Aerostich Waxed Cotton Letter Bag

Randy Brody has been working at Aerostich since 1991, and his Aerostich Dispatch Bag has been by his side for that entire tenure.

"It's been my faithful commuter bag for 22 years, and the only business luggage I have used." said Randy. "It will be a sad day when I need to replace it... but it still has the original Velcro, and even though it is showing some signs of wear, it's still fully functional (and repairable, if needed) so it's good to go."

Randy commutes on average of 160 riding days per year (currently on a 2006 DR650), so doing the math (22 years x 14 mile round-trip x 160 days) he's ridden nearly 50,000 miles with his trusty Dispatch Bag, not including all the non-riding errands, trips (it's a great airplane carry-on) and events.

Over the years, his Dispatch bag has contained a lot of different stuff. Randy recalls the early days, before cell phones and portable devices. "Back then, I carried only a few manila files, paperwork, and maybe something for lunch. Today, it's got charging cables, a laptop, an iPad...and sometimes something for lunch." Much has changed in the last 22 years, but the functionality and durability of Aerostich Messenger Bags isn't one of them.

The first ‘Courier’ size Aerostich messenger bag was introduced in 1985. This was a few years before other messenger bag companies like Timbuk2, Chrome (and others) even existed. Other outdoor fashion companies such as Patagonia and North Face also introduced their messenger bags many years later.

In 1985 only two similar bags were available. Both were produced in small numbers for professional bicycle messengers only. (Everyone else who carried things by bicycle or motorcycle wore small back packs.) We patterned the first Aerostich Courier bag closely after the ‘proven-by-messengers’ bag.

Both of the early commercial-use messenger bags were made of cotton canvas, and they had no hook-and-loop (Velcro) on their lids, no reflective material anywhere, no strap-length cam adjusters and no side-release flap buckles for oversize loads. Aerostich was the first to incorporate these features and also to apply modern materials like Cordura nylon, hook-and-loop, 3M reflectives, plastic buckles and strap adjusters to this style bag.

Aerostich messenger bags still remain more strongly made than common bags sold at bicycle shops, outdoor stores and college bookstores. Because they are made for commercial users they are tougher, so they last a lot longer.

The construction details are different, too. An example of this is how the top flap is constructed. Common messenger bags connect the inner flap's fabric to the outer fabric with an inexpensive 'binding' stitched around the outside edges of the flap. This is fast and easy, but not especially durable. Every Aerostich messenger bag flap is first sewn inside-out, then turned right side-out and edge-stitched the same way a dress shirt collar is made. This looks 'right' and lasts much longer.

Another example is the Aerostich oversize shoulder pad. It is oversized to better spread your load better, and is highly detailed and carefully constructed of several materials, too. If you carry a messenger bag every day, you’ll want this pad.

Aerostich messenger bags are also all made in Duluth Minnesota. There really is a difference...

Aerostich messenger bags are one of my favorite Aerostich products. They differ substantially from all of the other kinds of similar bags you’ve seen elsewhere. Essentially, these are a lot heavier-duty.

The primary reason we like messenger bags so much because they are so easy to use for urban and utility motorcycle riding. They go on-and-off quick and are versatile. One of these bags hangs empty, near my riding gear, so I can grab it whenever the destination involves picking up something, or whenever I need to carry something fast without using bungees. Messenger bags are a key technology for every day motorcycling…An invaluable tool.

These bags are the first ever to incorporate advanced, modern materials: Cordura Nylon, nylon webbing, Fastex quick-release buckles and strap adjusters, Velcro and 3M Scotchlight reflective. The only other bags of this type when these were created used basic canvas, and were carried mostly by the document couriers in larger cities.

The official introduction of the first Aerostich messenger bag happened nearly thirty years ago at one of the old Motorcycle Dealernews trade shows. I remember standing at the end of a table in a small private conference room at one of the hotels, giving an informal presentation to Motorcyclist Magazine’s then Editor-in-Chief Mitch Boehm and several other staff editors. “The daypack is dead!” I begun, trying to sound as declarative as possible. “The era of the messenger bag is beginning.” A colorful selection of the Aerostich messenger bags spread across the table. As some editors started examining them I explained why this nearly unknown style of bag was so great for motorcyclists. And why I believed they’d rule in the future. And why these were made exactly the way they were. It felt as though we were pioneering something entirely new.

A few years later other messenger bag companies started up and their far less heavy-duty versions of this type of bag quickly became a college bookstore commodity. Today hundreds of other messenger bag variations are available from dozens of companies…but the Aerostich messenger bags (by size: 'letter', 'dispatch', 'courier', and 'parcel') are the original.

About ten years ago we created a new range of wax cotton messenger bags in several colors, added the color pink to the Cordura line and developed an optional internal organizer pocket system for all of the three larger-sized bags. An Aerostich messenger bag is a handcrafted American-made tool for carrying stuff when riding a motorcycle.

-- Mr. Subjective (Rev 3-2017)