Talk to me about luggage

prawny

Just started back on the 20 mile one way commute and I am slow.

Currently, using panniers but the weight over the back wheel is making the handling very wayward. Is a backpack my best option? I've noticed that I'm also a lot slower than when I did the same journey with a messenger bag. And a lot slower than when I used a big (but not big enough for my current job) seat pack. Can panniers really be that bad aero wise?

fatsmoker

When I switched from rack and pannier to backpack I got a load of PBs on Strava. So, yes it does make a difference. Racks aren't very light, even if you are carrying the same amount in the bag. I also found that I carry less crap in my backpack that used to accumulate in the pannier bag.

The Rookie

I hate a sweaty back, so panniers for me, not surprised by gaining PB's as a pannier has horrendous aero while a backpack can actually improve it over carrying nothing.

Focus on the loading, weight low and as far forward as you reasonably can, I carry about 9Kg single sided and don't notice it at all when riding (off the bike it feels horrid, but as I weigh 10 times what my pannier and rack do I can't see it having much effect on me!).

fenix

It's meant to be better to keep the weight down low - having a backpack probably isn't ideal.

Can't you leave stuff in work ? I try and keep things as light as possible - as has been noted above - the panniers are probably accumulating stuff.

roger_merriman

Agreed paniers are brick like in shape etc, so not at all areo!

This said regarding handling depends on the bike, years back had a SS roadie with panniers and before that a cheap hybrid both suffered handling when even quite mildly loaded.

But the old MTB I pressed into service as commuter even at fairly high loads 9KG and up while the bike is heavy once going its handling is barely changed, comfortable with full panniers descending off big uk hills etc.

prawny

It's the first week I've been riding in again so the panniers haven't had chance to accumulate any guff, just carrying the bear minimum clothes and lunch, shoes and lock live at work.

It turns out the pannier has killed my current wheel anyway, a spoke went yesterday on my third commute so I think I'm going to run with a backpack for a while, at least until I can afford some better wheels with more spokes.

The Rookie

How does a pannier kill a spoke, the bike will weigh the same regardless of where you carry it.....the spoke failed but blaming the pannier shows a lack of thought!

My bike is 9Kg bare, I weigh about 85Kg ready to ride, the guards weigh about 200g, the contents of my pannier weigh about 7-7.5Kg so the different in rear wheel weight from putting it just behind the back axle to over/just in front on your back is two parts of naff all! As it happens I have two speed bumps I bunny hop (so 4 hops daily).....spokes are all fine!

prawny

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19750877#p19750877]The Rookie[/url] wrote:

How does a pannier kill a spoke, the bike will weigh the same regardless of where you carry it.....the spoke failed but blaming the pannier shows a lack of thought!

My bike is 9Kg bare, I weigh about 85Kg ready to ride, the guards weigh about 200g, the contents of my pannier weigh about 7-7.5Kg so the different in rear wheel weight from putting it just behind the back axle to over/just in front on your back is two parts of naff all! As it happens I have two speed bumps I bunny hop (so 4 hops daily).....spokes are all fine!

It might not be much but I'm confident that the pannier contributed, I could feel the wheel flexing under acceleration, plus my rack puts the weight a fair way out from the back wheel. I'm thinking the rucksack should spread the weight across the two wheels more evenly and be isolated from the bike a bit by me. I like riding with nothing on my shoulders, I might give it another go when I can afford some sturdier wheels, the current ones are fairly low rent