I commute to and from work daily, and needed a bag to store my lunch, work clothes and purse. I'd tried using a backpack, but that was not ideal in the Georgia heat. I'd also tried traditional panniers (REI brand). While those were okay, my bike frame is a bit too small--I'm very short--and the pannier would drag on the chain. I did ride with one, but felt it awkward to carry around when off the bike, and it tended to bounce a bit over the potholes.
I am very pleased with this bag. The bungee on the bottom is an excellent feature--the bag does not bounce at all. It sits high enough that I can put it on either side of my rack, and I like that you can carry it like a normal bag. The waterproofing is excellent, as well. All in all, a perfect pannier.
As a messenger bag, it is quite stiff, but if you adjust it correctly it is comfortable to carry around. I've walked around with it one for hours and had no problems. You might want to get some sort of padding for the strap if you plan on carrying it extensively, but as I'm primarily carrying it from bike to work, from bike to party, its fine.
Thank you for a practical bag! Worth the money.
After a short-lived time with a DIY messenger bag system and then a full pannier system (see: Avenir Metro review) that could have seriously injured me, I think this is the one. I've only had it one day but I am absolutely in love with the way the pannier system works. It is much faster than a normal pannier system and the hooks have caused me no discomfort whatsoever thus far when I'm using it as a messenger bag.
This is my first Timbuk2 bag and I'm really seeing what all the hype is about. The attention to detail is great. I especially love the main shoulder strap and its ingenious "memory locking" system that lets me take it on and off comfortably with my helmet still on. My 15-inch Dell Studio doesn't even begin to fit in the designated laptop sleeve, but it fits just fine in the normal cargo area. A thin macbook would fit in the sleeve and now I know why all the hipsters here in the bay area have Timbuk2s.
The cargo area appears just large enough for me to use this as my goto bag for 95% of my commuting duties, including laptop + books + jacket and grocery shopping. The fact that you can use the velcro system and ignore the clips increases the usable storage capacity of this bag. One gallon of milk should be easy and while I haven't tried it, two gallons of milk might be doable.
Conclusion: a work of art. As long as the build quality holds up and nothing breaks, I would highly HIGHLY recommend this if you are looking for a pannier bag and are either 1) unfamiliar with pannier bags and are overwhelmed with the choices or 2) don't want a pannier bag because it makes your bike look ugly, but your back hurts from the laptop you HAVE to carry.
*Edit: So I've had this for awhile now and I still stick by my claim that this is THE pannier bag for me. I've had to take it in to a seamstress to have 10 inches of nylon removed to fit my slim size, and now it fits even better. I've begun to notice the metal latches jamming into my back if I load it up and wear it as a messenger bag, but I don't feel it's annoying enough to really bother me. Final conclusion: this was a great purchasing decision.
Buy Timbuk2 The Shift Pannier Messenger Bag Now
I've been searching for a bag like this for ages. Tons of searching online for a fairly stylish pannier bag to take to work, AND for it to have some protection from the elements, to be well-made, not cost a fortune and also be easy to carry around when not on the bike. Well after 2 weeks of using it, the Shift bag from Timbuk2 totally meets all my expectations.
Really good bag, very very comfortable to carry around when in messanger bag mode, the strap and strap adjustor are very comfortable.
The bag seems very durable and well-constructed. The inner lining should be great when it comes to rain (haven't experienced yet though), the pockets are solid.
The pannier clips are pretty solid. I kind of wish the bag could have had conventional pannier clips ("klickfix" style) just because they are a little more secure to the bike rack then these BUT the big trade-off is that these pannier hooks can easily be turned and velco strapped onto the back of the bag when not in use. Even the lower clip (to the base on the bike) can be hooked away a bit to it won't scratch you or snag clothing when not on the bike.
I deducted one point because I wish there could have been at least one small pocket on the exterior of the bag, in reality this is only worth a half-point deduction, so the bag is more of a 4.5*/5 for me.
After a year of researching the various Racktime, Knog, Ortlieb, etc etc "city" "commuter" style bags for something visually appealing, AND well-made I'm very glad with the choice of getting the Shift.
Read Best Reviews of Timbuk2 The Shift Pannier Messenger Bag Here
I absolutely loved the idea of a combo messenger/pannier bag, so when my previous panniers were finally giving up the ghost I picked one of these up.
They've put a lot of work into making this just right: the detachable shoulder strap, the flat front pockets, the waterproof lining, the nicely-placed reflective strips.
They clearly put thought into the pannier assembly too: there are velcro straps to cover up and secure the hooks for your bike rack. Unfortunately, I find the whole hook/velcro assembly still sticks out enough to rub uncomfortably when I use this as a messenger. In fact, it's bad enough that I've noticed some wear and tear on my clothes if I carry the messenger for any length of time. If I were redesigning this bag, I'd consider adding a larger padded flap to address the problem.
It's still a great bag if I'm not doing a lot of walking at my final destination or I have a second bag stashed there for walks (e.g. at work). You won't catch me biking to the state fair or out to a hiking trail, but I'm pretty happy with it as a commuter bag.
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I've used this waterproof bag in the rain and sun for about a month and a half now. It's sturdy yet flexible, and has great velcro or clip in options for securing the cover. Excellent side flaps under the cover to make sure no water gets in when it's wet (great in my green city of Seattle). My favorite part is the ability to quickly undo the velcro on the backside and hook it onto my bike rack for quick, easy transportation. I've filled it very full and it hasn't made me lose balance on my bike to only have it on one side, and I'm a beginning rider. I haven't even noticed a difference in terms of one side being heavier because of the bag.
Fully recommend this product I'm thrilled!
This was purchased to hold medical supplies for a youth baseball team. There is plenty of room for a large first aid kit, several boxes of ace bandages and a couple of dozen ice packs. The one con, if it matters to you, is that the small side pocket is about 6"x8", big enough for a wallet and keys but not much else. Wash carefully, gentle cycle, no bleach, etc. I recommend this item.
