Recommend a convertible pannier bag

whyamihere

I have a fairly horrible commute (Walsall to Milton Keynes on trains), which so far I haven't tried to add a bike into. I've been thinking about how to make it work recently, at least cutting out the slow local train. The ride from home to Birmingham where I change trains and would leave the bike is 20km, so I would prefer to use panniers to having a bag on my back, but I also want a backpack for the rest of the day.

So, requirements:
Able to convert from being a pannier bag to a backpack
Waterproof
Able to carry a 15" laptop and some clothes (jeans and shirt)
Not too much hassle to convert
I could probably go to £100 for the right bag, but less is better

This Ortlieb is about the best I've seen so far, but attaching and removing the backpack straps feels like it could become a pain to do twice per day.

jeatsy

I looked into this at one point but was put off by price, so didn't buy in the end. I do remember Arkel being recommended:

https://richmondcyclecentre.co.uk/shop/ ... nier-unit/

It's worth bearing in mind that all your weight will be on one side of the bike. After years of this, my riding became quite lop-sided! Nowadays I switch between left and right every few weeks.

Have you considered the unfashionable but much cheaper option of putting your rucksack in a basket?

whyamihere

Thanks, that looks good, but a bit expensive unfortunately, I will look at the brand to see if there's anything a bit more wallet friendly though. I had thought about the uneven weight distribution - I will probably have a normal pannier bag on the other side with locks etc in it, which should help. I haven't considered a basket, but I have thought about just putting my backpack in a normal pannier, which is probably my second preference if I can't find a suitable convertible one.

jeatsy

Carradice do one and it's on sale for £43 right now: https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/luggageback ... -27-litre/