Icon urban tank bag

[Xdsxc]

I'm a full time student and I work full time as well. Since I use my FZ6 as my primary commuter I usually need a way to carry things either to school or to my job. Up until now I used a Timbuk2 classic messenger bag (which worked great by the way), but I got tired of having something on my back all the time. It also made riding with my girlfriend to school a bit difficult.

Enter the icon urban tank bag. I just picked this up last week and so far I love it! It's fairly spacious on the inside, easily accommodating my 13" MacBook air and a thick book or two. A 13" laptop seems to be the limit though (when laid flat it slightly presses against the edges of the bag), thickness is irrelevant. It also had slots for pens and other stuff in the main compartment of the bag. The outside has two pockets on the sides, and one on bottom that faces the rider with a hole in it for headphone cables or a sip tube or something.

My favorite part of this bag is it can readily and easily be converted to a backpack to take with you when you get off the bike. Another plus is it also has a built in helmet holder so you no longer have to actually hold your helmet if you carry it with you.

I would totally recommend this tank bag for anyone looking for a simple solution to carry their stuff and take it with them off the bike.

URL: Icon Urban Tank Bag - RevZilla

 

[Baci]

Thanks for the review mate! I have been considering a tank bag, or a top case for the back. I like the ones that convert into a backpack, I have to carry books and a laptop daily for work as well. Sadly though if your 13" laptop barely fits my 17" laptop will not even come close. One day maybe my work will get my a super small and light one to carry.....one day.


One thought/concern are the high powered magnets......do you feel your electronics are safe? strong magenet and a hard drive or a RFID badge would be game over....

 

[lawlberg]

I just got one from revzilla - mine came today actually. It's cold and raining, so I haven't put it on the bike yet, but it seems awesome.

Thoughts for me were a place to keep shoes and a change of clothes when commuting to work - the map pocket seems neat, and I was tired of backpacks sliding around while I'm riding.

 

[Baci]

Thoughts for me were a place to keep shoes and a change of clothes when commuting to work - the map pocket seems neat, and I was tired of backpacks sliding around while I'm riding.

Im just dreading the super hot sweaty sticky back that the backpack provides in the summer.... yuck.

 

[Xdsxc]

Well the label does say not reccended for laptops due to the neodymium magnets, but my laptop has a solid state drive so that's not really an issue. Even in traditional HDDs are more robust than people give them credit for. Truthfully I'd be more concerned with the vibrations and mechanical failure than anything else...With that said its still probably a good idea not to whack your laptop over and over with these magnets.

You may be able to fit your 17" laptop diagonally across since the inner compartment is pretty deep. But it for sure wouldn't be able to lay flat.

 

[dpaul007]

Well the label does say not reccended for laptops due to the neodymium magnets, but my laptop has a solid state drive so that's not really an issue. Even in traditional HDDs are more robust than people give them credit for. Truthfully I'd be more concerned with the vibrations and mechanical failure than anything else...With that said its still probably a good idea not to whack your laptop over and over with these magnets..

Truth. I've never had a hard drive get wiped due to magnets. I think it has to take a pretty powerful magnet to do that kind of damage. There are magnets, pretty strong ones, INSIDE of every mechanical hard drive that sit right next to the drive platters (they are what store data). So I have my doubts that anything will happen to your hard drive while in your tank bag.

Also, about the vibrations. The tank doesn't vibrate at all. Both the front and back mounting points have rubber there, which eliminates pretty much all the vibes. I've felt the tank with the bike buzzing, I could feel it in the seat and my legs, but not through the tank at all. I trust my DSLR in my tank bag, took it on a 500+ and didn't think twice about vibrations wreaking havoc with my camera.

 

[lawlberg]

Used it for the first time today - for my morning commute. I put a change of shoes, some gym clothes, lunch, and my wallet phone and some change. Didn't move at all on the way in. Only complaint is that my phone alarm was going off (left earlier than normal) so I had to deal with the beeping until I came to a stoplight, pull it out and turn it off. Got to work, took off my leathers and stuffed the pants in the bag. Changed shoes. Now the bag is stuck (sweet magnets) to the file cabinet under my desk.

I wouldn't mind having a little more space - I might be able to squeeze my boots in there with the pants, maybe - but it's great for what it is.

 

[GTPAddict]

Can you post some pictures of the bag on the bike? I use a Cortech tail bag just about all the time, but also have a tank bag for longer rides. I really like this bag, but it looks like it may be a little too big for a tank bag. I'm wondering if it could be used as a tail bag with the straps.

 

[Wh0M3]

Re: Re: Icon urban tank bag

Truth. I've never had a hard drive get wiped due to magnets. I think it has to take a pretty powerful magnet to do that kind of damage. There are magnets, pretty strong ones, INSIDE of every mechanical hard drive that sit right next to the drive platters (they are what store data). So I have my doubts that anything will happen to your hard drive while in your tank bag.

The worry about magnets and computer hard drives isn't really a big deal now. Modern hard drives are built better than the older ones so it would take a super strong magnet to do any damage/ memory loss. Older floppy drives did have issues with being around magnets because it would erase them. The hard drives back then were very similar so they also could be affected the same way.

Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk 2

 

[lawlberg]

Can you post some pictures of the bag on the bike? I use a Cortech tail bag just about all the time, but also have a tank bag for longer rides. I really like this bag, but it looks like it may be a little too big for a tank bag. I'm wondering if it could be used as a tail bag with the straps.

Not a great pic but the only one I have. I've also got some video I'm going through over the next couple days that'll show it. You definitely notice the bag there, can't tuck all the way down without bumping it, but it doesn't really get in the way of anything.