Review: Rickshaw Messenger Bag
I never considered myself a messenger bag sort of person.
Backpack, pannier, satchel. Yup, that's me.
Then I was wandering around a bike shop in Oakland and saw a messenger bag that called out to me: Rickshaw Zero Messenger (medium) http://www.rickshawbags.com/#/produc...ero_messenger/ Made in San Francisco, so how could I resist?
I fell in bag-love.
The color (bordeaux/moss) the fabric (cordura) the simple clean lines. Sigh. Actually, all the colors at the bike shop were gorgeous. Much more delicious in person than on the website. But the bordeaux wanted to come home with me. And it wasn't too big. I bought it, jammed my little backpack into it, and moseyed off to find my sweetie. She didn't even notice the new bag, which obviously means it was such a perfect match for me that it fit into my life seamlessly.
Speaking of seams, the stitching on this bag is impeccable. Every detail is tidy, no loose threads or missed stitches and every corner and tack is smooth. It just oozes quality workmanship. You want to hold it and stroke it because it's so beautiful.
The medium easily holds my rather large Timbuk2 purse http://www.timbuk2.com/tb2/products/totes/stowaway and everything my backpack did. I can pack enough for a weekend getaway, no problem. I thought I'd want to buy one of the velcro-in organizers, but the two built in pockets are enough. All this, and the bag still isn't so large that I look silly or poseur-ish wearing it.
The double layer of cordura has kept all my stuff dry in both average and torrential Seattle rains. It's very easy to clean schmoodgies and boo-boos off the bag. A little damp washcloth action and it's as good as new.
This bag has not been tested on the bike. I ride with a pannier at all times. I sweat far too much to even consider wearing any bag on the bike. But I can say that it is extraordinarily comfortable to wear on foot and on the bus. Much less sweaty than a backpack. I've run for the bus more than once and the bag has stayed put. You can buy a stabilizer strap for the bag if you plan to wear it while riding aggressively.
$50 is a small price to pay for such sensuous luxury. (and practical and useful, too!)
