Chrome Metropolis messenger bag

Do you like to carry your life on your back? If so, the Chrome Metropolis might be for you. But small people beware...

A metropolis is a big place, the Chrome Metropolis is a big bag. A very big bag. That may be all you need to know. Do you need to carry a herd of small mammals wherever you go? Large amounts of farming equipment, perhaps? A barbecue, tongs, a keg of beer and a full wheel of wild boar sausage? Then this is the bag for you. On the other hand, if not, and you're not a courier, then I suspect this bag is too large to be absolutely necessary for everyday use.

Chrome's background making serious messenger bags is evident from the Metropolis. The construction is epically sturdy, and there are courier-friendly features including straps galore to secure things to the bag and to stop it from rotating when full, as well as a Velcro panel upon which to affix a radio holster. Chrome's signature bag-within-a-bag construction keeps the main load compartment from ever touching the outer walls. This inner is made from heavy-duty truck tarpaulin liner, which is suspended inside the tough Cordura outer shell. It means that with the flap properly secured it's absolutely rain-proof. One reviewer on the Chrome website had used their bag as a portable cooler for beer and ice at a party. And if it can hold the water in...

Yet the Metropolis is not part of Chrome's professional range, which has bags that are more than 25% larger than this one (up to 52 litres compared with this bag's 40). So what, as a non-courier, would you use this for? As a town bag, it will work for those days when you absolutely, positively, have to take your large laptop, a change of clothes (or two), notepads and library books out on the bike - and then stop off at the supermarket on the way home. I used it as a capacious weekend bag for getting out of town, and also to hold everything except my cycling clothes, helmet and bottles when I went abroad on a week's training camp. And by that I mean clothes, books, bars, powdered drink and more. On the Chrome website are some pretty funny lists of how much users have managed to cram in. Pocket layout is unsophisticated, but that's not necessarily a problem: there's the main compartment and two smaller ones inside the lining, which I used for drinks, tools and lights; then there's a zipped valuables compartment on the front of the bag, some space for pens, and odds and sods. There's also a stash pocket (unadvertised), for super-sneaky items, though I'll be dashed if I can remember where it is.

The bag does have a few downsides. Though the strap is nicely padded, the back of the bag isn't: if you have awkward items, it takes some creative packing for them not to dig into your back. Most importantly, though, if you're not a large person (short, or just skinny), it may not fit that well when not very full - it's difficult to shorten the strap sufficiently for it to sit securely. This is a problem with all large courier bags: in order for them to be comfy under load, the padded portion of the strap has to be fairly long, with said consequences for the slender of chest. However, this improves as the bag fills up and fills out. The other problem I found was that when it was relatively empty, it sat high on my shoulder, causing the strap to rub my neck. Again, this disappeared when it was more full. So I suppose the lesson is: if you don't have much stuff, take a smaller bag.

Verdict

Huge, capable, improves as it gets fuller. But smaller people may get swamped, or neck chafing from the strap when it's empty.