My laptop......

linsen

...could really do with coming home with me occasionally if I am to take my job serioiusly.
I know this has probably been asked a billion times before but in case you are very bored, I'll ask again.....

Can anyone recommend a pack to carry it in to get it to and from work?

It doesn't need to be able to carry anything else.
My commute is around 50/40 minutes (there/back)
Please don't tell me to get panniers (unless you want to give me a bike to put them on - mine is a bit too tarty, it turns out :? )

Cheers, and have a good day

woodyonthebeach

Crumple seem to make some good laptop bags, however they are not on the cheap side.

At the moment I have a North Face Base camp messenger bag. Bloody brilliant and looks smart enough for office and everything else use.

Also has a nice padded for inside for the laptop.

http://www.outdoorkit.co.uk/product.php ... n=froogle#

Also it might be worth looking at getting a laptop sleeve. Usually about 20 to 30 quid. Or get your IT dept to supply you with one as it is works laptop.

Not sure if that helps you a lot.

woodyonthebeach

whoops should have sent the right the link.

I have base large messenger bag.

woody

GEPC

I just put mine in my rucksack with the rest of my stuff when I take it home or on Monday mornings when I bring it into work having had it at home over the weekend. The only other advice I can offer is to get a second set of power leads so you only carry the actual lpatop rather than taking up mose space and adding more weight with the cables.

always_tyred

I'd avoid mentioning the concept of cycling with your laptop to your IT people at all costs.

The default answer to most IT questions is "no". The default position of your employer to cycling is "no". Its not promising.

Laptop hard drives do not like being banged around any more than other hard drives. This isn't to say don't do it, but backup dilligently.

I personally don't think panniers are any use for this anyway - your body has far better suspension than your bike.

As a student, I sold a vital organ to purchase a laptop on which to write a thesis. I cycled with it using a courier bag. I didn't bother with a special insert (I only have so many vital organs) - just wrapped it carefully in a towel. Inserts force the laptop to be oriented length ways across your back, Particularly if you have a wide screen, this can stress the case. Much less of an issue if our hard earned taxes have been spent on an expensive little one.

mattybain

Always Tyred wrote:

I'd avoid mentioning the concept of cycling with your laptop to your IT people at all costs.

The default answer to most IT questions is "no". The default position of your employer to cycling is "no". Its not promising.
=:

Not sure who you work for but not all companies are like that. My company have thoughtfully just installed a shower for cyclists (basically me), are getting bike rikes in the warehouse and also introducing the cycle to work tax scheme.

Also I have carried my laptop for months just in my rucksack and it's been fine. It's just a bog standard dell thought i have to say if it was mine I would at least wrap it in a towel!!!

artaxerxes

Do you have a computer at home and do your employers allow you to connect to their network via VPN?
If it is just documents you are working on, I keep all of mine on a USB hard drive and take that home with me. It is wallet sized.

always_tyred

mattybain wrote:

Always Tyred wrote:

I'd avoid mentioning the concept of cycling with your laptop to your IT people at all costs.

The default answer to most IT questions is "no". The default position of your employer to cycling is "no". Its not promising.
=:

Not sure who you work for but not all companies are like that. My company have thoughtfully just installed a shower for cyclists (basically me), are getting bike rikes in the warehouse and also introducing the cycle to work tax scheme.

Also I have carried my laptop for months just in my rucksack and it's been fine. It's just a bog standard dell thought i have to say if it was mine I would at least wrap it in a towel!!!

Linsen's employer (a school) has prohibited the children from cycling to school. Staggering, ignorant, depressing, foolish, possibly not in line with government policy, possibly not even legal, but aparrently true.

I stand by my assessment of the typical response of IT people. We live in a "binary risk" culture - there is either risk or there isn't. There is no such thing as a little risk.

biondino

Guys - is Cycle to Work done on a calendar year basis, a tax year basis or a year-since-you-last-took-advantage basis?

alfablue

My employers do it any time, irrespective of the tax year, and I can get another bike as soon as the previous agreement is finished. There is no issue with HMR&C regarding when the scheme is offered, but a lot of employers seem to use just brief windows within which to offer it.

mattybain

biondino wrote:

Guys - is Cycle to Work done on a calendar year basis, a tax year basis or a year-since-you-last-took-advantage basis?

It can be at any time but we have a lifestyle window which runs from Feb - Mar however this is company specific to prevent it becoming a year round admin nightmare.

mattybain

Always Tyred wrote:

Linsen's employer (a school) has prohibited the children from cycling to school. Staggering, ignorant, depressing, foolish, possibly not in line with government policy, possibly not even legal, but aparrently true.

I stand by my assessment of the typical response of IT people. We live in a "binary risk" culture - there is either risk or there isn't. There is no such thing as a little risk.

OMG :shock: I seriously don't want that to be true but in this health & safety obsessed world we now live in I can see how it is.

I didn't question your IT response, as far as my experiences have gone you are spot on !!

jinnan_tonnix

I was in Staples a while back and saw a rucksack designed to carry a laptop in a proper compartment. As I remember it, it seemed pretty good, but didn't pay too much attention as I didn't need it.

Might be worth checking out?

ride_whenever

I've got a crumpler (christmas prezzie!!!) and it is astonishingly good. They only do a couple that are laptop compatable and waterproof, but I'd be wary of a large notebook. I've got a netbook (samsung NC10) and it doesn't get bent due to the small size, but I'd be uncomfortable using anything bigger.

A word of advice, try getting a waterproof bag to seal your laptop in when travelling, as otherwise the water will eventually get in over 40/50 miles. Also check with your IT department that the hard drive parks the read/write heads when the power is off, that will stop the shaking etc. nackering the HD. Might be worth begging for a SSD (solid state drive) for the laptop as these are a lot more rugged.

attica

<engage geek> Having spotted Linsen's lappy over the weekend I can confirm that it's one of the new Dell latitude E series, not sure of the head parking fuctionality etc, but one of you might know (I do servers these days)
<geek off>

Targus do a quite good laptop rucksack, but it's one of those ones with a zip over the top, useless if it rains, you'll need a flappy top one unless you cross your fingers.

Rucksacks can cause a bit of lower back pain over that sort of distance so a courier bag might be the way to go, it keeps the weight lower down your back and you'll look more of a tart, maybe one of Jash's bespoke ones might be worth a look (he mentioned it recently on a different thread)

linsen

okay, you are all now no longer talking my language (runs off to hide in a corner and weep)

artaxerxes

How about this
http://www.michaellinnell.co.uk/index.php?p=showprod&id=448&cat=Satchels%20and%20Trays

or this?

http://www.michaellinnell.co.uk/index.php?p=showprod&id=453&cat=Satchels%20and%20Trays

biondino

Attica wrote:

maybe one of Jash's bespoke ones might be worth a look (he mentioned it recently on a different thread)

These days it's hard enough getting a mortgage on a house, let alone a laptop bag.

simon_ramsey

Linsen +1 from me on the Crumpler recommendation. I have a rather dodgy-ly name "Sticky Date" Crumpler Laptop bag that is made to take up to a 17 " laptop. I've been stuffing mine with a 13" MacBook, my office clothes, computer manuals etc ... as good as new after nearly 2 years of use and has even been in the washing machine a couple of times.

boy on bike

Always Tyred wrote:

Laptop hard drives do not like being banged around any more than other hard drives. This isn't to say don't do it, but backup dilligently.

Actually, my experience of laptops is they can take the knocks: I had a fairly spectacular wipeout while carrying my laptop in an unpadded rucksack: a couple of minor plastic bits came off but the thing carried on working quite happily - still does!

It is a compact one, which probably helped (and makes it lighter to cart around )