Chrome Warsaw

Chrome Warsaw

CW EVALUATION

The Big Bertha of backpacks

MESSENGER-BAG-MAKER CHROME IS big in the bicycleand motorcyclecourier business, where documents large and small must go from here to there in a hurry. Top-of-the-line for this type of heavy labor is the Warsaw.

Part of the Pro Series, the Warsaw is defined—like the rest of Chrome’s products—by its utilitarian appearance and function-first design; “We’re antinonsense” is part of the company manifesto. Originally, the founders scavenged auto junkyards for seatbelt webbing, repurposing it into bag straps.

Tough vinyl fabric salvaged from old furniture was sewn into liners.

Sturdy, long-wearing materials are the backbone of the Warsaw. The 1000-denier Cordura body is mated to a weatherproof truck-tarp “skeleton,” a floating PVC liner and, finally, to an ergonomic EVA compression-molded back panel with air-mesh straps. A four-point compression system with laser-cut, stainlesssteel hardware and closed-loop strap management secures bag to wearer.

This is a big bag, 2 feet square and 6 inches deep, with loads of room for stuff of all sizes. There are countless pockets of varying dimensions, both horizontal and vertical in design, four with PVC-coated, weatherproof YKK zippers. A “weather shield”—a large Cordura panel held in place by hook-andloop tape and a long, 3M reflective compression strap—caps all this storage goodness.

None of this would matter if the Warsaw were uncomfortable, but weight distribution is so good that bulky, heavy loads actually feel light. That’s good design. O

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Chrome 580 4th St. San Francisco, CA 94107 415/503-1221 www.chromebags.com Price.. .$280

4 Ups A Tough materials, thoughtful design A Easy-access U-lock pocket A Guaranteed for life

Vbowns V Overkill for carrying just your lunch and the latest issue of Cycle World V Quality and workmanship reflected in price v "Oversize Load" jokes