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[Fallout-NL]

Here some of us are driving a Dacia Sandero to free up cash for the bike addiction and Fallout has a Porsche... very nice!

Thank you Doug! Not going to pretend business isn't good, but eh, it is just a Boxster . Though that's the cool thing about these 986s: from the front they are nigh indistinguishable from a proper 996 (911).

Pity you aren't after another Buell, I heard a lot of British used bikes are getting snapped up by Eurozone countries due to the exchange rate right now

Oh man, don't tempt me .

Now I do miss my Porsche, that came out very nice. Wow

Thanks! What model did you have?

 

[maxheadwound]

I only had the baby boxster. But man I loved that car. Was sad to see if go. Black one with the 19inch wheels.

 

[BriareosGAF]

Nice. I have been seriously looking at mid-mileage (~50k) 07-08 911 Carrera 4s lately. The price is not too unreasonable and an acquaintance is a mechanic at a Porsche dealership to check on things. They're AWD it's, uh, very reasonable for Maine.

 

[Fallout-NL]

I only had the baby boxster. But man I loved that car. Was sad to see if go. Black one with the 19inch wheels.

Cool, 986 as well, or one of the newer ones?

Nice. I have been seriously looking at mid-mileage (~50k) 07-08 911 Carrera 4s lately. The price is not too unreasonable and an acquaintance is a mechanic at a Porsche dealership to check on things. They're AWD it's, uh, very reasonable for Maine.

Hehe, you could drive it year round that way .

Spoiler

No you actually could probably.

 

[clockworkinyou]

Looks excellent Makki, congrats on the purchase. What's it like to ride?



Haha, feels good no? Recently took the time to actually clay my entire car. Results were very nice.

My uncle had a manual silver 2002 996 Turbo with X50 and the red interior. I was 17 when I went with him to test drive it at the local Porsche dealership. I learned how to drive manual on his 1989 928 and then once I got the hang of the V8 egg shape beauty, I was allowed to take his 1989 944 Turbo. Absolutely incredible cars.

Sadly he passed away December 2015 and my aunt tasked me with selling his cars. That 996 was incredibly hard to let go.

I don't care what anyone says about the 'runny-egg' headlights. That's my dream car.

 

[HellforLeather]

Just FYI. MCN has posted their 2017 Superbike shootout

Its about 30 minutes long so crack a beer and enjoy....

SPOILERS

Spoiler

The Honda wins it despite the Duc having the best brakes, being the most comfortable and having the fastest laptime.....?

 

[clockworkinyou]

Just FYI. MCN has posted their 2017 Superbike shootout

Its about 30 minutes long so crack a beer and enjoy....

SPOILERS

Spoiler

The Honda wins it despite the Duc having the best brakes, being the most comfortable and having the fastest laptime.....?

Watching now. I'd kill for that job : /

 

[HellforLeather]

Watching now. I'd kill for that job : /

Yep, but Ill just stick to the track duty. They can keep the 600 mile ride through the pouring rain on sport bikes!

 

[Fallout-NL]

My uncle had a manual silver 2002 996 Turbo with X50 and the red interior. I was 17 when I went with him to test drive it at the local Porsche dealership. I learned how to drive manual on his 1989 928 and then once I got the hang of the V8 egg shape beauty, I was allowed to take his 1989 944 Turbo. Absolutely incredible cars.

Sadly he passed away December 2015 and my aunt tasked me with selling his cars. That 996 was incredibly hard to let go.

I bet , that's really sad.

I don't care what anyone says about the 'runny-egg' headlights. That's my dream car.

Agreed 100%. Especially in Turbo guise those headlights look absolutely spectacular. If I could afford it, it's the Porsche I would get: a 996 Turbo.

Just FYI. MCN has posted their 2017 Superbike shootout

Its about 30 minutes long so crack a beer and enjoy....

Jesus, the exhaust on that Suzuki is enormous.

Spoiler

The Honda wins it despite the Duc having the best brakes, being the most comfortable and having the fastest laptime.....?

Probably because it's more manageable.

Watching now. I'd kill for that job : /

While I am keen to leave some sort of legacy (you know, by publishing at least one novel or something that's worth a damn), in terms of what I would actually want to be doing all day, that is indeed the job I would kill for. Just talking bikes all day, riding the piss out of all the newest stuff on someone else's dime... pfff. Just imagine.

 

[Makki]

Thanks for the fun wishes, I rode it today to work and it was a blast even to travel at 55 mph. I maxed out at 64 mph lol

Looks excellent Makki, congrats on the purchase. What's it like to ride?

Thanks!!! It rides like a mini DRZ, it takes very little effort to steer and when you shift at full throttle the handle bars twitch a little just like I remember the supermoto does. It encourages you to lean a bunch and it's surprisingly quick when you ride it (the videos from other Grom riders felt really slow to the eye).

I cant wait to take it on some curvy roads...

 

[LeroyPantwether]

Thanks for the fun wishes, I rode it today to work and it was a blast even to travel at 55 mph. I maxed out at 64 mph lol


Thanks!!! It rides like a mini DRZ, it takes very little effort to steer and when you shift at full throttle the handle bars twitch a little just like I remember the supermoto does. It encourages you to lean a bunch and it's surprisingly quick when you ride it (the videos from other Grom riders felt really slow to the eye).

I cant wait to take it on some curvy roads...

There's something to be said about having a bike that you can just push to its limits without killing yourself or going to jail. Congratulations on the grom. Super jealous.

 

[maxheadwound]

Cool, 986 as well, or one of the newer ones?


Yes the 986 model. Was a great car but sitting in traffic was driving me nuts and felt guilty not using it as its intended for. Hitting the twistys more and going for nice weekend drives. I
still have my eye on a nice 911 the first of the watercooled ones as they can be picked up for a good price and they are easy to live with. Also I can get the family in to enjoy the ride with me.

 

[OraleeWey]

That's a very nicely clayed Porsche and amazing picture angle. BTW, just recently saw this video. In case you really, really, really care about your paint, you can maybe, perhaps, find a shop in the Netherlands that can put a paint protective film over your paint to prevent any scratches. Like this - YouTube. Just throwing that out there.

Anyway, I haven't been riding much ever since I got all my new things installed. The weather just hasn't been all that great and a combination of me getting sick. I've just been completely put off from riding for a little while. The weather is getting better though, I should pick up my joy again soon enough!

 

[maxheadwound]

Have a good weekend guys.

 

[clockworkinyou]

Anyone have any idea of how to remove the knee armor in Alpinestars Track Leather pants? Mine seem to have folded and its incredibly uncomfortable. Can't turn them inside out since the armor is too big and rigid.

There's a velcro opening at the bottom of the pant, but it doesn't give direct access to the armor.

This is driving me nuts.

 

[BriareosGAF]

Finally got the side-luggage on the DL1000 after a few months of it staring at me. It... uh... makes it harder to get on and off the bike to a degree I didn't quite anticipate. That said it's really really nice having storage for gym, etc.

Only took one extra trip to the hardware store after I fucked up a flanged M6 nylon locking nut and had no spares.

Next to try some touring screens; the stock gets me buffeting on the top of my helmet which I'd like to eliminate if possible.

 

[OraleeWey]

Finally got the side-luggage on the DL1000 after a few months of it staring at me. It... uh... makes it harder to get on and off the bike to a degree I didn't quite anticipate. That said it's really really nice having storage for gym, etc.

Only took one extra trip to the hardware store after I fucked up a flanged M6 nylon locking nut and had no spares.

Next to try some touring screens; the stock gets me buffeting on the top of my helmet which I'd like to eliminate if possible.

Very nice! That's what I'm talking about! I have a similar setup to what you have.

 

[BiGBoSSMk23]

Hey guys, what's a good enduro/adventure bike (or even dirt bike) that I can get cheap/used and customize myself?

I love my '84 Shadow, don't get me wrong, but I wanna get into the "trail bike hike" groove (and the only thing I can think of to chop out of the Shadow is a bobber and uh... No).

I hear there's lots of trails and sights to see north of Quebec and that's where most guys go tear it up (I'd love to get a list of tours going, so any other locales I'd love to hear!).

I recently saw one that caught my eye in that Tomorrowland flick, but I can't find the make or model:

(Can't find a decent pic either, but that's the idea.)

 

[OraleeWey]

Hey guys, what's a good enduro/adventure bike (or even dirt bike) that I can get cheap/used and customize myself?

I love my '84 Shadow, don't get me wrong, but I wanna get into the "trail bike hike" groove (and the only thing I can think of to chop out of the Shadow is a bobber and uh... No).

I hear there's lots of trails and sights to see north of Quebec and that's where most guys go tear it up (I'd love to get a list of tours going, so any other locales I'd love to hear!).

I recently saw one that caught my eye in that Tomorrowland flick, but I can't find the make or model:

(Can't find a decent pic either, but that's the idea.)

Motorcycles I recommend for that purpose are dualsports. They're classified as dualsports at least. Some are.


There's the DR200S, XT250 (basically a WR250R but lower HP, lower seat height and air cooled), WR250R (The best 250 imo), KLX250, KLR250, CRF250L.

If you want to go a little bit bigger there's the DRZ400S (not the SM, but you can convert the SM to a DRZ400S by changing the rims and tires plus the SM has better brakes).

If you want to go a little bit bigger then there's the DRZ650, XR650 and KLR650.


If it's technical trail riding I recommend using a 250. There's nothing like a lightweight bike off road. Or what you can do is ask around what CC's motorcycle they're using on the trails and then match what they've got. You really cannot go wrong with any of the bikes I posted above.

 

[BiGBoSSMk23]

Motorcycles I recommend for that purpose are dualsports. They're classified as dualsports at least. Some are.


There's the DR200S, XT250 (basically a WR250R but lower HP, lower seat height and air cooled), WR250R (The best 250 imo), KLX250, KLR250, CRF250L.

If you want to go a little bit bigger there's the DRZ400S (not the SM, but you can convert the SM to a DRZ400S by changing the rims and tires plus the SM has better brakes).

If you want to go a little bit bigger then there's the DRZ650, XR650 and KLR650.


If it's technical trail riding I recommend using a 250. There's nothing like a lightweight bike off road. Or what you can do is ask around what CC's motorcycle they're using on the trails and then match what they've got. You really cannot go wrong with any of the bikes I posted above.

Thanks! 👍

Solid list.

You're right, a 650 on bumpy slopes and banks sounds nightmarish.

 

[Dougald]

You could actually do some extensive work on that Shadow, RichardHawk in this very thread modified his Harley to be a fairly competent trail bike (and it looks awesome too). You'll have to go back a fair few pages to find it though

You're better off with a proper dual-sport though as suggested. Depends how serious you are about off-roading. Anything that looks cool and custom is normally about as capable off-road as your average SUV that's designed for the school run. Apart from maybe the Ducati Scrambler Desert Sled, which seems to be "okay" (but I wouldn't want to drop it)

 

[BiGBoSSMk23]

You could actually do some extensive work on that Shadow, RichardHawk in this very thread modified his Harley to be a fairly competent trail bike (and it looks awesome too). You'll have to go back a fair few pages to find it though

You're better off with a proper dual-sport though as suggested. Depends how serious you are about off-roading. Anything that looks cool and custom is normally about as capable off-road as your average SUV that's designed for the school run. Apart from maybe the Ducati Scrambler Desert Sled, which seems to be "okay" (but I wouldn't want to drop it)

I'm leaning towards the wr250r, as he suggested.

Something like the xr650r seems too daunting, even for a heavier guy like me. I'm still a newb, so throwing 300lbs of bike around at speed on side hills and bumps probably isn't the smartest thing.

That said, my dream bike(s) has always been the Speed Triple (or the Street... or the Scrambler or the Bonnie gahhhh, damn you sexy British bikes!), so being ready to handle the tugs and pulls of a beefier bike is a must for me.

The end goal is being able to comfortably fool around on the track and the trails and have fun (within the boundaries of reason and responsibility, of course). At the end of the day danger will always be a part riding an engine on two wheels, but experience is the difference between a good time and a costly mistake.

One ride at a time, though. I'm not in any hurry to be the next Kevin Carmichael lol

 

[OraleeWey]

I'm leaning towards the wr250r, as he suggested.

Something like the xr650r seems too daunting, even for a heavier guy like me. I'm still a newb, so throwing 300lbs of bike around at speed on side hills and bumps probably isn't the smartest thing.

That said, my dream bike(s) has always been the Speed Triple (or the Street... or the Scrambler or the Bonnie gahhhh, damn you sexy British bikes!), so being ready to handle the tugs and pulls of a beefier bike is a must for me.

The end goal is being able to comfortably fool around on the track and the trails and have fun (within the boundaries of reason and responsibility, of course). At the end of the day danger will always be a part riding an engine on two wheels, but experience is the difference between a good time and a costly mistake.

One ride at a time, though. I'm not in any hurry to be the next Kevin Carmichael lol

The WR250R is such a great bike. It's what I am considering next. How tall are you if you don't mind me asking? WR250R seat height is at 36.6 inches/92.9cm. That's taller than my KLR650 which is at 35 inches/88.9cm. I can just barely put both my feet down but it's not really a big issue for me.

Also if you do end up with a WR250R let us know, post some pics, thoughts, opinions!

 

[BiGBoSSMk23]

The WR250R is such a great bike. It's what I am considering next. How tall are you if you don't mind me asking? WR250R seat height is at 36.6 inches/92.9cm. That's taller than my KLR650 which is at 35 inches/88.9cm. I can just barely put both my feet down but it's not really a big issue for me.

Also if you do end up with a WR250R let us know, post some pics, thoughts, opinions!

I'm 183cm, and about 210lbs. I'm a tiny bit overweight right now cause I've been out of the gym, so depending on the weight I shed and whatever muscle I pack on, I should hover around the same weight wise.

Here's a pic of me on the Shadow for reference (excuse the punchable expression, I had just picked up the bike and thought I was hot shit):

I sit just right on it. Not too big, not too small. I have long legs too.

 

[OraleeWey]

I'm 183cm, and about 210lbs. I'm a tiny bit overweight right now cause I've been out of the gym, so depending on the weight I shed and whatever muscle I pack on, I should hover around the same weight wise.

Here's a pic of me on the Shadow for reference (excuse the punchable expression, I had just picked up the bike and thought I was hot shit):



I sit just right on it. Not too big, not too small. I have long legs too.

For some reason your facial expression gave me a chuckle, lol.

Anyway, you should have no problems with the WR250R seat height. You might tippy toe or have to one foot though. Not really a big deal.

 

[BiGBoSSMk23]

For some reason your facial expression gave me a chuckle, lol.

Anyway, you should have no problems with the WR250R seat height. You might tippy toe or have to one foot though. Not really a big deal.

I guess I'll be letting you know how it goes soon.

On another note:

The bike from The Place Beyond The Pines is a XR650L. Interesting...

Stunt rider made it seem nimble.

 

[OraleeWey]

I guess I'll be letting you know how it goes soon.

On another note:

The bike from The Place Beyond The Pines is a XR650L. Interesting...

Stunt rider made it seem nimble.

Interesting. I saw that movie once and I really, really liked it. I didn't think about the bike but I always thought it was a small dirt bike. The rider did make it seem nimble.

 

[QualityPixel]

I've owned dirt going motorcycles from 3 of the 4 major Japanese brands. I have loved each one in it's own way.

Yamaha TTR 250: had it street legal converted when I purchased it. For me this one was the easiest to ride on the trails because it had a 6-speed and was probably the lightest. Bike could also hit 80mph (maybe 90) on flat roads. Weighed 250 lbs.

Honda XR400: this was the most capable dirt bike I owned, it had noticeably more power and torque than the TTR250, but the power is manageable like every bike I've owned. Weighed 275 lbs.

Suzuki DR650: my most recent bike, very capable off-road, very capable on the highways. It had the most torque but the XR probably had the most horsepower. DR650 had the advantage of long service intervals. It's weight/height did cause me to drop it a couple times, but all these bikes are designed to take the hits. Weighed 360 lbs.

All these bikes were durable, easy to work on, easy to service, easy to modify, easy to get parts for. If I get a trail ready bike again I'll like end up getting a Honda 230L or 250L, Yamaha WR250 or TTR250 again, or a Suzuki DRZ400. I've owned a Kawasaki Versys and almost got a street legal KLX400, but I don't know their bikes well enough to really tell you more about them or which ones to look it.

Probably want to stay away from the Yamaha XT250 and the TW200, from what I've heard they are best for commuters and first time riders (XT250 has 18hp vs thee TTR250 at 30hp or the WR250 30hp).

My best advice would be to get on your local classifieds every couple days and look at what had been recently posted and check out all the ones that look promising. There are just so many good ones.

 

[BiGBoSSMk23]

^ another helpful post. Appreciate cha 👊

Now for something a little different:

Any idea how this guy made this mod?
https://youtu.be/TE0NF_vfZo4

The engine must have been tilted forward and seat raised and god knows what else, cause I can't see the shadow sitting that high off the ground.

Thing looks like a scrambler, I love it.

 

[thesoapster]

https://youtu.be/5ykvM2UMXkM

The R1 is back.

Sounds fine. Since it was last started (mid-August of 2015), I replaced the oil and stator-side cover. I'm getting a bit of smoke out of the pipes...not certain what it is. It doesn't quite smell like oil? It sat with old gas in the tank for a while (and I had tried starting it when the fuel was likely bad). I siphoned out all I could and put fresh gas in, new battery, and now it starts very easily. Thoughts on the smoke? I see zero leaks anywhere.

edit: Took a couple other videos this evening to show you. It only starts when it warms up.

Smoke while running
After shutting it off

 

[opticalmace]

Any R3 impressions in here? I'm thinking of downsizing and it seems like a really nice package. Haven't had a chance to ride one yet.

Probably would get it in white for ABS.

 

[nico1982]

Took a couple other videos this evening to show you. It only starts when it warms up.

Smoke while running
After shutting it off

I would think of oil, but you wrote that it does not smell like oil.
Have you removed the exhaust manifold and cleaned it up? It could be a mix of oil, moisture, dirt, mice nest...
How long has been the engine running? It does it continuously? Does the smoke thin out?

 

[Fallout-NL]

https://youtu.be/5ykvM2UMXkM

The R1 is back.

Sounds fine. Since it was last started (mid-August of 2015), I replaced the oil and stator-side cover. I'm getting a bit of smoke out of the pipes...not certain what it is. It doesn't quite smell like oil? It sat with old gas in the tank for a while (and I had tried starting it when the fuel was likely bad). I siphoned out all I could and put fresh gas in, new battery, and now it starts very easily. Thoughts on the smoke? I see zero leaks anywhere.

edit: Took a couple other videos this evening to show you. It only starts when it warms up.

Smoke while running
After shutting it off

Could be just moisture that's trapped in there from not running for so long. Especially that 'smoke while running' vid looks just like moisture. I'd try going for a ride, see if it persists.

Good to see the R1 back though!

Finally got the side-luggage on the DL1000 after a few months of it staring at me. It... uh... makes it harder to get on and off the bike to a degree I didn't quite anticipate. That said it's really really nice having storage for gym, etc.

Looks great. It's really nice having some storage capacity on a bike.

That's a very nicely clayed Porsche and amazing picture angle. BTW, just recently saw this video. In case you really, really, really care about your paint, you can maybe, perhaps, find a shop in the Netherlands that can put a paint protective film over your paint to prevent any scratches. Like this - YouTube. Just throwing that out there.

Thanks, yeah that's an option. Though the roads here in The Netherlands are generally pretty good.

Anyway, I haven't been riding much ever since I got all my new things installed. The weather just hasn't been all that great and a combination of me getting sick. I've just been completely put off from riding for a little while. The weather is getting better though, I should pick up my joy again soon enough!

Yeah, was wondering why we hadn't heard from you in a while. Feeling better now though?

Yes the 986 model. Was a great car but sitting in traffic was driving me nuts and felt guilty not using it as its intended for. Hitting the twistys more and going for nice weekend drives. I
still have my eye on a nice 911 the first of the watercooled ones as they can be picked up for a good price and they are easy to live with. Also I can get the family in to enjoy the ride with me.

Well I guess this is the time to buy a 996. Too late for the air cooled ones, but the 996 is now at the cheapest it's ever going to be, mos def.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In other news... one of my friends, who hasn't owned a motorcycle for about 7 years now, has finally bought a bike again. Guess what it is?

Seems like my endless campaigning paid off.

 

[BriareosGAF]

Seems like my endless campaigning paid off.

I'm surprised to see so many available in NL/Europe but poking around online it seems there was a lot of interest in importing in the mid-aughts?

 

[Fallout-NL]

I'm surprised to see so many available in NL/Europe but poking around online it seems there was a lot of interest in importing in the mid-aughts?

Yeah there might have been some, though I would really love to see some actual sales numbers. My Ulysses was imported actually, but not from the States, it was first sold in Belgium and then imported by the guy that I bought the bike from. The rest of my bikes were all first delivered here in the Netherlands.

Still, there's only about 50 Buells for sale here at any given time (on markplaats.nl). Compare that to 2000 Yamaha's and about 750 Ducati's for our relatively tiny country and yeah... there can't be that many.

/edit: I do know that there's about 130.000 Buells built.

 

[OraleeWey]

Yeah, was wondering why we hadn't heard from you in a while. Feeling better now though?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yup, all better now, thanks! I got back on two wheels.
Made it through with the help of my new partner

In other news... one of my friends, who hasn't owned a motorcycle for about 7 years now, has finally bought a bike again. Guess what it is?

Seems like my endless campaigning paid off.

Hehe, paid off indeed. That's great for when you two are out riding together.

 

[Fallout-NL]

Excellent, what kind of dog is that?

 

[OraleeWey]

Excellent, what kind of dog is that?

It's a Chihuahua, Mexican origin. Her name is Lilly.

 

[thesoapster]

Some progress...figured out a potential source for my smoke.

Realized one of the header pipes was cracked and has some tar-like substance around it. Need to pull the whole exhaust system off and inspect gaskets etc., and replace the headers. Hoo boy. Titanium headers. Fuck.

 

[Dougald]

Yeah, that doesn't look good. New downpipes will be the order of the day I guess?

Yup, all better now, thanks! I got back on two wheels.
Made it through with the help of my new partner




Hehe, paid off indeed. That's great for when you two are out riding together.

You know I once met a guy on an ADV bike with a dog that size riding on the back in a crate! If your dogs anything like mine he'd probably hate it though

 

[OraleeWey]

Yeah, that doesn't look good. New downpipes will be the order of the day I guess?




You know I once met a guy on an ADV bike with a dog that size riding on the back in a crate! If your dogs anything like mine he'd probably hate it though

Yeah, that would be too stressful for the dog.

 

[Dougald]

Yeah, that would be too stressful for the dog.

Mine hates it when I'm even near the bike, and runs off when I start the thing up. But then he's also a Bernese Mountain dog, so would never fit on the bike unless I bought a sidecar...

 

[Fallout-NL]

It's a Chihuahua, Mexican origin. Her name is Lilly.

Nice, good name too.

Some progress...figured out a potential source for my smoke.

Realized one of the header pipes was cracked and has some tar-like substance around it. Need to pull the whole exhaust system off and inspect gaskets etc., and replace the headers. Hoo boy. Titanium headers. Fuck.

Sounds expensive

Would it be possible to have someone repair the crack if the rest of the system isn't too much out of alignment?

 

[OraleeWey]

Mine hates it when I'm even near the bike, and runs off when I start the thing up. But then he's also a Bernese Mountain dog, so would never fit on the bike unless I bought a sidecar...

Sidecar wouldn't be a bad idea. I've seen people do that with my own eyes. The doggos always seem happy.

Nice, good name too.

Originally I wanted to go with Ndnd but no one could pronounce it so then we ended up with Lilly.

 

[LeroyPantwether]

Since we're on topic. My fourth grade teacher rode a harley and had a sidecar for her golden retriever. The dog loved it. I had another friend who put a piece of carpet on his cruiser's gas tank and just let his shih tzu named gizmo ride around with him everywhere. No idea how the dog didn't fall off but it never did.

 

[OraleeWey]

Since we're on topic. My fourth grade teacher rode a harley and had a sidecar for her golden retriever. The dog loved it. I had another friend who put a piece of carpet on his cruiser's gas tank and just let his shih tzu named gizmo ride around with him everywhere. No idea how the dog didn't fall off but it never did.

The dog was leaning the bike that's​ why he never fell.

 

[thesoapster]

Would it be possible to have someone repair the crack if the rest of the system isn't too much out of alignment?

Probably, but there is a dent in the same pipe that is cracked as well...not a huge one, but it's there. It looks like I could probably get OEM headers for cheap(er) off eBay, albeit used. I need to pull it apart first and inspect.

 

[clockworkinyou]

Anyone have suggestions on a good backpack for riding?

Looking for something that can carry my laptop (15 inch), and a change of cloths as I wear riding pants on days I commute and change when I get to work, and my casual/dress shoes.

I was thinking of the TNF Surge backpack (33L)

or the

Patagonia Refugio (28L)

 

[Dougald]

Anyone have suggestions on a good backpack for riding?

Looking for something that can carry my laptop (15 inch), and a change of cloths as I wear riding pants on days I commute and change when I get to work, and my casual/dress shoes.

I was thinking of the TNF Surge backpack (33L)

or the

Patagonia Refugio (28L)

I picked up a Kriega R25 a little while ago. I believe Revzilla carries them in the US

I'd highly recommend one, not only can you strap additional packs to them, but they also have a locking harness designed for biking, so that the pressure is put on your chest rather than your shoulders, its far more comfortable than a standard bag.

 

[clockworkinyou]

That Kriega looks good, but says only has a sleeve for up to 14" laptop : (

I wonder if it would stretch?