Thoughts on the Timbuk2 Classic Messenger

I've been using the Timbuk2 Classic Messenger for more than a year now and thought I'd give a report.
Messenger bags were way cool 2 years back when fixed gear was the craze and cyclists were buying into the fixed gear culture. Non-cyclists were getting them as an alternative to the commonly seen Crumpler. Timbuk2's popularity has now led to its downfall and people are switching over to Manhattan or Chrome for the exclusivity.

I got myself a medium size and it suited my needs with 26L of storage capacity. The materials used in the bag were good and kept my stuff dry during a rainy commute. The bag also comes with removable reflective tails which are a nice touch since they increase visibility in low light conditions. Another excellent feature is the stability strap that prevents the bag from swinging around as you cycle, this was a really useful feature. I thought I could do without it, but after an annoying commute with my bag sliding all over the place, Im a firm believer.
However, the bag is not perfect. It is basically a bucket bag and you dump stuff in. Irregular shaped objects might feel uncomfortable when you wear the bag and tighten down the strap. When I loaded the bag with approximately 5kg of stuff, it felt really uncomfortable and lead to abrasions on my chest as seen in my previous blog post

One other thing that annoys me is that the bag lays flat against my back. This leaves it all sweaty and damp after a tough commute making it kind of disgusting to carry around after having a shower at my destination.

Overall, I'd say that the Timbuk2 Classic messenger is a trendy bag to have, but not necessarily practical.