All purpose backpack...

[cching]

Ok so once I finally get my bike in July(ish) I'm going to be using it as my only mode of transportation so I'll be needing a backpack.

Theft is pretty high where I'm going (in the state in general) so I've ruled out any kind of bags that attach to the bike. I know they can be very useful but I don't want to deal with taking stuff off and putting it back on later.

I'll be using my bag to lug my books to school, any work cloths I might need and store my gear while in and between classes.

I've done a little looking around online and have found the following:

http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/r3/motorcyc ... -backpack/

Seems like this might be the right size for my needs I just question if it'll stay secure on my ride home since there are many tight curves.

http://www.google.com/products?hl=en&q= ... 1&ct=title

This Icon bag seems to have my worries above about the bag staying put on my back and not shifting in a tight leaned over turn taken care of. Seems a little small for my needs though.



If anyone has any good suggestions about brands and models that would be great!!! Since it's kinda hard to tell from the pictures which bag will work well and which are crap.

Thanks,

Colin

[dean owens]

few things come to mind...

first, don't worry about the book bag. i just have a standard swiss book bag with a laptop compartment. i wear it to work every day that i ride my bike. as long as you strap your book bag tightly you won't even notice it on there unless you really load it down and go for a long trip.

now if i had the chance to buy a book bag specific for my bike i would probably go for the mil spec bag just because it's bright. or, depending on how much room you need (and what bike you're looking at getting) there are tank bags that can hold a decent amount of stuff and turn into backpacks.

my final thought is... not sure how much money you have... or what kind of bike you'll be getting... but a trunk isn't a bad idea. as i said, i wear my backpack every day i ride to work. and it's not bad riding it. but if i want to go into a store or something along the way i have to keep my backpack on. i'm getting a givi trunk to go on my bike to be able to carry my stuff for now on. not only does it give me a little more freedom when i get off the bike, but it will also be big enough to hold my helmet when i get to campus and i won't have to carry it around. i just have to deal with my jacket. and if you're willing to shop around you can cut your costs on a givi (or other brand) of trunk. the mounting hardware for my bike is about 150 bucks. i should have it showing up today for $62.00 because i waited and found one used in new condition. now i'm shopping around for a trunk.

good luck in your search and let us know what you get and how it works out for you.

[cching]

Found this also that I think would do the trick...

http://www.waterproof-paper.com/waterpr ... pack.shtml

Not to bad a price at $70. May pull the trigger on this one.

[jaskc78]

yeah, that $70 bag looks like it'd work quite nicely on a bike. i've acquired a few backpacks over the years so i'll be giving each of them their turn as a luggage rack during my commute before spending more money on another backpack.

[mgdavis]

I used a generic backpack for quite a while for my commute to work. I decided that have a heavy bag strapped on sucks, so I bolted a rubbermaid tub to my luggage rack. All the functionality of a Givi for 1/10th the price.

[follow]

I wouldn't like that feeling of a heavy load on my back, especially since I live by a lot of twisty roads.
Now on the other hand my brother-in-laws back pack saved his back/a**.
He hit a pothole on the freeway and went down, he landed on his back with backpack on and slid about 50 yards. He came out of it with a broken wrist but his bookbag was totaled. The bag and his books took the brunt, they were like ATGATT-padding for him.

[Ninja Geoff]

I'm thinking of replacing my Fieldsheer backpack with this: http://www.uscav.com/Productinfo.aspx?p ... =1&CatID=2 in black. Though it's not waterproof like the fieldsheer.

[blues2cruise]

Buy a cargo net. Whatever bag you buy, secure it to your bike not you.

If you ever did go down that pack on your back could break your back.

[havegunjoe]

I bought a Jansport pack. The main things I looked for were a strap across the chest and waist and lots of pockets or zippered compartments to separate my stuff by category. I wear it every day to ride to and from work and I don’t feel it or the weight at all. It serves the purpose quite well and didn’t cost a fortune.

[RocketGirl]

I'll be using my bag to lug my books to school, any work cloths I might need and store my gear while in and between classes.

http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/r3/motorcyc ... -backpack/

Seems like this might be the right size for my needs I just question if it'll stay secure on my ride home since there are many tight curves.

http://www.google.com/products?hl=en&q= ... 1&ct=title

This Icon bag seems to have my worries above about the bag staying put on my back and not shifting in a tight leaned over turn taken care of. Seems a little small for my needs though.

Colin

Would adding a tank bag be too much to carry around campus along with your backpack? I ride a 250cc to commute and because of my short stature (4'11") and my upright seating position, most of the weight of the backpack sits on the seat behind me.

I couldn't tell from the photos, but if the pocket compartments use a set of two zippers like my backpack does then I'd suggest using mini-carabiner clips to keep the zippers secure. This might be common sense, but also be sure to tie off or trim off any extra shoulder strap material.

Have fun shopping!