Timbuk2  Especial Tres Cycling Pack

I've had the bag for more than a month, and have been carrying it every day as I would any backpack. My one true complaint is that I would like to keep the waist straps attached to the bag, but they keep unfolding from their elastic-band-keepers and they become a minor nuisance when not in use and dragging across my rear and hamstrings. Other bags handle the hip/waist straps better. I don't want to take them off because I will use them from time to time and like any take-off item, I wouldn't have them when I wanted them. The second, and far more minor, improvement I would make is to make the side water-bottle pocket and U-lock combo a little deeper to better secure tall water bottles. Another improvement I would make is to make the side zipper at an angle that would permit access to the laptop pocket, not to the general main pocket as the current design is laid out. The Roll-top I thought would be a moderately annoying feature, but I've actually found that I like it and the quality of the velcro on the rolls allows me to roll it up quickly and without hassle. The expansion zippers seem strong and have seen a little use. The 40L size is great, still airline overhead likely, and it permits me to travel with a weekend's worth of clothes… 32-35L bags are a really nasty and tight fit to get a pair of men's 12 running/riding shoes with the same clothing set. Pricey but quality, but not perfect, from a back-pack perfectionist with rather high standards.

This is a great bag, but reliability and customer service issues prevent me from recommending it. The good This is a roomy bag, but it also cinches down in size when you don't need the full capacity. It features a large main pocket (with laptop sleeve), a front pocket with organizers, a small front pocket, and a document pocket, so it's easy to keep your items organized. In months of commuting in Seattle rain, it kept my stuff dry and secure. It's also incredibly comfortable to wear. I switched to this bag from a messenger bag, since a backpack was clearly going to be better for my shoulders and back. I love how messenger bags open up to make it easy to get things in and out and to find items inside. I ordered this bag in blue, and the combination of the large opening, organizing pockets, and red interior fabric made it easy to find and access items so that I didn't miss my messenger bag that much. The bad After just about six months, the mesh on the back of the bag wore away in parts (see photo) -- this damage was small but spreading. I contacted Timbuk2 for repair. I was originally (after a two week delay) told that this kind of damage is not covered by warranty. I appealed and they agreed (after another two weeks) to cover it. I sent the bag in for repair only to learn after six weeks that they could not complete the repair and were sending the damaged bag back. This is despite sending in photos of the damage with the initial warranty request. It's surprising that Timbuk2 was both (a) reluctant to stand behind their product and (b) unable to accurately assess whether they can repair it. In this case, it meant weeks of using an old bag while waiting for repairs, only to get a damaged bag back.