I have been commuting relatively happily with my Chrome Citizen for about two years and dealing with the sweaty back.

What I like about having the bag is that I can horse the bike around a bit more if needed.

As my commuter has morphed into more of a CX rig with narrower tires, I find I don't ride it quite as hard technically.

I found a generic "trek" rack from years ago while cleaning out the garage. Lo and behold, it fits the Cross Check nicely.

Any ideas on a bag that will fit this, have a capacity at least that of the Citizen, and remove from rack easily? Should I just bungie the Citizen to it?

This is an experiment for now, so I don't want to break the bank. I'm not at all unhappy with the shoulder bag, but think it might be nicer to get the stuff off my back.

Is there a "Chrome" in the world of rack bags (versatile, durable, comfortable)?

Great question. I grew up riding with messenger bags (Scumbags) and then backpacks (Timbuk2/Ortlieb - after I broke my collar bone) but then realized that schlepping a big, heavy, unwieldy bag on your bag/shoulder doesn't make for an enjoyable commute. So I got a rear rack, and then I tried to figure out what kind of bag combo would work.

What I've tried so far -

1) Carradice saddlebag - I run a Brooks saddle on my commuter, and I've tried everything from a Carradice Cadet to a Carradice Nelson Longflap. The Nelson Longflap is HUGE. It can comfortably hold most things you would need on your commute. It's big enough that it would benefit from being supported by your rack. It's great because it is centered over your bike, is "back there" so you don't really feel it, and the Duxback material is waterproof. The drawback is that you pretty much have to empty it out when you reach your destination (unless you use the Bagman quick release).

2) Banjo Brothers panniers - I have the waterproof panniers on either side of my rear rack. They are basically big, empty sacks, that can be closed up top. The good thing about these is that when you are not using them, you close them up, and they are light, and discrete. I use them to hold my work satchel (currently a small Jack Spade shoulder bag). It fits perfectly. I get to work, lock the bike up, take my shoulder bag out, and I'm good to go. The pannier on the other side holds random stuff like webbing straps, bungee cords etc, and is a good place to stash raingear.

3) Arkel "Bug" backpack - In full disclosure, I haven't really tried this. The design seems good. You attach the bag to the rack and secure it and it's off your back/on your bike. When you get to your destination, you pop it off, and it becomes a backpack. People swear by Arkel products...Knog products have something like this too as does Performance (in a "messenger bag" style, vs. backpack).

So what do I use now? I use the Banjo Brothers panniers for daily commuting (10 mile roundtrip wearing suit etc.) so I can get my bag off my back. When I am running daily errands, I use one of the cycling backpacks (the shoulder messenger thing kills my collarbone) to supplement what my panniers can carry. I suppose I could carry at least 18 bottles of wine on my bike - 6 in each pannier and 6 in my Timbuk2 backpack - so at least my gear passes the most crucial test.

Good luck,

mass_biker

Thanks for the detailed answer.

I mounted a bike rack on my commuter bike (De Bernardi) but the frame doesn't have eyelets and it didn't fit very well. It also messed with my bike's center of gravity, just using a rack pack. So I replaced it with a Carradice Barley with Bagman rack. I added the rack because the bag was hitting my legs without it, and I wouldn't recommend a Carradice bag without the rack. My bike handles much better with the Barley compared to the rack pack and holds about the same amount of gear. The larger Carradice bags hold a tremendous amount of gear, but would probably affect your handling more than the Barley. I can carry several articles of clothing (shirt, tee, socks, etc.) as well as lunch, cell phone, tools, glasses, wallet, etc., with room to spare. The bag rides better if it has stuff in it, so I generally carry home some dirty clothes unless I have a lot of cold weather gear from the morning ride (eg, vest, tights, etc.).

I have a Carradice Bike Bureau. It works pretty well for a laptop, change of clothes, and some lunch items. It's water proof. It has a flap that covers the top of the bag on the rack, and then the clips off the rack. It helps keep your clothes clean when you are carrying off the bike. It has a carry strap on top and a shoulder strap. It actually works pretty well for short rides as a shoulder bag.

In the winter, I add saddle bag for winter items like shoe covers, tights, hood, and lights.

I also use a Carradice Camper Longflap on occasion. It barely fits a 15" laptop with some clothes and lunch. It's really great for running errands on the bike.