What's the best way to carry stuff on your bike?

sem69

I've just taken my rack off my road bike and reverted back to using a courier bag.
A rack and rack bag is great for getting your stuff off your back, but I found it made the bike feel a bit top heavy and the handling a bit wierd.
Good and bad point to all luggage carrying... but if you've tried a few, what do you think is the best overall?
I was thinking of having sub catagories including luggage capacity, comfort, bike handling, coolness etc, but then I realised I should just get out more.

ride_whenever

Depends entirely on how much you need to take.

the ultimate though is a trailerbike so you can take the kitchen sink etc.

I use either a rucksack must mostly i use my courier bag, and then ride around on my singlespeed wearing sunglasses and rolled up jeans. 8)

MrChuck

I went for pannier but the answer is really "it depends"! I use a courier bag every day and it's great, but it would suck for serious loads or distance. Similarly panniers aren't the best if you're parked up and strolling around town.

Christophe3967

Started with panniers, and found I was carrying stuff I didn't need. Much prefer the rucksack, makes traffic so much easier and the bike handles much better as well. Thought about getting a bag but don't believe they would be as comfortable as they seem to move around on your back a lot.

sem69

I mean carrying an average amount of stuff you carry to work... change of clothes, towel, lunch, tools etc. No kitchen sinks.

biondino

sem69 wrote:

I've just taken my rack off my road bike and reverted back to using a courier bag.
A rack and rack bag is great for getting your stuff off your back, but I found it made the bike feel a bit top heavy and the handling a bit wierd.
Good and bad point to all luggage carrying... but if you've tried a few, what do you think is the best overall?
I was thinking of having sub catagories including luggage capacity, comfort, bike handling, coolness etc, but then I realised I should just get out more.

Your bike felt top heavy so you changed to a system where the weight is a couple of feet higher? :shock:

alfablue

Single pannier, ideally on a rack that has a lower mounting rail, such as Tubus or Tortec.

sem69

biondino wrote:

sem69 wrote:

I've just taken my rack off my road bike and reverted back to using a courier bag.
A rack and rack bag is great for getting your stuff off your back, but I found it made the bike feel a bit top heavy and the handling a bit wierd.
Good and bad point to all luggage carrying... but if you've tried a few, what do you think is the best overall?
I was thinking of having sub catagories including luggage capacity, comfort, bike handling, coolness etc, but then I realised I should just get out more.

Your bike felt top heavy so you changed to a system where the weight is a couple of feet higher? :shock:

Yes. And having the weight attached to my body rather than the bike makes the bike handle better.

Mikelyons

I voted for Pannier - but only use a single pannier most days when commuting.

I've just upgraded to Ortlieb & can take the pannier off the bag & carry it with the shoulder strap included.

For my MTB - I use a small Rucksack with a water bladder.
(Camelbak ripoff from Aldi - £10) .

When i carry a laptop - I find the weight too heavy for a rucksack.

Mike

jjojjas

I use panniers that are on the tourer I use most days. I find (particuarly in winter) that carrying waterproof trousers, work clothes, laptop, books, files etc requires them. If the weathers dry and I'm not taking much I'll either take the road bike with no luggage or the road bike with a rucksack.
I have a courier bag, but it just seems to fall down on my side and get in the way :x
Jas

Portrush Philly

I use a Ortlieb messenger bag for daily work duties (essentially a rucksak) and have a Bob Yak Trailer for touring/camping trips.

PinkPedal

I have a single Ortlieb pannier for work/uni that has a great capacity but if I didn't have much to transport I'd go for a small rucksack over the pannier.

Also have a Freitag courier style bag too which is ok but slips round even with the straps done up tight, fine for going to the gym but not for longer rides.

linsen

I voted for wicker basket because it is what I aspire to have on my bike......

Can't fit panniers you see......

wgwarburton

sem69 wrote:

I mean carrying an average amount of stuff you carry to work... change of clothes, towel, lunch, tools etc. No kitchen sinks.

Yes, but there's a big variation about that average. Change of clothes could mean an ironed shirt and clean underwear or a suit+shoes & full waterproofs. Similarly, I typically carry one tool (spanner/tyre-lever combo) and a tube+patchkit, whereas others will prefer to have a wider range of tools. Is "lunch" a sandwich box, drink bottle, fruit etc or a five-pound-note...
My work-laptop adds Kilos to an otherwise light load... :-(

Cheers,
W.

snooks

I use rucksack (camelpak HAWG), fits snugly on my back, doesn't move around

I carry:
laptop, the days clothes (trousers, T-shirt, underwear), wallet, key, PDA, Mobile, itty bitty spare lights

I leave at work:
Lock + cable, towel, toiletries, comb, shoes (and a spare set of clothes in case I forget summut) deodorant

And I use a water bottle on my bike (when I remember it)

kevinharley

My partner seems to think she needs to transport enough gear to fill one rucksack and one (sometimes two!) panniers ...!

I, on the other hand, carry spare underwear, tools, lunch (when I can be bothered making it) and occasionally a couple of folders of paperwork, in a small-medium rucksack. I keep a suit, spare shirts, shoes, towel and toiletries at work, and because I have to use the car a couple of days per week anyway, I take that opportunity to stock up on clean shirts / new bags of cereal / toiletries etc

coffeecup

i carry fresh shirts and cacks every 4 or 5 days in a backpack and then nothing on the other days. I leave a couple of suits and shoes in work

The shirts stay smart in an eagle creek folder. The 18 is better than the 15 but it needs a slightly bigger bag to put it in

jedster

I use an Ortleib Office Bag which is basically a panier that looks a bit more like a large laptop bag.

I do carry a bunch of stuff (papers, tools, spare tubes, pump) and like to be able to stuff my helmet/ gloves/glases in there for the train leg of my journey (when I frequently have a cup of coffee in one hand). I just don't find a rucsac comfortable for 10 miles if it has got any kind of load in it, especially on the drops. I also get quite sweaty enough without the extra insulation and don't want to look anymore hot and bothered on the train.

BTW, snooks, given your kit list, what do you do when you get a puncture?

J

Kieran_Burns

I use the Altura urban 17" laptop pannier: http://www.bikeshop.uk.com/492/Altura-U ... er=Froogle

I only carry a clean shirt, socks, undies and a towel (plus wallet, money, keys, phones (2) and spare batteries)

My spare tube and tools are in a small saddle bag (this way they are with the bike not me)

The laptop bag is ideal as it keeps the shirt relatively crease free and has great carrying capacity if I need it.

I've recently moved all the permanent office stuff out and leave them at work:
Suits,
toiletries
lock

which has saved me a huge amount of extra weight (oh and I stopped using a bottle and just drink a pint of water before setting off)

roger_merriman

linsen wrote:

I voted for wicker basket because it is what I aspire to have on my bike......

Can't fit panniers you see......

wicker basket is great for dumping odds and sods in when just picking up stuff in town, and don't forget the look of fear if you scalp some one!

sarajoy

roger merriman wrote:

linsen wrote:

I voted for wicker basket because it is what I aspire to have on my bike......

Can't fit panniers you see......

wicker basket is great for dumping odds and sods in when just picking up stuff in town, and don't forget the look of fear if you scalp some one!

Not great for food shopping though, once put a single full carrier-bag in and the weight of it kept pulling the front to one side or the other of true forwards... That was a twitchy ride home!

the_hundredth_idiot

roger merriman wrote:

wicker basket is great for dumping odds and sods in when just picking up stuff in town, and don't forget the look of fear if you scalp some one!

+1 to that, as someone who has been scalped by a rider on a bike with a wicker basket. :oops:

In my defence (can there be a defence against such a humiliation?), I was just pulling away from lights that had turned green, the other rider had obviously timed it better and already had some speed, it was a slick little hybrid (Cannondale Bad Boy or similar) and the rider was wearing lycra - the basket looked a little incongruous. And the rider turned off about 30 yards further down the road before I had chance to reclaim my scalp.

But still, a wicker basket. And with a chihuahua in it! :oops: :oops:

Roastie

Depends on the occasion:

- backpack (rucksack) for commuting to work where I have a fair amount to carry.
- "courier bag" for nipping to the shops and short trips where I have little need to carry much
- panniers for touring, though I must admit that I'd like to try a Carradice saddle bag for long day or overnight trips as panniers seem overkill for that
- baskets are very handy and when the missus and I head off into the country, the basket on her bike is a great place to put the picnic supplies. I'd love a nice utility bike with a big basket on the front. Wicker isn't very manly tho'.

Oh yes, and the trailer is great for lugging big items (like suitcases, TVs, groceries, ...)

shoulder_of_orion

+1 for wicker basket.

Not that I have one or would ever let one close to my bike. I use a backpack but I like the aesthetic of the wicker basket.

The chihuahua story makes me laugh - I can just imagine it, like Mickey Rourke with this stupid rat dog and a wicker basket. It's all so wrong but so right too...

vorsprung

In the past I have used (at various times ) a plastic bag attached to a rack with bungee straps, a courier bag and a rucksack

But a couple of years ago I got a Carradice Super C saddle bag like this



I also got a SQR kit for it so it is quick release. This saddle bag is wide enough to take a laptop and big enough to take whatever clothes/shopping/lunch you want. it is also waterproof enough to spend the night outside a Welsh YHA and still have dry contents in the morning

Someone said above that having the weight attached to your body made the handling of the bike easier. This is definitely not my experience! Put the weight on the bike

Roastie

biondino wrote:

Your bike felt top heavy so you changed to a system where the weight is a couple of feet higher? :shock:

Bunny hopping is difficult with loaded panniers.

Edit: Or a loaded saddle bag, for that matter...

roger_merriman

yes shouldn't put too much in the basket, though you do get used to it, and heavier bikes tend to be less twichy, saw a rather fit looking lady, (in both sences of the word) with a nice bike and said wicker basket, going a fair old lick, did look odd it had to be said...

gtvlusso

I was gonna vote for "angels back" being the best way to carry anything......but it is not an option. I shall now go back to hand cream and The Village People.....