Professional Bike Commuters: Messenger Bag Review - The Citizen from Chrome Industry

Chrome Industry, such a cool brand! You don't need to be a biker to look like one with your Chrome Industry bag. The branding is so good, you feel like part of a group when you have one. Their messenger bag can be customize when purchased on line. So even if everybody got a Citizen from Chrome, none of the bag are the same.

It is a quality bag. It is well design for bike commuting. But the shoulder strap is not comfortable and only adapted for your position on the bike while pedaling. If you have the bad luck of stopping by market after your work day, it is very annoying to walk with it (loaded or not). It is pulling back your shoulder so you need to compensate by curving your back forward. Understand that the shoulder strap on the Citizen has a unique shape that you won't find on any other messenger bag. That unique shape make impossible to wear the bag as a regular shoulder strap bag.

Unique Citizen shoulder strap.

On top of it, the padded strap isn't very long, so if you are a medium or a big guy you will feel squeeze no madder what length the belt is. The following example are pull off Chrome Industry web site.

Here we want to highlight the short padded portion of the strap and the too long belt portion. The slim guy seems more comfortable.

Could you imagine, this is a staged picture and the strap still have a tendency to squeeze the arm pit. And pay attention to the stabilization strap buckle location. Since we can't change its location, it can't be used on that guy.

Here the stabilization strap can barely be used, and amplify the squeeze feeling.

The remaining of the bag is fine. Most pockets are adapted for commuting. I love the side pockets and the floating interior tarp layer. Maybe the zipper on the front pocket could be an inch higher for convenience.