Bicycling with my camera....

So my wife and i just ordered a couple of roadbikes from a friend who make them and i wanted to find a decent messenger style bag to carry around with me everywhere as well as when i am riding.

I went to an REI and saw their timbuk2 bags and really liked them. They dont have any spots for cushioning my lenses, but i liked the size of the medium bags and feel of walking around with it.

Do you think the 6 million dollar home or possibly the think tank retrospective 20 may be too big to carry around while im on my bike? Or would a camera backpack be better.... i really would like a messenger bag though

I currently have my canon rebel bag and i feel lame taking it everywhere so recently just stuff everything in a back pack and cushion it with towels or whatever else im taking... bricks, knives, etc

I have an xsi with 70-200mm f4 that i take everywhere but also a 50mm and 18-55mm which i would take if i had space.... i would also switch out stuff to fit my 430ex II if i need to.

and small things like batteries, cards, wallet/ keys

If you're like me you have a couple of needs. Every day carry stuff? There's a very intense forum at www.edcforums.com and they recommend all sorts of bags.
I ski a lot--ski instructor for 35 years. I need to carry gear in a way so that it's protected and I am too. My brother in law who used to produce photos for National Geographic was appalled at what I carried. His choice? Small gear that doesn't limit what I do in sports. So I have a G11 and it packs well/easily.
I'm a bagaholic. Don't want to lead you down my path...
Simple messenger bag? Tenba messenger. (Has an insert; will hold a camera without a grip nicely. Looks plain.
Backpack? I'm on the verge with a Think Tank bag; have an old LowePro bp that's so darn heavy I need a strong assistant. Also looking at a Baby Sherpa. Don't laugh...it's a diaper bag but with a good suspension/harness.
Just traded my Crumpler away. 7MDH. Didn't like it but I'm the only one; noisy velcro. Funnel shape for thetop...what happens if it rains. (Just me. YMMV)
Shoulder bag? I want to see a Think Tank Retro bag. Can't find one to try.
I have an old LowePro MiniMag Pro I keep going; their Stealth AW series too...

My name is Dave
I'm a bagaholic

I'd say a retrospective 20 would do the job wonderfully. It's about the same size (width-wise) as a small Timbuk2 and holds a whole lot of stuff.
I'd also consider a retrospective 10 as it would hold your 70-200 f/4 + Xsi no problem and would be the same height as a medium timbuk2 and width as a small. The only difference between the R10 and R20 is 2" of height.

They are fantastic bags.

i have a chrome messenger bag. The medium size.
it was designed for bike messengers. i use it everyday at school and on my bike.
when i carry my camera gear, i use the tenba padded insert.
mind you, this wont protect your gear if you fly off your bike, but it fits well and very stealth.
below are links to the bag and padding.

http://www.chromebagss​tore.com/bags/messenge​r-bags.html

http://www.tenba.com …movable-Photo-Insert.aspx

Good call on the tenba! My wife just ordered a large for me once i started obsessing about bags and the price is great.

I have heard a lot of people saying that the crumplers look like baby bags so you should be fine with the sherpa.... kind of ironic though you carrying around a baby bag and people look at you pulling out your G11 (baby).

anyways, im excited about getting the bag.... i think my wife is more excited about me carrying around the laptop in that thing.

I will let you guys know how it goes on my bike.... im thinking it will be on the large side, but i needed to get away from that kit bag!!!

Also... i love the new retrospective bags and timbuk2, but the tenba was a great deal for us.
I didnt realize that the difference between the R10 and R20 was 2".... i would have wanted to pay for the 20 just cause it sounded like it would fit a lot more and was only $10 more.

I like riding with my Lowepro 100AW. The sling and extra strap across my stomach feels sturdy and comfortable. It might be too small with your 70-200. Just an extra suggestion to toss out there.

It's nuts to carry that kind of weight on your body if you are going to be doing any real biking. The G11/S90 route is the way to go. Maybe a micro 4/3rds if necessary. DSLR? Probably not.

J.

JohnJ80 wrote in post #10421020
It's nuts to carry that kind of weight on your body if you are going to be doing any real biking. The G11/S90 route is the way to go. Maybe a micro 4/3rds if necessary. DSLR? Probably not.

J.

He's right. If you're doing serious cycling, it will be tiring to lug the weight with you. There is always the possibility that you may have an accident. Falling off a bike is bad enough, but to break all the gear you were bringing is just salt on open wounds.

+1 for the S90. man i wish i had the extra cash for one.

iwasinvertedx wrote in post #10421997
He's right. If you're doing serious cycling, it will be tiring to lug the weight with you. There is always the possibility that you may have an accident. Falling off a bike is bad enough, but to break all the gear you were bringing is just salt on open wounds.

+1 for the S90. man i wish i had the extra cash for one.

yea understandable... i would like the s90 but i dont have money for one and i needed to put in a few bucks to get myself a good bag.

The Tenba Messenger is an incredible bag. I travel a lot for work. It makes a great briefcase. My G11 is a stealth measure inside. If I choose to, my D300S goes in with the 18-200VR on it.
Only issue? It carries too much! I keep putting stuff in; nothing ever comes out.

A recent alternative?
Lowpro Classified 100AW. I looked at it, and wondered, "who wouldspend that kind of money and carry that thing?"

It comes with 2 classy little camera cases. Got thinking, took one home.

It's now my everyday carry bag. Put my Pany ZS3 in one (short to long) and G11 (quality) and I'm covered. Rain cover for rain, or wet paint at construction sites.
Enjoy the Tenba. It's one of my favourite bags.

jjaenagle wrote in post #10422140
yea understandable... i would like the s90 but i dont have money for one and i needed to put in a few bucks to get myself a good bag.

It's just a bad idea and unless you are a very experienced rider, probably not the safest way to go either. If you are doing any riding at all, you are going to be sick of the bag in very short order (like less than 5 miles). Very likely that you will have wasted the money on the bag.

Just buy a used decent P&S from someone. They will all do pretty well out in good lighting outdoors.

If you really need to carry your DSLR on the bike, then get the ortleib handlebar bag with the padded insert. I've have this and use it on occasion on my mountain bike.

Here's the handlebar bag:
http://www.ortliebusa.​com/CartGenie/prod-151.htm

here's the insert:
http://www.ortliebusa.​com/CartGenie/prod-115.htm

Either that or put a rack on your bike and one of the bags that attach firmly to the rack - toppeak makes some nice ones:

Like this (if you keep it light):
http://www.topeak.com/​products/Bags/DynaPack

or this if you want to carry more:
rack: http://www.topeak.com …s/Racks/MTXBeam​RackV-Type
detachable bag (there are several) http://www.topeak.com/​products/Bags/MTXTrunk​BagEX

There is also a lighter rack and lighter bag.

I ride about 100 miles a week, I also do a fair amount of singletrack mountain biking both in the mountains and here in the midwest. I've done extended bike tours in Europe (6 weeks + complete with camping gear) and have carried alot of stuff on a bike. I would really encourage you to either (a) go light - i.e. P&S or (2) carry the stuff the way everyone else that carries stuff on a bike does it (benefit from the school of hard knocks).

I also did carry (once) a small slr in a handlebar bag for an extended bike trip. While the camera made it through, it was more weight that I would really want to carry again. Also, the is a LOT of vibration that gets transmitted to the camera. While that body made it through the trip, it was a hanger queen with all kinds of things going wrong down the line. I attribute that to the vibration because any body I've had before or since never had that sort of issue.

J.

i don't really agree with a lot of the warnings people are throwing out there, i think carrying a camera on a bike is fine, they're made to be used and if you're serious i say go for it. as for how, i've carried lots of stuff on bikes both in bags on the bike and on my person. obviously on the bike is a lot more comfortable but harder to access. on the body will minimize the shaking of the camera and easier to access when you stop.

if you get a messenger bag make sure it has some kind of secondary strap that goes across your chest to keep it stable, most of the timbuk2 bags have this, some of the crumpler bags do as well. if you get a straight courier bag you can get a tenba insert for some padding, or a simple domke insert.

keep an eye out on rei-outlet as they run sales on last seasons timbuk2 and crumpler bags really often.

How much do you ride?

J.

I ride a road bike quite a bit and I agree with John that you would be tired of a messenger bag very quickly. I would never want to carry my gear that way. A backpack might work better, but then your back gets all sweaty very quickly. I think a pannier rack is the way to go, since it puts the weight of your gear in a relatively stable, low down part of the bike. Depending on the bike you are purchasing, it may or may not have the hardware to mount the panniers (my Cannondale road bike does not). In that case, they have rear rack designs that have clips and zip ties to secure it to the bike.

Either way, have fun on your new bike!

Well... i am no where near an experienced rider or even amateur rider.... my last bike? no name brand from target that i used for a week before it broke.

My wife and I just ordered 2 custom built road bikes from a friend who does it for a living. He has a couple cannondales....

anyways, thanks for the info on riding and bags... i will have to look for something different for the longer bike rides. We are only planning to do small rides around town.

thanks for the links.... now to save up for a p&s