing bag.
There are two big main compartments. That should keep my rain gear (or dare I think, beach wear?) from mingling with my books, lunch and shopping.
And the accessories! I purchased none, but was barely able to resist, given their names. “Snake Charmer” to tame your cables. “Freudian Slip” is a slip-in organizer for files and papers. “Brain Cell” protects your laptop (okay, I’d have to buy a laptop, but still.)
Then, I spent nearly an hour deciding which color. Sapphire was out. Olive would match my raincoat and go well with my favorite khaki hats. I’d promised myself my next backpack would be plum. But I also liked the the sophisticated look of steel grey. And basic black goes with everything.
I finally bought mine in crimson for better daytime visibility. It also matches both my duffel and my new grocery-getter pannier bags. And it’s less likely to clash with my red helmet.
So now I’ll be anxiously awaiting the UPS man. And I’ll report after living with my new bag for a while.
BTW, their other bags are just as interesting and may work better for you. I recommend having a look at Tom Bihn’s full line.
