That'll do, bag

Always looking for a reason to talk about straps, look at these new colorways!

The only thing people from Colorado love more than their home state is letting other people know that they are ColoRADoans.  The patriotic Daredevil... if you're an American Gladiator or Super Dave Osborne impersonator, this one is for you.

The fish thing?  I'm not one to find pleasure in making fish late for something, but if it floats your boat (or your strange rubber pants), then have at it.

I moved into my new right shoulder specific Chrome bag on Monday.  I understand some people may not understand "moving" into a new bag, but my 8:30-5:30 Mon-Fri life is in this bag.  I need some things handy, some things just in case, my phone where I can reach it but where it doesn't fall to the ground when I swing the bag around, a place for my coozie...

There seems to be a dearth in decent/handy ways to carry a cell phone on a messenger bag.  I blame it on the way communications have changed for messengering over the last two decades.  I started with a gigantic two-way radio back in '96.  I moved over to a flip phone in '97, something more like an ice cream sandwich with buttons a couple years later, then back to a flip phone, a Blackberry, an iPhone 4, and then after I put that one in the washing machine, an iPhone 6.  Pretty hard to cover all the bases in a decent manner, and I feel like a lot of bag manufacturers have given up with trying to keep with the times.  Might have something to do with the fact that the majority of their customers aren't actually messengers and don't need immediate access to the communication while riding.  Might.

I've still got a bunch of old school phone/radio harnesses in a coffee can, so I was able to come up with this:

Holds the phone, doesn't fall out, and I can get it back in one-handed.  '90s era Timbuk2 on 2016 Chrome bag FTW.

Two things are frustrating (with one of the two being many).  My last few bags were custom.  Everything was the way I wanted it.  This Chrome Mini Metro is not custom.  Sure, I opted for a black buckle and a splash of color, but otherwise, it's stock.  There are zero D-rings for attaching keys and such,

the straps are flopping about since there's no decent stow-away options for them,

extra chest strap retention doesn't exist (ima fix that like i fix wolves soon),

the rookie (stabilizer) strap is not removable (without a pair of scissors),  the Velcro closure will eventually serve no other purpose than snagging my clothes, the lack of padding on the back was apparent the first time I carried a lumpy load (I pulled the laptop padding out of my Bagaboo and shoved it in behind the liner: solved)...

The second problem has more to do with my impatience.  It takes time to break a bag in.  Sun, rain, sweat, heat, cold, packages, opening, closing...

Until then, it feels like I'm strapping a pillow case full of campaign signs to my back.  I know that eventually, the bag will conform to my shape.   Just not for awhile.  Makes me miss my old bag.  Except for the pain in my left shoulder.  I won't miss that.  It's feeling better already.

I was a little worried about going with the smaller Mini Metro size, but so far it's been fine.  I did have a long distance delivery of a signed Panthers football and jersey the other day that someone had packed in way too big of a box, but nothing I couldn't handle with some "repackaging."

This is my second Chrome bag (had a Kremlin before), and I have to say that they make a great bag for the price point.  Sure, it's not a custom bag, but it doesn't cost custom bag dollars.

Is it big enough?

My only real concern was that I'd seen pictures of the bag with a twelve pack of cans in it but not bottles.  It was a tight squeeze (like super tight), and with a load that big, the shoulder strap ends up in the wrong place putting the seat buckle on my collar bone...

but, the things we do for love.