Purse Problems

Purse Stitching is Coming Off - On the Left Side

Since 2009, I have occasionally posted snippets about my purse. Over the years, I have picked up three of them, plus a stylish shoulder bag that I use less than I imagined. I guess I remain, at heart, a weight weenie. Still, I love my purses.

My primary purse, shown above, is getting a bit tired. As you can see, along the left edge, the stitching is coming astray. My personal theory is that one must be cautious when loading these things not to overload the stitches by adding "a couple of more essential items." Far better to simply bite the bullet and use the "shoulder bag." In truth, overloading is the bane of any purse; used by cyclists or motorists of either sex.

My dear wife boosted my morale. When I grilled her about her own purses, she allowed as how a year or two was "about it." Mine has been used daily for about two years now. Unlike hers, mine goes out in the rain, sun, or even an occasional "postal mix."

I think trying to restitch the nylon webbing will be frustrating at best, and probably futile. Duct tape might delay the inevitable, at a real cost to the purse style. I do not imagine Topeak will want to replace it under warranty since it was "lightly" (and I believe that) used before I got it. Any suggestions? Remember that, fundamentally I'm a "ridiculously cheap" engineer. "Buy another" is the default, since the Topeak MTX rear rack system kicks butt on anything else, except the rack clearance is not quite enough to use a Topeak trunk bag in combination with Arkel panniers.

For reference, this is a "Topeak MTX Trunkbag EX." Unlike the one in the link, mine has a handle up on top. I also have the "EXP" version which is less convenient, but will carry more. The really cool aspect of the Topeak is the "slide and click" track that beats anything I have seen from anyone else, including Ortlieb. And yes, while I have never mentioned it before, I HAVE got one Ortlieb item in my inventory.

Man Purse or Bag Boy

Steve Goes Purseless for a Day

I've been using a purse for quite some time. Me being a man, that'd make it a "man purse." I actually wrote about it here.

Still, my purses are not ideal. The smaller one, shown below, claims to carry 8 liters. That'd be a lot if we were talking engine displacement - my Jaguars run between 4 and 4.2 liters displacement, but it isn't a lot when we're carrying stuff to work. Eight liters is enough to carry a shirt, pants, a few spare bike items, and lunch. That's about it. A bigger one carries 16.6 liters with 2 flop-down panniers. Unfortunately, the panniers limit it as a purse. Looking at purses other than Topeak, none are really both larger and more convenient.

So I resolved to consider giving up my purse for a shoulder bag. Partly influenced by Chandra, I looked real hard at the Arkel line. I queried Andy of Carbon Trace about his choice of their "Metropolitan." What clinched the deal was their sale on that same bag, making it only very pricey instead of ridiculously expensive. The bag carries a claimed 23 liters. That is three times what my small purse carries. A shoulder bag started to look very stylish. That was last November.

Well, being one to not rush into things, I tried my bag for the first time today. It easily took a couple of shirts, a pair of pants, a bath towel and coat hanger, along with body wash and the usual other items I carry in my purse. Bag boy.

Still, I'm feeling a certain fondness for the purse. I really don't want to lug all that stuff around every day - my v3 shower has no lockers and I'm somewhat inclined to simply get a dry bag and keep the stuff at work somewhere. We shall have to see. The bag lets me bring a lot more in one trip. Combined with my larger trunk bag, I could bring over 30 liters in one trip, making the purse more than adequate for most commutes.

I'll try various combinations. It may be that the "laundry schlepper" becomes the shoulder bag combined with a trunk bag and that a dry bag works to keep the wallet and phone secure while I shower.

My Purse Pretty Much Gets Filled Up Between Clothes, a Small Towel, and a Few Spare Bike Bits

The Purse in its Traveling Position