Ortlieb Velocity Messenger Pack

My commute to work from Seward Park to Georgetown is 19 miles roundtrip. It's been a wet winter so far and my Camelbak HAWG hasn't learned to swim.

What I like:
1. Waterproof. Two recent rides have been in torrential rain. Everything inside the pack stayed bone dry. I use a trash bag inside my HAWG. None needed inside the Velocity.
2. Quality materials and construction. Very nicely assembled.
3. The foam pads do a reasonable job ventilating the back. Nothing's perfect but these work for me.
4. There is just enough stiffness in the pack back to prevent sagging. It's also stiff enough to stand upright on its own.
5. The pack is a sack. That is, there're no interior dividers or pockets. A minus for some but a plus for me. The snap-in/out interior pocket is big enough for my wallet and shop keys. I organize with mesh bags so I can see at a glance what I need. There're no nooks or crannies to lose things. It's big enough to stow raingear, extra gloves and socks as well as lunch. I wouldn't want anything bigger on my back.
6. Body of the pack is relatively narrow which keeps the pack from bouncing from side to side while riding.
7. Black is one of three color options (black, yellow and silver). Low visibility color but I wear lights anyway. Any other color pack would be filthy after a ride in the rain even with fenders. On the other hand, the pack material is easy to clean (hose it off if you want).
8. For the money, this is a great pack considering quality of construction, materials and overall design. I'll keep the HAWG for drier weather.

What I don't like:
1. The pack seems a little too long for me (I'm 5'4"). As a result, the shoulder straps and sternum strap ride too low (I like the sternum strap above my sternum instead of directly on top.).
2. No attachment points on the back of the back for my flashing red light. Not a huge problem since I have one mounted on my bike and another on the back of my helmet. The little Ortlieb reflective label is not really very useful.
3. I don't like waist straps (especially the 2" wide webbing belt sewn to the bottom plastic corner reinforcements) so I removed them by cutting the stitching. The plastic corner pieces make this easy to do and leaves me with the option of attaching a 1" wide webbing belt if I ever need one (though I've never carried enough weight to really need one). Also, I've never noticed any bouncing or swaying that would make me miss it.

Overall, this is a well designed pack for use in wet weather. Highly recommended.

Great commuting bag. I've been using this bag on my 14 mile bike ride to work for about 4 months now. So far the bag has not shown any signs of wear or tear. I've also been using this bag when I go on day hikes in the LA area and as a general purpose bag when I need to lug stuff around.

It holds pretty much everything I've ever needed to carry on my bike. My typical load: spare work clothes, small first aid pack, tire tools + multi-tool, shoes, lunch.

Its a giant waterproof sack on your back.

I would say the two best features of this bag over other bags (I've done tons of bag research) is the contoured straps + the insulated foam strips on the bag. The straps themselves are very comfy and spongy to allow sweat to evaporate. They sort of wrap around your pecks if you use the chest strap. The insulated foam keeps the bag about a good half inch off of your back, allowing for very effective airflow. It helps prevents or minimize the sweat puddle that other backpacks and messenger bags form.

The only issue I've noticed with the bag is that the rolled up top partially covers my blind spot. I have to shift my back a little whenever I look behind me to get around the jutting rolled up top.

Overall, this bag totally rocks for my commuting purposes.

This bag is the bomb. I've had mine for over two years and it has held up amazingly well on my daily commutes to and from Seattle by ferry. What I love about it - beyond the fact that it keeps things bone-dry is (1) it fits like a glove or a turtle shell when you're riding and is fully adjustable with both hip and chest straps; (2) it holds my laptop and an extra change of clothes; (3) is reflective on those rainy, dark Northwest mornings; (4) is the most comfortable and durable pack I have ever worn.

The only thing I don't like is the placement of the accessory bag. I end up taking it off so that I can get things in and out easily. Also, you have to kind of know what you're looking for since it's more of a sack than a bag with compartments. Aside from these small setbacks, it's a great pack that is extremely versatile.

For traveling, it's a bit heavy. I would limit its use to bike or motorcycle commuting gear.

I am a college student and I ride a motorcycle. Riding in Portland means rain and any bag you use better be waterproof. This bag works perfect for me. This term I have too many books so I have to be creative in loading it so it will hold evrything, and my netbook doesn't fit with everything in it. The little internal pouch is kind of in the way, so I removed it. The only real drawback I see is the load bearing portions are bolted through the soft internal frame and the bolt heads stick into the cargo compartment. Eventually this will marr my books. Keeping my notebook in between the bolts will keep that down though. I am disappointed that for being a bicycle bag it is a little short on reflective striping or markings. The shoulder straps have reflective thread in them, but there is nothing reflective on the sides or back. In all, I am very pleased with the bag in fuction and fit. It is very comfortable and I hardly notice the 20~ lbs of books.

I commute by bike and have used this bag on a daily basis for over two years. It keeps the rain out, which is a godsend for someone from a rainy town. I like using it best in the fall and winter months, because its full-back construction keeps me warm. On the flip-side, wearing this thing in the summers is usually a hot and sweaty affair. It's also much more comfortable (and better on the back) then traditional one-shoulder style messenger bags.

I've found that the size of the Velocity is great for a small-to-medium sized woman, for whom Ortlieb's Messenger Bag line is usually too big.

My one complaint is that my bag started ripping recently, and from what I've been told, they are difficult to repair.

This bag is bomber, waterproof, and comfortable to wear biking. This particular size (20L) is *just* big enough so that I don't overload and carry too much weight. I generally carry shoes, travel towel, change of clothes, workout shorts/shirt, lunch, and laptop. Everything just fits. I could use a bigger bag, but this keeps me from overloading. Minimal features, which is what I like, and keeps the bag watertight w/o a lot of zippers, seams, pockets, etc.

I had tried using larger messenger bags (Timbuk2), but they get awkward/heavy on a 45-minute commute. Loading your back symmetrically with a backpack makes a heavier load seem lighter and less strain on your back.

I've used this pack daily for six years for commuting. It still as good as new (i.e. durable). It holds a lot of gear and keeps it dry. The roll-top with the velcro closure is fast & easy to use. I've also used the pack on a few "credit card" bike tours with about 15 pounds of gear. It was as comfortable as any pack could be after riding 80-110 miles. I've also used it for tele-skiing in nasty weather conditions and was pleased with the way it rode on my back (and my gear stayed dry).

I've been using this pack on rainy/cloudy days (hundred days a year) for over 2 years now. The velcro is still in good shape and the straps are in great shape. My sunny day backpack hasn't held up nearly as well.