About to begin my cycling commute!

[chris2307]

Hi all,

Completely new to cycling (except for when I was a kid) and I am about to move close enough to my place of work so that I can cycle in. I'm on a budget. The bike I've chosen to buy is on the £100 mark from Tesco to give you an idea!

My main question at the moment, although I'm sure there are more to come, is what is a good backpack to use? I need a backpack that's capable of carrying a 17.5" laptop which is in a sleeve so that adds up to another inch. I also want the backpack to have sufficient padding (or perhaps even a hard outer shell?) that will protect the laptop in case I come off.

Does anyone use or has used a similar backpack? I've had a look online but it's a bit of a minefield, especially when looking for extra padding or armor.

Thanks

 

[Profpointy]

i appreciate the budget constraint but £100 on a new bike is likely £100 down the drain. You're going to have to go 2nd hand - in which case should be doable for that. You may be lucky and get something quite good, or an older scruffy drop bar 14 speed 2x front 7 back for a bit less - but needs to be in working order or have money for new chain or whatever. If work's close enough and it's not too hilly a.single speed has a lot to be said for it - eg someone selling on their pub bike - but which still could be perfectly OK to ride.

£100 new - the term used here is BSO (bicycle shaped object) - ie looks like a bike but is in fact just scrap - and it's not people being snobby - it simply can't be done - and may even be supplied in a dangerous state.

Couple of things - you don't want suspension for the road. And anyway suspension costs money - which hence hasn't been spent on the rest of it.

Another hint - smooth tyres are best for the road - tread on bike tyres is for off-road - and is not more grippy on tarmac.

Anyhow, search locally or perhaps someone here might have something usable to sell

And welcome

 

[mrvandango]

Agreed.. I've bought cheap 'bikes' in the past and they've just not cut the mustard at all. I'm currently riding an old Raleigh racing bike that I picked up off ebay for £120 delivered and now I've set it up properly it's brilliant. Quiet, comfortable, fast and smooth. Can't ask for more than that! Have a good look around and I'm sure you'll find exactly what you are looking for in the 'pre-loved' market that will do you fine for your budget (until you catch the bug completely that is!)

 

[vickster]

I wouldn't want to carry a 17.5" laptop on my back on a bike in case of an off (and a broken neck). Get a pannier rack

And a decent second hand bike

 

[DannyCFC]

I use a Targus bag which I'm pretty sure I got in Tesco years ago. It has extra padding and is split in two inside - apart from that it's a normal backpack. I use it every day, never had any problems and it never seemed heavier than any other backpack. Even with the laptop in you still have a small amount of room for other stuff .

 

[chris2307]

Thanks all for the advice!

It would seem like a second hand bike is getting the majority vote here. The one from Tesco actually had some really good reviews (You can read them here if you want: http://www.tesco.com/direct/vertigo-bilbao-700c-trekking-bike-21-mens/296-7737.prd?skuId=296-7737) and my commute is on a short 2 mile stretch of road which is completely flat. However, I'd definitely trust you guys who have more experience and if the consensus is second hand then I don't mind exploring that avenue.

With regards to the bag, The pannier racks I've seen would be completely out of the question, considering the value of the laptop - I couldn't justify the risk unfortunately and if that means sticking with the car then I would have to do that. Any other suggestions on how to transport a laptop securely and safely without risking my vertebrae?

This isn't going to be as straight forward as I first thought is it?!

 

[Profpointy]

I wouldn't want to carry a 17.5" laptop on my back on a bike in case of an off (and a broken neck). Get a pannier rack

And a decent second hand bike

I think the laptop would be smashed, thus absorbing some of the impact. Uncomfortable though.

A lady I know used to carry a diving cylinder on her back on the bike - she got very wide overtakes indeed for some reason.
(this is not a recommendation however)

 

[slowmotion]

Another vote for getting some panniers. I have carried a 17" laptop in a £10 Lidl rucksack but it's not something I would wish to do regularly...especially in hot weather.

 

[Markymark]

What Vickster said.

 

[Cuchilo]

I have done extensive testing over the last year into panniers v's rucksack and I have come to this conclusion .
Side panniers ( altura ) Shake the beer so you get a small spray and dripping head when opened .
Top rack pannier ( Halfords own brand ) shakes the beer up so you get a small spray and head when opening .
Rucksack ( deuter ) still a small amount of psssst when opening the beer but the best of the three options .
My conclusion is my panniers and rucksack cost more than the bike you are looking at and that's just to make sure my beer isn't shaken up

 

[KneesUp]

I commute with a 17" laptop in a rucksack - it's just a day sack I picked up from an outdoor shop years ago. My laptop weighs a ton though, and I wouldn't recommend it. I'll be getting panniers soon. It's do-able with a rucksack over short distances though.

 

[vickster]

Why on earth would a pannier rack be out of the question...you put the laptop in a pannier secured to the rack...you don't just bungee it on

You have a high value laptop, but want a £100 bike...priorities all wrong for this forum...get thee to the techno geek area

 

[chris2307]

Thanks for the responses

I'm slightly relieved to hear people have been using rucksacks, even though they're not exactly all positive comments! As long as it's doable then that's fine. As previously mentioned, I don't want to risk my laptop on panniers so I think I will opt for a decent rucksack with plenty of padding. Relatively speaking, it's only a short cycle (ten minutes) and all flat. Just thinking of the comment regarding a possible broken neck... would a laptop in a rucksack not act in a similar way to a back brace in a motorbike jacket? I'm not suggesting that a laptop will actually be beneficial in an accident. I'm merely asking whether the risk of neck injury from a laptop is the same as a motor cycle back brace i.e. Negligible?

I'm going to start looking in to second hand bikes and will be using these forums to educate myself a little more on what to look out for.

Why on earth would a pannier rack be out of the question...you put the laptop in a pannier secured to the rack...you don't just bungee it on

You have a high value laptop, but want a £100 bike...priorities all wrong for this forum...get thee to the techno geek area

Two good points but I think you misunderstand me. I'm not worried about the laptop falling off. I'm worried about impact damage to the laptop in a crash.

With regards to my priorities, they'll always lie with "techno" geek stuff! Although I'm sure techno is a genre of music

Thanks guys

 

[vickster]

I'd be more concerned about breaking my neck than a laptop in a crash!

If I had a 2 mile commute and only £100 for a bike, I'd just walk to work while saving up for a decent bike

 

[Cuchilo]

Id spend the money on more beer to continue my research