Bag on your back or panniers

funkydisciple

What do you peeps have for your commute....bags on ur back or panniers...is it better to have panniers? i will be mainly carrying work clothes and a pair of shoes.

I have ridden with a bag on my back prviously bu my commute was only 2 miles bu my commute will now be 13 miles. advice is greatly appreciated.

Twisterboy

I usually carry a ruck sack on my commute and leave my stuff at work ie shoes and a couple of shirts and trousers.

David

Paul E

In hot weather a rack and pannier, when it turns cooler will go back to a rucksack.

It's just so much more comfortable with the pannier and I havent noticed a drop in overall speed, will feel quick when I take it off

MattL30

Rack. A rucksack is sometimes nice in freezing weather, but in the main, a rack bag for commuting is awesome. What you may lose in speed, you easily gain in comfort and you'll feel better balanced if cornering a little too fast.

rubertoe

Bag on my back all year round.

although i am sure panniers are nice, i just dont carry that much.

ESHER SHORE

always preferred backpack

have carried some huge loads on backpacks (bike frames, forks, wheels, books, etc.) no problems to report


backpack - weight carried on the body - its dynamic - the weight moves with you as you move your body around

panier - weight carried on the bike - its static - the weight moves against you as you move the bike using your body - makes the bike feel heavier and less responsive

exactly the same issue with hydration pack vs. waterbottles / bottle cage

BelgianBeerGeek

Backpack - thorough pain in the butt, even though I leave as much as possible at work.

The new bike specifically will have fittings for rack so I can fit a pannier.

cloggsy

Oxford motorcycle bum-bag & small backpack.

I leave most of my kit at work.

chilling

If I need to carry a lot I use a courier bag.

Most days I can get away with just one of these on my rack, which doesn't weigh one side down, and doesn't make a river down my back.

http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/carradice-ca ... rc=froogle

gbsahne001

carradice saddle bag

Poacher

Panniers. Just resist the temptation to carry loads of stuff in them - I confess I tend to end up with a mobile workshop if I'm not careful (and I'm not).You're switching from a 2 mile commute to 13 mile - if you do that with a rucksack, even a well-ventilated one - you're likely to get a sweaty back, and probably a few aches and pains to go with it.
(Depends on your age to some extent, I suppose. I did a camping trip 40 years ago with as much gear as possible on top of the rack and the remainder in a rucksack. Averaged ~100 miles a day, with 7 out of 9 days travelling and my lifetime max of 164 miles on the first day. Never regretted it but wouldn't attempt it again - would certainly have preferred to have been able to afford panniers!)
I suppose my best advice would be to try it for a start with a backpack if you're not carrying much, but have a rapidly achievable option of switching to panniers, and consider the possibility of carrying much of a weekly shop in them. Be versatile!

jamesco

Panniers. So many advantages over a backpack, very few disadvantages, let the bike take the strain!

gilesjuk

I have two large bags on my Big Dummy. It's great to be able to carry so much stuff.

A heavy rucksack will put more weight on the saddle and cause numbness sometimes. But it depends on how well your bike is set up and what saddle.

keefsloan

One of these: http://www.inov-8.com/Products-Detail.a ... 5050973012

I also have a Deuter air race pack that I use occasionally, but for the past 6 months I've been using the Innov-8 Race Pro listed above. If needed I can get a Paramo jacket in there (valez smock with hood), keys, wallet, energy bars, phone and still have room for a few other bits and bobs. I normally take just a Gortex gilette when I'm commuting (15 or 20 miles each way, depending on whether I take the Richmond park route when the sun is out!) which gives me lots and lots of spare space to carry other stuff. Also used it on a 100km sportive recently (along with a camel back Blowfish for hydration) and it was perfect for having things to hand - mars bars and energy gels for instance. The side pockets are easily accessible when riding.

I used to go with panniers and a rack years ago but would now rather have the weight on me than the bike (I don't have a cyclists build as it isn't my main physical activity so am not worried by weight etc.). Personally I'd rather keep the bike light and nimble, and the Innov-8 race pack allows me to do that, and keep a dry back at the same time. Result!

The Rookie

I carry a laptop, packed lunch (lots of it) and my small tool bag, if that lot goes in a backpack I sweat enough to start a new river, so panniers for me!

Simon

whitestar1

Backpack. Hate panniers. Mess with the look of my bike and that means a lot to me!

Koncordski

whitestar1 wrote:

Backpack. Hate panniers. Mess with the look of my bike and that means a lot to me!

Got to be honest that's why I use a backpack. As with others here I leave work stuff at work and just carry what I need in a backpack. Deuter Race Air (it leaves a nice gap between your back and the rest of the pack) is awesome for most things I ever need to carry. There's almost no way of cycling in the summer without getting sweaty so I don't worry about it, showers at work.

Same reason I switched to a hydration pack in the bag, hated having the bottle cages ruining the look of the bike! Bit obsessed with keeping it shiny, girlfriend thinks I'm nuts.

roger_merriman

whitestar1 wrote:

Backpack. Hate panniers. Mess with the look of my bike and that means a lot to me!

where as i hate anything on my back, I always find it uncomfortable hence my commute bike has paniers.



Bike is more dirty functional than tarty as one can see...

iPete

I used panniers for a year on my 34 mile round trip to work as I needed them also for a tour.

The commute is now 42 miles & to save energy and maintain speed I've moved to a saddle bag. If you don't need to carry much this is by the far the best option, why would anyone use a backpack?!

AndyManc

Oh , are we having a "show our bikes with panniers on competition" then ?


Go on then .............., taken a few minutes ago





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dilemna

Cycling with a backpack on is so NED and chav on a BSO. Panniers all the way.

CrackFox

Started with a backpack, switched to panniers and then went back to the pack. I have to carry my bike up and down three steep flights of steps from my door to the road, and the weight of the rack and panniers on the rear of the bike just made that a lot more difficult.

theslowone

+1 ipete
The real consideration is how much stuff do you carry and how often. Personaly I don't mind riding with a small backpack if its not to warm (used to hydration pack on my MTB). But as I tend to drive to work on Mondays and leave most of my stuff at work, I use a seatpost bag for my commute and find that it means that I arrive at work a little less sweaty and without the stiff neck that you can get if using a back pack over any real distance. If you don't need to carry much stuff panniers are expensive and spoil the look of your bike. If you do need to carry a lot over a long distance they are however the best option.

dilemna

CrackFox wrote:

Started with a backpack, switched to panniers and then went back to the pack. I have to carry my bike up and down three steep flights of steps from my door to the road, and the weight of the rack and panniers on the rear of the bike just made that a lot more difficult.

Errrr .......... take the panniers off .

Cycle100

Bright yellow rucksack for me. .. I've tried panniers but didn't enjoy however I do use them on holiday etc.

Blandiblub

Bit of a noob but don't need to carry much so Deuter Race backpack for me. Never found it a problem but never used panniers so no real frame of reference.

Commute about 30-35 mins each way and only really carry a light cable chain (bike is stored in secure garage at work), underwear, shirt and, er, some lunch!

CrackFox

dilemna wrote:

CrackFox wrote:

Started with a backpack, switched to panniers and then went back to the pack. I have to carry my bike up and down three steep flights of steps from my door to the road, and the weight of the rack and panniers on the rear of the bike just made that a lot more difficult.

Errrr .......... take the panniers off .

Heh, well that's what I did. I just never got round to putting them back on again. The pack is just more convenient overall. There are aesthetic considerations too. Panniers make a bike look ponderous and frumpy. Only mudguards and toeclips are as effective at unpimping your ride.

Cycle100

Agree panniers are very frumpy..... but great for touring in the hills in the summer, and I'm off to the alps soon.....

El Gordo

I used a pannier for years and was quite happy until I started taking a longer and hillier route in to work. I have now switched to a backpack and find the bike much more fun to ride.

If you're just cruising down a piece of tarmac then panniers are the best. If you want to get out of the saddle for a climb, sprint or a bit of off-roading then I prefer a backpack.

Daerve

I use a topeak MTX EX on a rack. When I'm not carrying much the panniers are zipped in, when I need more space I just unzip the panniers. It's also dead easy to clip on and off the bike with the quick track system.

No sweaty back, convenient to get on and off, even with all my stuff in and much nicer to ride with than a rucksack.

nigglenoo

gbsahne wrote:

carradice saddle bag

LOL, nobody else on here seems to realise this option exists! Its ideal when you don't need the capacity of panniers, though I went for their Super C rack bag as I already had a rack, to which I also attach a single pannier on Monday morning and Friday evening to take work clothes in and bring them home.

I guess the people using heavy rucksacks to avoid making their bikes look uncool must be youngsters, with no real belief in the possibility of being permanently injured by doing that. I cannot stand anything on my back when riding more than a mile or two, a sweaty back is surely the most uncool thing ever.