I got one of these before there was a different "Sport" and "Executive" (or "Aero") version, but basically the "Sport" version is the same as my original Megalopolis. I was doing a lot of flying with a laptop back then and I wanted something that would protect the laptop and could be effective for carry-on. It performed well without much fuss through 15 cross-country flights, with the added Boblbee Lumbar Cassette to hold extra clothes and accessories. I am also a bicycle rider and I used this pack to commute several times a week for a year or so. I still use it almost daily today, for workout clothes and hiking and walking around the city shopping (my bike these days is a recumbent and backpacks don't really work well on it.) It's still my only backpack.Advantages:
Flexible (as you can tell from my description above) especially with the extra accessories
Comfortable to wear, even in heat and with heavier loads
Protects contents well. Only time I've had a chance to test this, I dropped my bicycle turning onto a wet wood bridge and landed on my side and back. My laptop was fine but the impact was hard enough to crack the shell of the Boblbee, the crack being about 2" long on the corner of the shell lip. Despite this crack the backpack still performs pretty well though I don't wear it on the bike anymore, as I'm not sure it will protect as well in another fall.
Longevity. I've never had a pack that I've been able to use this long. Nine years of service!
Issues:
It's not the largest backpack or carry-on travel bag you can buy; the extra cassette attachment provides a lot more storage but it's compartmentalized and can be tricky to pack a lot of stuff for a weekend trip.
Though protective to its contents, the glossy paints on the shell can scratch if you're not careful. The color of mine is blue but the plastic under it is a slightly different blue so a scratch is visible. I suspect the matte black ones would be better for this. After 9 years there are a fair number of scratches on mine but that's to be expected.
Over the years the top cover has frayed a bit where the edges of the shell push against the top fabric, and the pocket on top actually has some small holes in it. Mostly I believe this is from handling and storage (in car boots and luggage carriers) than on-the-back usage. The other models like the Executive and Aero seem to have protection for this.
It will *not* stand up with its top up because of the shape. You'll always have to lean it against your leg or hold it up when opening and closing it. With the lumbar cassette it can potentially balance upright but it's tricky.
The zipper pulls on the lumbar cassette broke off after 6 years of occasional use (I didn't always have the lumbar cassette attached).
The sternum strap snap-close broke on me early on. That's the only fastener part that I had trouble with, all the rest of the fasteners are still functional.
The connection of the shell and the harness portions at the bottom of the bag is only a pressure fit via two large screw-bolts; that is all that keeps the bottom "sealed" so if these get loose, very small objects (smaller than a coin) can find their way out of the bag. On the other hand, if you got water in it, it would drain out the bottom.
People keep asking me if I ride a motorcycle or if it's part of a motorcycle I've turned into a backpack. A small inconvenience!
Tips:
The attachment points on the back of the pack are great even without the official accessories; any 1" or smaller strap can be attached.
Don't pack the top zipper pocket until you have the rest of the bag packed, if the main pack is stuffed full it's hard to remove and insert items in the top zipper.
Be careful walking through crowds, swift turns can result in the backpack hitting other people and it can bruise someone easily, especially the points at the bottom.
The bolts holding the fabric to the back along the rails can actually get loose over several years, but they're easy to tighten up.
One thing that dissapointed me was I received the product not in a very good condition with some sctracth on the hard case.
But overall, the product is doing just fine.
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