DataJunkie

At the risk of being a cliche I ride a fixed gear bike with 700X23 tires and the high center of gravity \ twitchiness has never been an issue.
I also use it on my road bike for rides with wide varying temp ranges. For instance a century that started at 10F and ended in the mid 60s.
My road bike is a racing bike with very interesting handling characteristics and a nice saddle to bar drop.
No issues there either.

LesterOfPuppets

I think these folks must be wearing poorly designed backpacks they got for free when they signed up for a credit card at college. It's tantamount to comparing a messenger bag like this to a decent backpack. My Marmot keeps everything in place very nicely and has a nice center of gravity, well, except that one time I had my camera and jacket in the main compartment and a slim desktop computer strapped in the back flap. The main differences between a GOOD BACKPACK and a mess. bag are that packs that are good for cycling typically hold fewer ci. and take more time to load and unload.

Cheap backpacks flop all around on your back because they don't have a sternum strap, are unsuspended which makes the back really sweaty, have straight shoulder straps which are really uncomfortable for most human torsos and tend to last only about a year for me. Good ones are good for at least 5 years of heavy, everyday use.

chipcom 

Messenger bags are plenty about utility...when used for what they are designed for.
When driving a nail, a hammer is great...not so much for cleaning your fine china.

huhenio

I carried close to 20 kilos of groceries for about 50 kilometers.

My bum hurts, but that was because the slim saddle.

BarracksSi

Before I got a messenger bag, I thought they were about style.

After I got one, over a year or two, I thought they were about utility.

Now... eh... I'm kinda on the fence.

Hope that helps.

TRaffic Jammer

fence sitter!!!

drjava

I use a lumbar pack: https://www.backcountry.com/outdoorge.../TNF0393M.html

I don't carry much, my lunch, a book, some tire repair stuff, mp3 player, and socks. Sometimes an extra shell. It keeps the weight down low off of my back and supported by my hips.

Not many cool points, but to each their own.

Sixty Fiver

fail.

If there was a better system messengers would be using it... very few use backpack type bags and if you know how to fit / wear a messenger bag and set up your load they are awesome.

adlai

Actually, I do have to edit this slightly.

Rack + Panniers is a superior way of hauling cargo period. Larger capacity and no strain on the back.

HOWEVER, they kill the performance of the bike. I recently removed the rack + pannier from my road bike and wow! this guy is so fast now! and the best way to carry stuff while enjoying this performance is with a messenger bag I agree.

noisebeam

utility for me. easy access & works more like a briefcase than a backpack does

CB HI

Hey, stop bashing Hawaii.

Standalone 

Not having tried my commute with a backpack, I guess I can't really say, but the old large timbuk2 that was apparently left over from my wife's ex works great on my road bike, my hybrid, my folders, on and off the train, and around the high school where I teach. It even fits between me and my son when picking him up from daycare for an 8 mile trek home on the kiddie seat.

My favorite thing about it is how it "disappears" with lighter loads, while a backpack can get floppy, in my non commuting experiences.

I love the way it seems to automatically shift the load to a sensible balanced place after a minute or so. It might be just that my old bag is broken in. The bags I see for sale now seem to have a much more rigid structure to them.

Sometimes it slides forward, but not much, and only when I haven't really bothered to adjust the strap.

nowheels

Well... I got a bum left shoulder from using one for many years.... but they do look cool

bugly64

Panniers are the way to go. Why would anyone need the affirmation of messengers? Do they commute? I have panniers front and rear with a nice collection of bungee cords. Ever put a couple gallons of millk or twelve pack of brew in your messenger bag? I use my bike to get the gym, work, post office, and get groceries for a family of 6.

DataJunkie

No. Panniers have their place. Rack trunks have their own place.
A messenger bag has its place as well.

I would say that a rack trunk is superior to panniers. Less issues in wind and less of a tendency to carry everything including the kitchen sink.

stomppow

I use both at the same time. Pannier with all the weight in it for the commute, then transfer it to a locker, and use the messenger bag around school all day, then books go back in the pannier. A messenger bag is fantastic for organization and easy access.

adlai

wow, groceries for a family of 6? how many times a week do you go? 4?

bugly64

I disagree, panniers are the all-around best fit for commuting. Also, having panniers suggests that you have a rack or racks and racks have tops to bungee lots of stuff down.

bay area biker

To each his own, I suppose. I don't like the sweaty-back syndrome; that's what puts me off cargo sitting on my back. The convenience of the shoulder strap when off the bike is undeniable, but there are several quick-release trunk packs and handlebar packs with shoulder straps.
Fixies with the messenger bag are all the rage here among the twenty-somethings. Tight Levis are part of the look. It does look very slick, I don't deny it, but it's becoming a bit of a stereotype here. Conformity, almost. But it's nice to be young and "with it".
I have this packable shoulder bag I found at REI. It folds into itself to become really tiny (size of a handball) and practically weightless. It's really handy. I use a safety pin to stop it shifting to under my armpit. It wouldn't take a full-sized laptop, but it'll hold any number of unanticipated purchases. It will stow anywhere, even in a shirt pocket. There are two styles; one's a tote, the other functions as a shoulder bag providing you're not too big. That's the one you want to get you out of a jam when you need to take more than you'd planned on. Check it out.

bugly64

I shop for groceries mainly twice a week.

adlai

I'm a single guy who grocery shops on my bike. I go about twice a week, and my panniers are typically packed full.

My point mainly is that messenger bags' main advantage is when you're on the bike, but even more comfortable is if you don't have to carry a bag on your shoulder and instead stuff your cargo into a pannier.

devianb

I like the messenger bag because it is smaller, slimmer, lighter, and more comfortable to wear as opposed to my much larger Dakine backpack. I do have trouble keeping it on my back instead of floating on my side when coming to a stop or making a turn. And a zipper on top instead of a flap would be nice.

Pscyclepath

When you're regularly hauling a load around on your bike, it's best to put the load on your bike frame (e.g., rack, panniers, rack trunk) than to carry it on your back. For one, there's the comfort issue, and second, it shift the center of gravity lower, making you a good bit more stable on the bike. But that implies you have to have a rack and bike luggage.

And if you're on and off the bike all the time, and have to carry your stuff along with you when you park the bike, then a backpack or messenger bag is the way to go. I've tried both, and what works best for me is the messenger bag. I use a middle-sized or a large Chrome bag depending how much stuff I have to wag along... and haven't really been deeply impressed by the Timbuktu bags I've seen. The cross-shoulder sling and the stabilizer strap on the Chrome makes lot of difference in comfort and stability. And even with the Chrome bag, not securing the stabilizer strap can make a lot of difference and a wobbly load...

lil brown bat

It also implies that you're hauling a crapton of stuff. Not everyone feels the need to haul everything but the kitchen sink. It's riding to work, not a journey through the Alaskan bush.

MNBikeguy

Technically correct for 30+ pounds. The touring forum is down the hall to your right...