by: Zachary Houle
Ottawa Citizen, November 1, 2001

Bike couriers might be an unlikely bunch to start a chic fashion trend, yet one of this season's hottest accessories has long been a staple of the pedaling life: messenger bags.

Everyone from students to business people are picking up these bags as though they have a paper route. The items in question are mainly made by skateboarding apparel companies like Dakine and Clive in the U.S.

Courier bags are available in Ottawa from wilderness outfitters and cost anywhere from $15 to $90, depending on size and quality of material.

You can buy the oversized gear you'd see on bike couriers or smaller handbag-sized versions more appropriate for the office or weekend getaways. Bushtukah Great Outdoor Gear makes its own version of the latter, which can be snapped up for $15 to $20.

But the main appeal of these bags is that the larger ones can carry a lot of stuff. The biggest bags hold 22 litres in volume, and can easily fit a laptop computer. They're great for bulky architectural plans, large binders, oversized textbooks and record albums.

"It's not a camping bag, not by any long shot, but it's a good city bag," says Bushtukah employee Tim Duncan, 25. "It's got cellphone pockets and offers really quick, easy access" for anything you might carry.

"It's fully adjustable, too," he adds. "You can go up to full capacity so you can carry bigger, bulkier things, or you can keep it thin so you're just carrying documents and notebooks."

What's more, the bags are easy on the back. They're worn in front at waist level, supported by seatbelt-like strapping that goes over your shoulder and around your mid-section. This makes it a bit more easy to carry than a shoulder bag, which places a lot of stress on your upper body, and eliminates your chances of whapping someone else on the head while standing on the bus, as you might with a knapsack.

Also, because courier bags sit in front, you don't have to adjust them to grab items.

"You don't have to take it off like a backpack, unbuckle it, take out what you want, then throw it back on your shoulder," says Brian Cooke, 36, of Mountain Equipment Co-op.

Messenger bags combine style with safety as well. Available in bright construction orange or red, they're an eye-catcher in clubs or walking down an unlit road at night. That's especially true if your bag also has reflective stripes down the sides. They also come in shades like baby blue or khaki.

Mr. Cooke points out that some of the sturdier messenger bags made with PVC (polyvinyl chloride) can even repel water. The zippers on these packs are also coated with a waterproof vinyl paint.

"I've had things in here when it was absolutely down-pouring, and nothing got wet inside," adds Mr. Duncan. "So from the standpoint of practicality, they're excellent bags."