Panniers for Commuting

[campy man]

Any feedback on using panniers, messengar bag or backpack for commuting? My bike has a rear rack and thinking to use med size panniers for clothes and laptop. Crashing is part of riding and I wonder about cyclist wearing backpacks & messenger bags injuring their backs.

[illuminaught]

I commute 44miles x 4500ft elevation everyday with a ~13lb backpack... not recommended unless you're really serious about stretching.
Bags on racks are optimal.
Messenger bags are fine for short jaunts but on long rides you'll develop bad posture.

[unterhausen]

my main reason to stop using a shoulder bag was comfort/sweat. I bought an ortlieb downtown pannier and I'm very happy I did. It's a lot of money up front, but it's also a very good bag. It's the kind of purchase where you're living with the object long after you forget how much it cost

[Schmed]

Panniers, for sure. Less weight on your back, cooler in the summer, better bike handling (lower ctr of gravity), safer for your laptop. Ask me how I found out this factoid:

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j192/schmed123/704acb9c.jpg

[CNY rider]

Any feedback on using panniers, messengar bag or backpack for commuting? My bike has a rear rack and thinking to use med size panniers for clothes and laptop. Crashing is part of riding and I wonder about cyclist wearing backpacks & messenger bags injuring their backs.

Panniers hands down.
I commute most of the year on a bike with a front rack and bag.
In the winter I put my nice bikes away and end up using a messenger bag or backpack.
I would never choose to have the stuff on my back versus letting the bike carry it.

[dustyrider]

Pannier guy myself.
I don't want a sweaty back when I show up to work!

Jandd or ortlieb, are great options.
They turn up used often enough. If you keep an eye out you can save a bit, and as stated basically a lifetime purchase.

[mmfs]

I've been using roll top ortlieb panniers for years with much success. I'm never going back to a backpack or messenger bag!


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[Lanterne Rouge]

Panniers, for sure. Less weight on your back, cooler in the summer, better bike handling (lower ctr of gravity), safer for your laptop. Ask me how I found out this factoid:

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j192/schmed123/704acb9c.jpg

That'll buff right out :eek:

[druptight]

I started using a single pannier on one side of my bike at the start of this season. The balance issue is noticeable for about 5 minutes and the first time you stand up off the line at a traffic light, then you get used to it. I wanted to try them on the cheap for the first time before investing in more expensive panniers, so I bought this one from Performance:

http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/Product_10052_10551_1113065_-1___000000

It's outstanding. Goes on and off very easily and securely without any proprietary garbage. Even comes with some extra hooks. I'm not sure it's going to be replaced any time soon, seems good and water resistant (haven't tested it in SERIOUS rain, but hasn't had any issues with road spray or lighter rain). No more crazy sweaty/sore back for me.

[woolly]

+1 for waterproof, rack-mounted Ortlieb bags (several good choices). I like the roll-tops ones myself.

[Aaron O]

Definitely panniers - the stress on your back and hot spot isn't fun. I like the ortlieb pannier/shoulder bag...it hooks easily to the rack and you can use it as a messenger bag when you pull it off.

[leooooo]

Definitely panniers.
I use the Ortlieb backpack. Hang on the rear rack during the commute and wear it as a backpack walking from bike rack to office

http://www.ortliebusa.com/prodInfo.asp?pid=209&cid=2

[redir]

I use a shoulder bag, 10 mile commute both ways. I do not however carry a lap top, just a change of cloths and lunch and a few other things. I like the shoulder bag because depending on what I am going to do after work I don't always ride the same bike. But if you have a dedicated commuter with racks than saddle bags would probably be better.

[Bradford]

I wouldn't commute with anything on my back. It's uncomfortable and it puts the weight up too high on the bike.

If I don't have my laptop, I use a Revelate Pika. If I do have my laptop, I use a baby buzzard pannier (circa 1992) on the back rack. I don't carry enough stuff to need my Jandd rear bags. Any pannier will be fine, but if you are starting from scratch and have the money, the waterproof bags like the Ortlieb are a great way to go with a laptop.

I don't commute every day on my bike, so I bring in clothes and leave them at my client site. If I need to bring in clothes as well for some reason, I'll put the laptop in one pannier and the clothes in the other.

Just make sure your laptop pannier has a secure attachment to the rack...if they aren't held down tightly, they can pop off over railroad tracks or potholes. My Baby Buzzards have a velcro strap that wraps around the rack to hold them tight. If I don't use that strap, sometimes I have to circle back and pick up my bag.

[Llewellyn]

It boggles my mind that most people who commute over here do it on road bikes wearing backpacks :eek:

It's almost as if it's completely uncool to do it any other way.

Me, I use a rack and pannier :banana:

[raygunner]

The days of lugging massive amounts of stuff in a messenger bag are long gone!

Love my Ortliebs!

[Aaron O]

Definitely panniers.
I use the Ortlieb backpack. Hang on the rear rack during the commute and wear it as a backpack walking from bike rack to office

http://www.ortliebusa.com/prodInfo.asp?pid=209&cid=2

That's the only Ortlieb I don't recommend...I've had problems with the QR3 system and how it connects to my rack - their exoskeleton slips on my rack. I also find the padding having to be snapped in inconvenient. I think their messenger bags work better (I've never used the back pack since getting it).

[Coluber42]

I occasionally use a messenger bag or backpack, depending on which bike I ride (and whether I've already filled my panniers...). For a number of years I did it that way exclusively, but I'd often be carrying around quite heavy loads, and if I had to ride around for more than several days in a row with 30 or 40 lbs on my back, my back would start to let me hear about it.

I mostly use a huge pannier that I originally made for touring, but which is big enough to easily put a backpack or whatever inside. So a lot of the time I still carry another bag, but I leave the pannier on the bike and take the other bag out. I only carry a change of clothes when I have a gig, but I occasionally carry a laptop and I usually carry instruments, music, music stand, etc.

[dawgie]

Don't rule out large seatbags such as the Carradice Barley or Pendle. I have used a Barley and Pendle as well as Ortlieb Front Rollers and various racktop bags for commuting. The Carradice bags are most convenient for me and hold all the gear I need to carry 99% of the time. The Ortlieb front panniers (mounted on the rear) are very nice but have way more volume than I need most of the time. Racktop bags vary in size but mine (Banjo Bros) is comparable in volume to the Barley. However, the Barley is much easier to install and remove with the Carradice Bagman quick-release mount. Another advantage to the Carradice bags is the weight is centered on your bike so they have little effect on handling and less wind issues than panniers.

[Puget Pounder]

I use a chrome bravo backpack now that I am in school and have to carry my stuff around all day. It's a pain in the ass to do that with a pannier. Messenger bags work well for this, but I carry a lot of stuff so it can mess my shoulders up.

http://image.rakuten.co.jp/bostonclub/cabinet/13s/cr-bravo-bk.jpg

(not me)

I agree with everyone here that panniers are the way to go if you don't need to walk around a lot with it. I used a pannier when I worked in an office before going back to school.