application
To get straight to the point: there is really very little to complain about in terms of the workmanship of the Dinky Di. The outer material is a very solid nylon fabric that stands out from the crowd of other bags. Many manufacturers rely on a smooth, less flexible fabric than Crumpler. We too had our doubts when we first encountered the bag – the bag looks chic, but can the material keep up with the competition in terms of weather resistance and robustness? As I said, we were skeptical.
As it turned out during our test, this skepticism was completely misplaced. We had the biggest concerns about the bag in terms of weather and rain resistance. But the Dinky Di surprised us both in the "dry test" in the apartment and in practical use during a heavy rain shower: The material is heavily impregnated and most drops simply roll off. Even in a few places where the material actually gets wet, no moisture penetrates inwards. Excellent!
The rest of the workmanship is also pleasing: Clean seams, robust straps and buckles and strong Velcro fasteners round off the extremely positive picture. The wide reflective stripe on the back is the icing on the already excellent performance.
Seat
In terms of workmanship, there is little reason for criticism. But what about the fit of the bag? Here, too, one has to state: Crumpler's experience pays off. The wide shoulder strap has a pleasantly large, movable pad that is also lightly rubberized on the underside and can hardly slip. We don't necessarily see the fact that the strap cannot be opened as a disadvantage, after all, in most cases you slip on the bag anyway. Crumpler also has a very nice solution ready especially for us cyclists: The bag can be easily lashed down with a shoulder or waist strap that can also be moved and does not slip on the bike either.
As always, the first time you put the bag on, the adjustment takes some time and, with the Dinky Di, also some strength: the buckle and strap are really solid and so it takes a little effort to get the strap to the desired length. On the other hand, you usually only make this adjustment once and then the tabs no longer adjust themselves. We also liked the thin padding on the back of the bag, which noticeably increases comfort when fully loaded, especially on longer journeys.
Organization
As with all of our bag tests, the Crumpler Dinky Di has to stow our Velomotion test load:
- A 15″ laptop
- A Tupperware
- A notebook
- Two pens
- A full 1l bottle
After the many positive impressions of the bag so far, we now come to the major weakness. If you open the flap of the bag, two compartments appear: the large main compartment and a smaller compartment on the front, which can also be closed with a zipper. Unfortunately, the Dinky Di only offers a few options for organizing the contents: We miss a laptop compartment (this is reserved for the Dinky Di Laptop model) as well as slots for pens or the like. Although the main compartment has three smaller pockets on the inside, these are difficult to reach and also quite small. The loop on the side of the bag, on which a U-lock can be attached, for example, is practical.
Another point of criticism is the mixed space yield of the Dinky Di: Although the bag offers more than enough volume with 19l, the rounded corners on the underside mean that a lot of space is lost. We can accommodate our test load without any problems, but it is quite cramped.
[pricemesh]
