Timbuk2 Race Duffel Bag

When I went looking for a Tri-Bag I wanted a bag that could carry all of the following:

A beach towel

A bath towel

One Joe Blow bike pump

Flip Flops

Running Shoes

Cycling Shoes

And gels, bars, electrolyte tabs, a bottle of cytomax, three bottles of water, socks, goggles, spare tubes, various bike tools, spare shirts, and a change of clothes.

Prior to this I had a non-descript black duffel bag without a shoulder strap, my bike pump kind of stuck out of the zipper, and the thing didn't have a shoulder strap. The last thing you want to do on race day is schlep a 35 pound bag with no shoulder strap from your parking spot which always seems to be 2.5k from t1 in one hand and your bike in the other hand!

Yes I did have a system for keeping the gels, bars, electrolyte tabs, socks, goggles, spare tubes, spare shirts, and a change of clothes organized, it involved a careful rolling of items into the beach towel (transition mat) at 1:00am the night before the race. The problem was post-race, the stuff just didn't seem to fit back into the bag!

With this new bag I've got Capacity to fit everything, (including the bike pump), portability in the form of shoulder Strap(s), and pockets to keep the gel's from rubbing up against the business end of my flip flops, Water proof pockets to contain a cytomax spill to one compartment, the list goes on but can be summed up in one word ORGANIZATION. Last but not least I've got style.

There are many ways to get yourself squared away on race day. I recommend this bag!

I have been looking for a gear bag for my biking stuff for a long time and I finally found it. This bag is perfect on one side you can fid your helmet and the other side has a lined section for your muddy shoes and wet clothing. The center section is large enough for anything else you may have. Plus it has two outside water bottle holders.

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I purchased this bag in hopes of having a general duffel bag for races, weekend trips, etc. When I received it I found that it was much smaller than I expected. Ultimately I ended up returning it and purchasing a eagle creek hybrid hauler. If you are looking for a duffel/backpack converter go for the Eagle Creek. That being said, I am a huge fan of timbuk2 and their messenger bags. I'll continue to stick with them for their messenger bags.

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I bought this bag sight unseen, with just viewing the pictures and reading the description on Amazon. It's a nice bag, but could benefit from some additional design considerations. On the good side, it seems to be of good quality materials and construction. It is spacious (as advertised) and there are several pockets/storage areas to make use of.

My only real disappointment is in the fact that there that there is no way to get backpack straps out of the way when they are not in use. When you want to carry it as a duffle bag by the handles there is no way to remove the backpack straps and no special pocket/sleeve in which the backpack straps can be tucked into to avoid them getting in the way or dragging. The straps are stitched on the top end and can be disconnected on the bottom end... but no matter what you do they are in the way when not in use. The perfect solution would have been for them to have a little pocket sleeve near the stitched end that you could insert the straps when not in use.

Anyway, it's a nice bag overall and while I don't regret buying it I really wish the backpack straps had a better solution when not in use.

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I love this bag for the gym. I purchased the small size and I'm keeping it. The two side compartments are very handy for shoes, sweaty clothes, etc. However, the reason it gets 3 stars is because the backpack straps aren't great. The straps attach/detach at one end with a hook for easy access to the main compartment, sorta like an adjustable bra strap. Great idea, but the loops that hold the hooks are loose, and the straps constantly fall out when I'm putting the bag on. In addition, the backpack straps cut into my back when i wear them, which is very uncomfortable. I removed the straps altogether. Last but not least, the two net pockets on the outside are too small to hold water bottles. Not sure if they meant it to be used only for fuel packs?