Backpack bag for biking to course

[PerpetualNewbie]

Ok, I bought a Grip from a (semi)local retailer who actually had one in stock today...I was fine with the gray/green color scheme, and figured I really couldn't go wrong getting it. It's definitely comfortable, that's for sure.

I tried SteezeOG's on yesterday and was concerned about how heavy it was, but I think he just must have had lead weights in his or something, lol. Unloaded it doesn't seem any heavier than my beloved Lat64 Pro Bag which I will now be putting up for sale to offset the cost of the Grip.

Thanks for all the thoughts and advice, once I start biking on a regular basis with it I'll post additional feedback back here.

 

[SteezeOG]

Ok, I bought a Grip from a (semi)local retailer who actually had one in stock today...I was fine with the gray/green color scheme, and figured I really couldn't go wrong getting it. It's definitely comfortable, that's for sure.

I tried SteezeOG's on yesterday and was concerned about how heavy it was, but I think he just must have had lead weights in his or something, lol. Unloaded it doesn't seem any heavier than my beloved Lat64 Pro Bag which I will now be putting up for sale to offset the cost of the Grip.

Thanks for all the thoughts and advice, once I start biking on a regular basis with it I'll post additional feedback back here.

haha everyone thinks I'm joking when I say it weighs a ton but then I let them lift it and they moan and agree. It was worse a couple weeks ago but I cleaned out all the side storage that had a baseball, golden retriever, minis, and a few other things. You also felt mine pre-round with two 32 oz Nalgene titan water bottles filled up. That adds about 7 pounds I'd say. It gets a little better as I drink on them through the round. I don't usually go through both in a round unless it's summer but I like having both just in case. I inevitably play with one or two yahoos who just don't think to bring their own water in a Kansas July. :\ I bet the new A frame like you bought is even lighter than my old L frame. It's a great bag you're going to love it I think. Jealous you got the gray/green combo that's the one I like. With the chest strap I think you'll find it's good for biking with and you can zip up the putter pocket and close the flap for some good aerodynamics. A+ purchase my friend. :hfive:

 

[PerpetualNewbie]

haha everyone thinks I'm joking when I say it weighs a ton but then I let them lift it and they moan and agree. It was worse a couple weeks ago but I cleaned out all the side storage that had a baseball, golden retriever, minis, and a few other things.

I just got everything put in mine and loaded up...looks like I put in what you took out of yours, lol! (baseball, retriever, mini, pencils, sharpie, towel, etc.)

You also felt mine pre-round with two 32 oz Nalgene titan water bottles filled up. That adds about 7 pounds I'd say.

Yeah, it must have been the water, because mine feels roughly the same weight as the Lat64 bag when it's fully loaded, but definitely more comfortable and easier to carry.

I bet the new A frame like you bought is even lighter than my old L frame.

That could be, I hadn't considered that being a possible difference...

With the chest strap I think you'll find it's good for biking with and you can zip up the putter pocket and close the flap for some good aerodynamics. A+ purchase my friend. :hfive:

Took it on a quick spin around the neighborhood on my old mountain bike tonight (ordering the Cyclocross bike I decided on next week sometime) and it seemed to work really well. You're right that the chest strap helped it ride a bit smoother as it didn't shift around any when that was cinched together.

I'm having to be a bit more conservative with how many discs I carry, but that's probably not a bad thing, lol. Otherwise I'm 100% satisfied with the purchase so far.

 

[asc349]

Would love to see some pics of this grey/green color combo grip

 

[PerpetualNewbie]

Would love to see some pics of this grey/green color combo grip

I'll take a couple nice ones tomorrow and post them.

 

[asc349]

Sweet thank you!

 

[threevok]

I sometimes bike ~2mi to the course. If I am not wearing my fade crunch bag on quads, I just bungee it to my rear cargo rack.

Just do this. You won't be limited to a specific bag and your riding experience will be much more enjoyable.

 

[steve a]

Took it on a quick spin around the neighborhood on my old mountain bike tonight (ordering the Cyclocross bike I decided on next week sometime) and it seemed to work really well. You're right that the chest strap helped it ride a bit smoother as it didn't shift around any when that was cinched together.

What bike are you getting? I just picked up a Surly Straggler for the same uses you listed.

 

[PerpetualNewbie]

Here are a few quick shots I took this morning...lighting could be better but I didn't want to change the setup I'm using for photographing the discs I'm selling in the marketplace.

 

[PerpetualNewbie]

What bike are you getting? I just picked up a Surly Straggler for the same uses you listed.

I've been seriously considering the Trek Crossrip LTD, the Specialized Tricross Elite Disc or Comp Disc, and the Motobecane Fantom Cross Pro Disc. I was looking at the Trek Crockett 5 as well but decided the Crossrip would better suit me.

At this point it's between the Crossrip and the Fantom Cross...almost a $600 difference in price. One of my students works for a bike shop and said he would set up the Fantom Cross for $100, still saving me nearly $500, but I'm not 100% sold on the geometry...decisions, decisions...

 

[SteezeOG]

Where's the meme for lighting could be better......takes photos better than company selling bag.

Looks good. You're just missing some sweet custom color paracord zipper pulls now. You'll find a few people around here that make them. Maybe even one who will do it for plastic. After that you just need some sweet pieces of flair like bag buttons and bag tags.

 

[SteezeOG]

http://www.dgcoursereview.com/forums/showthread.php?t=92371

http://www.dgcoursereview.com/forums/showthread.php?t=91746

Couple threads you might have already found. I love the towel and all purpose clip to the rain fly button. I've been using mine several months now and it rarely comes off without me taking it off. Maybe twice I've pulled it off with some heavy trees snagging the towel.


err after reading some recent transactions maybe skip the towel clip. Bummer. He got me mine fast.

 

[steve a]

I've been seriously considering the Trek Crossrip LTD, the Specialized Tricross Elite Disc or Comp Disc, and the Motobecane Fantom Cross Pro Disc. I was looking at the Trek Crockett 5 as well but decided the Crossrip would better suit me.

At this point it's between the Crossrip and the Fantom Cross...almost a $600 difference in price. One of my students works for a bike shop and said he would set up the Fantom Cross for $100, still saving me nearly $500, but I'm not 100% sold on the geometry...decisions, decisions...

I was close to pulling the trigger on the crossrip ltd as well. I really liked the ball burnished frame and it was quite a bit lighter than the straggler. I ended up going with the steel frame though for ride comfort and figured the heavier bike will make me a little stronger in the long run.

 

[Broken Shoulder]

That green/grey is sharp. My second choice after all black.

If you like the towel clip idea, I got these and they're great so far. California to MN in two days. Great transaction.

http://www.dgcoursereview.com/forums/showthread.php?t=101656

 

[PerpetualNewbie]

Thanks for the additional links SteezeOG and Broken Shoulder... I like the looks of the hunter green clips in 'Shoulders link, may have to PM the guy...

Was going to try riding to the course today on my old Diamondback mountain bike, but 20+mph winds have dissuaded me, driving over instead... maybe next week.

Still haven't made a final decision on which bike to buy yet, lol...

 

[Tafe19740]

I've been seriously considering the Trek Crossrip LTD, the Specialized Tricross Elite Disc or Comp Disc, and the Motobecane Fantom Cross Pro Disc. I was looking at the Trek Crockett 5 as well but decided the Crossrip would better suit me.

At this point it's between the Crossrip and the Fantom Cross...almost a $600 difference in price. One of my students works for a bike shop and said he would set up the Fantom Cross for $100, still saving me nearly $500, but I'm not 100% sold on the geometry...decisions, decisions...

I'm quite happy with my Fuji Cross Pro. Picked up a prior year model from Performance for $1000 off!

 

[Declarkus]

Couldn't resist posting on biking to the course. I rode to the course today.
I have a Revolution Carolina w/ Phenix Quads. When I walk I have the straps let all the way out in the front, but when I ride, I have them as tight as they go. I would not recommend this setup. I haven't tried adding a chest strap, but that might solve the shifting. It's only bad when I'm standing on the pedals at certain cadences. It forces me back on the seat just to stop the swaying.
...but then I twist the throttle and the motor can do the rest. E-bikes eliminate the weight concerns and pedaling problems.

 

[mattc]

Being able to ride my motorcycle to the course, was the biggest justification I had for buying my gripA

 

[PerpetualNewbie]

ok, after having the Grip for a couple weeks now, I can say that it is a comfortable, easy to carry backpack and seems reasonably aerodynamic for biking.

However, I gotta say that I'm pretty "meh" about it otherwise... first off, my biggest gripe, the d@mn thing falls forward on it's face almost every time I set it down... it seems very poorly balanced, and this is extremely annoying.

For tournaments I don't find any of the pockets very convenient for carrying scorecards and other frequently-accessed paperwork such as course maps and OB lists. I suppose the pocket on the flap might work for this, but I usually have been keeping my Zero-Medium Pure in there which is one of my primary approach discs.

While I've managed to pare down the number of discs I carry to what the Grip will comfortably fit (and this is probably a good thing), I do really miss having dividers to easily separate my mids/fairways/drivers like I had in my Innova and Lat64 bags.

Overall everything seems just slightly too tight, too small or too inconvenient.

I'm going to try and attach something to the bottom "rail" closest to the front of the bag to try and help with the balance issue. I imagine if I had two full 32oz drinks in the cup holders that this might help keep the balance a little more even, but weather-wise right now I haven't had the need to really carry drinks with me yet this season, and it seems a little ridiculous that you would have to in order for the bag to maintain balance.

 

[SteezeOG]

I use the elastic pouch that's on the bottom face of the bag for quick access to a mini and scorecard during a tournament. That's about the only one I've found to work well because the two small side mini pockets don't pull tight. Balancing a grip bag on inclines is really difficult until you master the art of positioning. I still have my L frame tip over some but it's become less of an issue when you can set it down a certain way. I rarely take or use a stool but when the ground is muddy I'll carry one and set my bag on it. It's certainly got it's limitations but I haven't yet found a backpack bag that has it all. I still slightly prefer my Grip L Frame to the DD Ranger although for your issues the Ranger is better in both storage and balance.