Review: Aerostich Courier Bag

For about a month now I have been using an Aerostich Courier bag when commuting to work on my 2007 Suzuki V-Strom 650 and my 2012 Suzuki GSX-R750. As you can imagine, the body position is rather different between these two bikes. The V-Strom has an upright, neutral position and the Gixxer has me leaning forward with my elbows practically touching my knees.

I use the Courier bag to carry my lunch, an iPad, an external hard drive, and a few other miscellaneous items. The total weight is around six pounds.

The bag itself is one large compartment. I purchased the additional pocket organizer that attaches to the inside panel (that presses against my back) with hook-and-loop fasteners. In this I store pens, business cards, a small notebook, and a few other small miscellaneous items.

I switched from using a Targus backpack with traditional shoulder straps and several external pockets, and so far I think I like the one big compartment of the Courier bag much better. It's faster to get stuff in and out of the courier bag, and of course it's easier to see in a single glance what is inside.

My biggest concern was switching from shoulder straps (plural) to a singular over-the-shoulder strap. Once the bag is slung over my head to the opposite shoulder, it presses against the flat of my back and I don't notice it anymore after I get on the bike. Even when leaning forward on my Gixxer, the courier bag is comfortable and stable.

The hook-and-loop panel holding the main flap down is very wide and opening it can be rather loud.

I commuted to work through some serious rain the other day on my V-Strom while wearing my Aerostich Courier bag slung over my Roadcrafter one-piece suit. The bag remained stable and the contents were kept completely dry despite the heavy precipitation. I'm sold on the quality of this bag and wish I had purchased it long ago.

The craftsmanship of this bag is outstanding, just like that of my Darien jacket and Roadcrafter one-piece suit. The materials are solid and I can tell this bag is going to last me a very long time. Considering the very low price, I think it is an outstanding value.

Commuting in the rain

It was 37 degrees and raining when I rode into work this morning, yet I was completely comfortable and actually enjoyed the ride. "There's no such thing as bad weather, only poor choices in clothing."

Maintenance riding

Sometimes you ride your bike for the sole purpose of getting it ridden. I doubt that's proper grammar, but at least I didn't end the sentence with a preposition. (Every time you do that a puppy dies.) This time of year, opportunities to go for a 150 mile day ride are few and far between. The bulk of my rides are commutes to work and back.

Sunday I rode into Gresham and back, in the rain, simply to ride the bike. This is to keep things moving and keep the battery charged. I rode to work today as well, being one of the only semi-dry days forecasted for the entire week.

Sometimes you ride simply to get the bike ridden.

Annual Ride to Work Day

Today is the annual Ride to Work Day. The third Monday of every June has been set aside to highlight the value and benefits of riding a motorcycle or scooter to work. The day is also intended to get those driving cars and trucks to become aware of motorcycles, to see them, and to share the road safely and courteously with them.

I rode to work today. I had two different vehicles pull out in front of me, even though both looked directly at me. That's why I ride as if I'm invisible (sometimes I think I really am). I assume motorists don't see me or even recognize my existence or at the very least my right to exist. Ultimately my safety is my own responsibility so I ride accordingly.

If you drive a car, be aware that motorcycles are out there sharing the road. Look for them, and give them the same respect and courtesy on the road that you'd expect others to give to you. Let's all get to our destinations safely.

Wet and dark commute

I woke up around 3:30 am and couldn't fall back asleep so I decided to get up and go to work early. It was still dark when I mounted my V-Strom and pulled out of the garage. Soon I heard the pit-pit-pit sound of rain hitting my face shield.

It was a dark ride into work, and wet. I had fairly heavy rain most of the way in. As I was riding, the thought occurred to me that I was no less comfortable than if it was 43 degrees and dry. The only difference when it rains is visibility gets reduced slightly.

I put lemon Pledge on the outside of my face shield to shed water. Ironically, I can see better when riding in the rain using that method than I can in my car with the wipers going! I also rub shaving cream on the inside of my face shield to prevent fogging. It works like a charm.

28,000 miles

I rode to work today, after being out sick. I very rarely get sick, but when I do I try to get the rest I need to heal quickly rather than work through it. That approach accomplishes two things: makes the illness last longer, and gets my co-workers sick as well.

I heal quickly and felt well enough to ride today, the only dry day of the week. My bike is still filthy from the trip I took to Long Beach two weeks ago. I gassed up the bike and noticed that I was getting really close to rolling over 28,000 miles.

I'll hit that milestone about halfway home after work today. The bike has been rock-solid and given me nothing but smiles.

Commuting Week

It's not official but I'm commuting on my bike every day this week. The weather has been across the board, too. Cold but dry Monday, rainy coming in on Tuesday but dry on the way home, very foggy on the way in this morning but presently clear blue skies with an increasing east wind.

I've found that keeping my bike semi-packed and ready to go in the garage at night makes it easier to get motivated to ride to work the next morning. Normally my car is parked in front of it and I have to pull it out of the garage just to get to my bike. When I ride to work I usually park the car in the driveway the night before, making access to the bike much easier.

Rare January commutes

I'm able to ride to work three days this week. Lately it's not been a matter of weather that's led me to commute in my car, it's been a matter of errands while at work that require a car as well as simply being too tired to ride. I tend to get up pretty early and sometimes I'm just not awake enough to ride safely.

That's one of the biggest tenets of motorcycle riding ... riding within your limits. It not only means staying within a reasonable speed for your skill level but also within your own physical and emotional limits. Don't ride angry. Don't ride tired. Don't ride distracted.

Cold and foggy

I've been busy most weekends so I haven't had much chance to ride in a recreational capacity. This time of year I tend to get most of my miles in while commuting to work. This morning was cold and foggy and I had a fair bit of moisture on the windshield by the time I got to work. It was dark when I left the house, too. For some reason I enjoy riding in the dark.

Muggy commute

It's been very hot in recent weeks, setting records in fact, and I've opted to drive my air conditioned car rather than ride my motorcycle and risk passing out from heat stroke by the time I reached my destination. Yesterday it cooled down enough that riding was feasible and desirable.

I wore my Draggin Jeans and had a comfortable ride into work. Needing to run an errand downtown, I took a long lunch and met a friend for teriyaki and then took care of my errand before riding back to work. By the time I got back to the office I was sweating inside my Aerostich.

When it came time to leave there were rain drops on my windshield although not enough to matter. It was a dry ride home but muggy.

It was raining by nightfall and still raining when I got up this morning. Rain doesn't bother me that much so I intended to ride to work, but the forecast high was 75 and the idea of increased mugginess was very unappealing to me. So I wussed out and drove the car to work instead.

Hitting 15,000

My 2007 V-Strom 650 rolled over to 15,000 on the odometer yesterday on my way to a work-day lunch with a buddy. I purchased the bike on February 12, 2007, putting my average miles per month at just over 880, or 10,584 miles per year.

How does this compare to the rest of the riding world? According to the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), motorcyclists in the United States average 160 miles per month, or 1,920 miles per year.

I'm riding 5.5x more miles per year than the national average.

This doesn't make me special by any means, and I believe that the average will go up -- way up -- now that people are buying motorcycles and scooters in record numbers to save money on their commute (due to high gas prices).

My annual miles per year will probably be higher in 2008 than it was in 2007 because I'm commuting on my bike more often and I'm taking more trips this year than I did last year. My V-Strom is not only an efficient way to travel (I average 53 mpg) but it's fun as well. I find myself wishing I had a longer commute.