Manhattan Portage Large Professional Bike Messenger Bag

I've had a BUNCH of bags throughout the years. Some cheapo bags that fell apart fast ... and a few really good ones that I've loved, like both Timbuk2 & Chrome messenger bags. This bag though tops all of them. As soon as I opened it up and started checking it out I was super impressed. Very sturdy and well made. In fact it seems nearly bomb proof. The large size is bigger than I expected by a smidge, which is perfect. And there's 4 pockets: 1 zippered up front, 1 zippered inside, 1 zippered in the back and 1 jumbo catch all bathtub as the main pocket. I don't need more than that. This is exactly what I wanted. A big, no fooling around, getting down to business bag that'll stand up to getting kicked around beat up daily and come back asking for more. Read more

It's my needs perfectly. Bright, highly reflective, and well built. Lifetime warranty. The strap is a little stuff from being new to easily adjust the length of shoulder strap on the go. I would definitely recommend and purchase again! Sort of wish the strap was bright and refelective too, but I'll buy a shoulder pad for that. Read more

I'm using this as an aquarium service bag. It is waterproof, just enough room for my long tools, Food, and several pouches that zip up. Being a retired Scuba Diver, I would even recommend it for a good single person dive bag Read more

More awesomer. Read more

The other reviewer brought up one of the conspicuous shortcomings of this bag: the lack of a cross-strap. On something advertised as a "Large Professional Bike Messenger Bag" I guess I thought a cross-strap would come as a part of the kit. When I went to order one separately from their website after a year or so, it was something like $20... I couldn't remember my account info, password... couldn't recover it, so created a whole new account... then finally went to check out and discovered they were going to charge another $10 for shipping(!). $30 for a piece of strap that really ought to have been made a part of the bag to begin with was just a bridge too far for me. I purchased some rock climbing strap with quick release buckles and a carbineer + some heavy duty polyester thread for about $15 all in... then took another 20 minutes sewing and attaching everything. No problems... in fact, it is a real custom fit and looks stronger than the set-up they sell. Another thing that drives me crazy about this bag is the buckle. Yes, it is solid chromed metal and will never break, but it is also incredibly unwieldy. There's absolutely no element of easy adjustment on the fly or quick on-off when your getting on-off the bike. The only times I really need to adjust the strap length is on Monday mornings when I load the bag up with a week's worth of clothes and lunches... then I need to put about 8-10 cm of extra strap so that the bag will not ride too high. If I remember to do this in advance, ok... if I forget and swing the bag on, then there is just no adjusting it and you have to sling it off again. Compared to Chrome or Mission Workshop bags (even Timbuk2 bags which use a buckle system widely acknowledged to not be the best) it really is contemptible. Don't get me started on what to do with the excess strap... if you order the strap pad, one method is to double it back under the pad(again, you have to order the strap pad separately). Pros: Large size is huge. As I mentioned, I can carry an amazing amount of stuff. Once the bag is cross-stabilized it is stable and contents do not shift around. I love the fact that it is a single large compartment with a small zippered pouch for things like spare tubes, patch kit, tire levers, CO2 cartridges, blinky light, etc. One zippered outer pocket for miscellaneous stuff... one broad pocket on the back ok for papers, magazines... not much else. I really like the simplicity. Built super well... really the match of Chrome, Mission Workshop and Timbuk2... and at least as compared with the first two, you're spending about 1/3 what you'd pay for them. Very heavy duty materials used throughout. Thick, pliant vinyl interior (no vinyl odor at all), cleans up well when that order of Mongolian beef leaks. Contents stay reasonably dry if you're rained on. The reflective tape is a nice touch and after five years has held up well. I'd really, really like to score this bag higher, and with a little more effort on MP's part this could be one of the best bags out there at this price point. Read more

I purchased this bag last spring to use as a bike bag. I reason being, it is large, made of sturdy cordura material, and is bright enough to be seen by cars at night. I wish they would take a look at other bike messenger bags and realize that you NEED A STABILIZER STRAP! Not only to prevent your bag from shifting mid ride, but to prevent injury. I had 2 hard cover text books, my lunch, and a few other small items (tube, multi-tool, etc.) and my whole bag shifted on me. Lost my balance, got lots of scrapes and bruises, wrecked a brake lever and a shirt. I don't blame my fall entirely on this bag, but I have a feeling my weight distribution would not have changed so swiftly resulting in said tumble, had there been a stabilizer strap. After this, I tried to instal one on my own, but you would have to compromise the integrity of the water proof liner to attach a d-ring to the bottom corner. Other complaints, the strap is uncomfortable, even with the pad you can buy for it, the bag itself is too boxy, needs to be cut more to fit close to a body, and there is room for water to get into the top. All in all, I'd say get this if you plan on carrying it on your shoulder, do not use as a bike bag. I ended up going with a chrome bag, the price was higher, but worth every penny. Read more

Loveee ittttt Read more

I have bought way too many bags trying to find the perfect one and I finally did with this bag. I have been loyal to timbuk2 for many years and this is my first Manhattan Portage bag and although timbuk2 is great, MP fits me much better. This bag is HUGE and RUGGED! 10 out of 10! Read more