Anyone ride with a rucksac?

[gavintc]

Rucksack here as well. I use my commuter for club runs and want to keep it relatively light. I do not think it is an issue.

 

[Aperitif]

Rucksack, ten quid, Tesco...56kms a day and recently 48kms a day. Yellow Med-Viz () cover to keep out the weather. Gets a bit heavy with three bottles of Cabernet up though...

I may try panniers next bike.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

Rucksack, freebie from a timber company! (it's not made of wood)
I also find mine only gets heavy if the ride includes a Saino's stop...clink clink!

 

[rh100]

Well that was my train of thought, but now I'm not sure. If anything I now think that it may even be counter productive, but don't ask me to explain my reasoning?

Deep down I know that a rack and panniers is the answer, and I know how practical and useful it will be, but it just spoils the look of the bike.

Will the next step be Plus 4's and 35mm tyres. ........

It has taken me years to overcome my phobia of saddlebags, let alone thinking about fitting a rack now.

At least with my Carradice saddlebag QR Bagman support I can whip it off on a weekend, and the evening training bash.

The tesco one I mentioned is QR, don't know if it's any good though

 

[2Loose]

I've got a freebie rucksack from the police (hiviz, think bike etc.) but when it is loaded up I strap it to my rack with a cargo net like this http://www.amazon.com/Small-Cargo-Net-15/dp/B000G15DFA or it restricts my movement too much and makes my back sweat,
Getting panniers for Christmas though because they are a proper solution.

 

[fossyant]

Well that was my train of thought, but now I'm not sure. If anything I now think that it may even be counter productive, but don't ask me to explain my reasoning?

Deep down I know that a rack and panniers is the answer, and I know how practical and useful it will be, but it just spoils the look of the bike.

Exactly............ I don't like the look of panniers, even though my bike has all the fittings, shoving those on a fixed road bike...goodness me..... mudguards are bad enough, but essential.

I'm not against panniers, but I like a 'clean' look...... I have an 'air' rucksack (Decathlon special) - i.e. the back sits on pads, so air can circulate - not too bad, but heavy lifting it on and off with the crap I carry, but not an issue when on..

The extra weight helps (panniers or rucksack) for weekend rides....you go much quicker with that lot not on you/the bike......

 

[slowmotion]

I think, ( I may be wrong), that a lot of people don't use a rack and panniers because they think they look faintly geeky, Hovis advert or something. Fair enough. If it bothered me, and it doesn't, I only have to undo four allen head screws, and I hey!, I'm cool again.

 

[Kirstie]

I commuted with a laptop in a rucksack on only one occassion, and it was the one time I got hit by a car. I got taken out sideways and because of the weight of my backpack I hit the floor with greater force, which resulted in a wedge fracture on two vertebrae in my upper back. Ergo I will *never* commute with a rucksack ever again!

 

[Fnaar]

I commuted with a laptop in a rucksack on only one occassion, and it was the one time I got hit by a car. I got taken out sideways and because of the weight of my backpack I hit the floor with greater force, which resulted in a wedge fracture on two vertebrae in my upper back. Ergo I will *never* commute with a rucksack ever again!

Did the laptop survive?

 

[Fnaar]

I did 2 days cycling with a rucksack a couple of yrs ago. The very next week, i invested in rack/panniers

 

[Kirstie]

Did the laptop survive?

No it was f**ked - never worked again. It was one of the first ever macintosh laptops and so would be a museum piece if I still had it!

 

[Bay Runner]

Rack and panniers for me too.

I find them practical, been commuting here for 13 years and five years in the West Country. Did a rucksack many years ago made my back sweat.

Go a new set of panniers recently, they clip on an off easily, I find them better for the overall balance of the bike and ride

 

[Keith Oates]

I'm a rucksack user and find it no problem on my regular commute. Sometimes it's a bit heavy if I have the laptop or similar to carry but once on the bike then it's not a problem!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[dellzeqq]

Very good, top marks for wit.....

As a result, extra text now added to clear up any confusion.

sorry - it was a question. I should perhaps have written - is the laptop less likely to be damaged in a rucksac than in a pannier bag?

 

[slowmotion]

The laptop is more likely to be damaged in a pannier, I suspect, for the simple reason that there is less "squidgy stuff "between it and the road compared to a rucksac which has your squidgy body between it and the road.

The Science has no consensus at this point, but alarming "tipping points" have been observed by previous posters on this thread