I think I need panniers

velocestrapture

If you carry stuff around on your bike, do you use a rucksack or panniers? How much do you carry and how much does it weigh?

I have just crammed my rucksack full to do my commute home from work, and have rather more to take with me than I was anticipating. It weighs a tonne- well, obviously not literally, but in the interests of having a jolly good whinge I am going to weigh it when I get home.

In the meantime how about a sweepstake as to how much it does weigh?

To give you a rough idea of weight, my bulging sac contains the following:

Lever Arch file full of A4 pages, plus another stack about 2 inches thick.
Laptop and charger
Wallet
Change of underwear and top
Hairbrush
Keys to office, house, and shed
D-lock

notsoblue

That all sounds far too heavy, get panniers! You'll appreciate it in the summer when it gets warm and rucksacks give you a sweaty back...

dhope

Leave the lock at work btw, that'll save a kilo

velocestrapture

The reason I have been holding off panniers is the faff of taking them off for the club run at the weekends. Another reason for n+1 ...

Unfortunatly I can't leave the D lock at work because I work at more than one location.

veronese68

Did the lock not come with a clip to attach it to the frame? Anyway get panniers, the rack without a pannier on it doesn't weigh enough to be an issue. Ortlieb panniers just lift off in one move as lifting the handle automatically unclips them. Much more comfortable and no hassle, racks are ugly I grant you.

Cafewanda

I agree with the others. Get a rack and panniers. You can always take the rack off for the weekend. I'm a recent convert to Carradice but, very recently, had eyelets put on my SS so I can use a rack and panniers for food shopping and the occasional lugging home of the company laptop.

Applespider

I use panniers on my main commuter particularly in winter when clothes and boots take up more room. In the summer, I'm more likely just to chuck a lightweight dress/sandals in a rucksack and go so that I can take the nice road bike for a spin.

Having panniers though does mean that I carry more around - wet weather gear just in case, extra light and batteries - and does therefore make me slower. More people pass me on days when I have a full pannier than days where they're not attached.

velocestrapture

Back home with a sore lower back.

Bag weighs 9.71kg!

Definitely time to look at panniers, methinks.

iPete

velocestrapture wrote:

The reason I have been holding off panniers is the faff of taking them off for the club run at the weekends. Another reason for n+1 ...

Unfortunatly I can't leave the D lock at work because I work at more than one location.

If you can't get n+1 [like myself ] getting a rack on off is a 2 minute job. It takes me far longer to switch between the pishing commute and weekend wheels. :x

velocestrapture

iPete wrote:

velocestrapture wrote:

The reason I have been holding off panniers is the faff of taking them off for the club run at the weekends. Another reason for n+1 ...

Unfortunatly I can't leave the D lock at work because I work at more than one location.

If you can't get n+1 [like myself ] getting a rack on off is a 2 minute job. It takes me far longer to switch between the pishing commute and weekend wheels. :x

Heh, yes. I have to two sets of wheels as well. Borough tyres for the commute and 25mm for weekend fun. Do you have fun with the 'quick' release link in the chains as well? There seems to be no rhyme or reason as to why it can take seconds one day, and 20 mins the next to get the **** things unclipped.

roger_merriman

I think if your wise with your choices you can get a bike that is fun to do most stuff, I use my SS for about (london) town and fun rides into Northdowns etc.

I'm reducing down to 2 bikes one commute/road bike and a MTB.

I hate bags etc on my back so i'm a fan of paniers.

velocestrapture

roger merriman wrote:

I think if your wise with your choices you can get a bike that is fun to do most stuff, I use my SS for about (london) town and fun rides into Northdowns etc.

I'm reducing down to 2 bikes one commute/road bike and a MTB.

I hate bags etc on my back so i'm a fan of paniers.

I ride a Tri-cross Sport, which is pretty good for both fun and commuting. It is just a hassle to have to swap bits about, rather than grab it out of the shed and go straight away.

roger_merriman

velocestrapture wrote:

roger merriman wrote:

I think if your wise with your choices you can get a bike that is fun to do most stuff, I use my SS for about (london) town and fun rides into Northdowns etc.

I'm reducing down to 2 bikes one commute/road bike and a MTB.

I hate bags etc on my back so i'm a fan of paniers.

I ride a Tri-cross Sport, which is pretty good for both fun and commuting. It is just a hassle to have to swap bits about, rather than grab it out of the shed and go straight away.

To be honest I just leave the paniers etc on, with the gearing I'm hardly quick up the hills anyway.

And the hassle of taking paniers, rack off and a saddlebag with yet another set of tools etc.

greg66_tri_v2.0

Panniers are for girls.

Oh, well you get what I mean.

Buy another lock. One at home, one at work. Do you have a computer at home? If yes, a memory stick is all you need. Never haul a lever arch file around. All it gets is a change of scenery. By having it near you, you assuage your guilt at not having read it during the day. If you plan to take it home, you wont read it during the day. Plan to read it during the day, and then you have your evening to yourself.

And buy a large messenger bag. Best solution by far. Timbuk2 is your friend.

Kieran_Burns

Greg66 wrote:

Panniers are for girls.

Oh, well you get what I mean.

Buy another lock. One at home, one at work. Do you have a computer at home? If yes, a memory stick is all you need. Never haul a lever arch file around. All it gets is a change of scenery. By having it near you, you assuage your guilt at not having read it during the day. If you plan to take it home, you wont read it during the day. Plan to read it during the day, and then you have your evening to yourself.

And buy a large messenger bag. Best solution by far. Timbuk2 is your friend.

That would get you the sack at many employers... Basic security no no.

Cleat Eastwood

9.71kg - most of that weight is your own boring sense of self importance. haha.

rick_chasey

Hey, that was uncalled for....

clarkey cat

I bought some rack and panniers and I hardly use them. When I put them on I ride one commute and decide to take them off again. Dont like them really. You can buy mine if you want. Virtually unused.

rjsterry

Cleat Eastwood wrote:

9.71kg - most of that weight is your own boring sense of self importance. haha.

Cakestop is that way ====>

edduddiee

I have a rack permanently fitted to my bike. I have had some fun comments from 'serious cyclists' when out on on a jolly/sportive at the weekends. They usually eat their words when I come cruising past them as soon as the road starts going up. One chap even asked if he could affix a tow rope to the rack while I was pulling along a group of around 15 cyclists.

I generally only put a pannier on it twice a week: once on a monday morning to bring a weeks worth of clothes into the office and again on a friday evening to take it all home to wash.

rick_chasey

edduddiee wrote:

I have a rack permanently fitted to my bike. I have had some fun comments from 'serious cyclists' when out on on a jolly/sportive at the weekends. They usually eat their words when I come cruising past them as soon as the road starts going up. One chap even asked if he could affix a tow rope to the rack while I was pulling along a group of around 15 cyclists.

Hero.

By and large, the amount I need for a commute to work (not that much), I feel plenty more nimble through traffic with a bag on my back.

For sure, if it's heavy, the pannier is the way forward.

The twists and bends of your frame when you're out the saddle take a bit of getting used to though.

Greg T

edduddiee wrote:

I have a rack permanently fitted to my bike. I have had some fun comments from 'serious cyclists' when out on on a jolly/sportive at the weekends.

I thought I was putting in a good effort up box hill, had collected a couple of drafters on the way. Got done at the start of the last corners by a guy with a rack and a pannier fitted, it was full as well, broke me.

jedster

I went for a panier. Get too sweaty with a rucsac. Frankly I get too sweaty without a rucsac but its a little better.
Tried a messenger bag but couldnt get on with it - found I was always shifting it around and it tended to get a bit heavy.
It does take a bit getting used to the different handling with paniers (especially so if you just use one and it weighs anything) but it's not really worse, just different.

Have to say that my bag does seem to steadily accumulate crap which needs sporadic culling. I tend to carry a fairly full set of tools on the basis that I KNOW that whatever I take out will be essential the next day when I get a mechanical in the dark and driving rain and realise that my mobile is out of juice.

Obviously I do have the shame of looking like a yogurt-knitting, sandal-wearing tourer type but hey we all have our crosses to bare...

J

rjsterry

Greg T wrote:

edduddiee wrote:

I have a rack permanently fitted to my bike. I have had some fun comments from 'serious cyclists' when out on on a jolly/sportive at the weekends.

I thought I was putting in a good effort up box hill, had collected a couple of drafters on the way. Got done at the start of the last corners by a guy with a rack and a pannier fitted, it was full as well, broke me.

Indeed, the sight of a pannier pulling alongside can spur you into action, but if you are already spurred, as it were, it can shatter one's ego somewhat.

+1 to G66's point about having a really good look at what *has* to be carried back and forth, as opposed to what you carry as a kind of comfort blanket. I'm guilty of this myself and my 'empty' bag is still quite heavy.

veronese68

I keep my panniers on as an excuse, but I fill them with helium balloons.

Drfabulous0

I can't stand the extra drag panniers create so I only use them if I really need to, I have a bike specically for carrying loads and pulling trailers so I don't need a rack on my regular bike. definately an N+1 I reckon.

DonDaddyD

velocestrapture wrote:

If you carry stuff around on your bike, do you use a rucksack or panniers? How much do you carry and how much does it weigh?

I have just crammed my rucksack full to do my commute home from work, and have rather more to take with me than I was anticipating. It weighs a tonne- well, obviously not literally, but in the interests of having a jolly good whinge I am going to weigh it when I get home.

In the meantime how about a sweepstake as to how much it does weigh?

To give you a rough idea of weight, my bulging sac contains the following:

Lever Arch file full of A4 pages, plus another stack about 2 inches thick.
Laptop and charger
Wallet
Change of underwear and top
Hairbrush
Keys to office, house, and shed
D-lock

My honest opinion:

Lever Arch file full of A4 pages, plus another stack about 2 inches thick. - Listen to Greg.
Laptop and charger - Messenger bag.
Wallet - buy a smaller one
Change of underwear and top - roll your clothes, fit into a messenger bag, leave jumpers/trousers at work.
Hairbrush - Leave at work. Have one at home
Keys to office, house, and shed - keep in pocket, lose the key rings.
D-lock - leave at work. Have one at home

You actually don't carry that much more than me in your bag. I survive with a NorthFace Messenger bag.

jonginge

velocestrapture wrote:

Unfortunatly I can't leave the D lock at work because I work at more than one location.

fossyant

Haribrush - you got girls hair?

Seriously, I moved to panniers as when working at 'other' sites carrying a FAGH and an ABUS Bordo and a full set of clothing weighs a tonne.

Having a fubar'ed shoulder as well prompted the move.

The only down side is where the weight is situated - my commuter is 8kg's without the rack (it's fixed gear) but fully loaded the weight is more than doubled. You very soon get used to all this weight at the back, but as soon as you jump on the bike unladen, or worse, on your lightweight road bikes, it's hard work getting used to the lack of weight, so you struggle holding onto the bikes out of the saddle.

jedster

it's hard work getting used to the lack of weight, so you struggle holding onto the bikes out of the saddle

I know what you mean...

clarkey cat

gives you a +1 on the FCN... which is no bad thing. And of course, a rack without mudguards looks cack - so thats +2. and you cant really have a rack and mudguards without a beard. So an easy +3.