Backpack vs Panniers

[cyberknight]

This is spades.
And liking your theory about the extra speed on the roadie at weekends.

It feels faster anyway
I carry way to much but when i need it then its there, carried toe warmers all summer and the other morning it was sub 7 c and they were handy

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

SWMBO has a rack & pannier-bags on her Boardman (1) for her commute to her office
Her company, so bike just gets wheeled in, & left in one of the other rooms

I use (what looks like) one of those kids 'shoe-bags', when I need to take items (uniform/food/etc..)
Quite a lot can be packed in, & with a lanyard clipped on, it can be tied across the chest to prevent too much lateral movement
The pair I use, are from 'goodie bags', after trail-races (running)



I keep considering a rack for the CGR, but then a matter of remounting lights. from where they are now

1. I already had the p-b's (in a sealed package), as I'd considered fitting a rack to my 'blue' Ribble, when I bought that in mid 2013
(since superceded, by the CGR, from March 2017)

The main reason I didn't fit a rack to the 'blue' was due to the positioning of the seat-stay mount - the near-side interfered/aligned with the brake

 

[TylerSmith]

I prefer the panniers, because a backpack just makes me sweat way too much. I don't like showing up to work with a sweaty back.

 

[froze]

I use a small backpack, it's simpler and I can take with me easily, plus it stores everything I need; for touring I use panniers of course. I didn't buy an expensive backpack just a Easton baseball pack because it fits my helmet inside the bag and has a waterproof lining which works, I found mine at Dicks Sporting Goods. Pannier wise I went with Axiom Monsoon 45's if it matters.

If you are commuting with a laptop, tablet or a smartphone you need to make sure water can't get to it, the cheapest way is to put the device into a ziplock plastic food bag, you can buy dedicated covers for this stuff but they can be expensive and a ziplock bag works just as well. Even though my backpack is waterproof I put my stuff I don't want to get wet in a ziplock bag just to be safe. I put a lot of stuff into ziplock bags inside my touring panniers, this prevents stuff from getting wet, something tearing into the pannier, something leaking out into the pannier; I also line my pannier with a plastic cinch waste bag...yeah I know it seems like an overkill but I don't want stuff leaking in, or especially leaking out and staining and making my clothes smell funky or the inside of the pannier.

 

[Heltor Chasca]

1x Ortlieb Roller Urban here, when I'm not raping and pillaging saxons, I'm carrying my undies and a sarnies to work. The ortlieb mount system is quick and easy. You just lift the handle and it unclips from the rack. It only takes a few seconds to mount and the strap means you can wear it like a messenger bag if you have a way to walk at the far end of your trip. Downside, it's pricier than a sports direct backpack and the roll and clasp function can be faffier than a zip enclosure... but arguably it will last much longer and will come in handy when I eventually get around to my first bicycle tour.

View attachment 482605

This is sacrilege of a decent touring beard! You’ve got the look, now you need to get out there. ✊

 

[Oldhippy]

Carradice saddle bag for pottering and work carradice panniers for shopping or trailer and touring.

 

[RoubaixCube]

Ive use panniers, Backpacks, messenger bags and trunk bags. It all depends on how much im carrying. A Deuter EXP Air did most of my commuting duties. Occasionally i had an Topeak MTX trunkbag when i needed to carry more than just a change of clothes.

the Deuter is worth investing in to carry light loads back and forth. Its got a built in wire frame that holds the bag off the back so air can flow through and that helps a lot.

 

[alecstilleyedye]

when i was commuting i used a decathlon rack and single pannier (which weighed not a lot) into which a rucksack went in. easy to take out at the other end, and offers the option of double the capacity should I suddenly need to bring something back…

 

[Drago]

I with the OP. I much prefer a backpack where possible. Less of an effect on the machines behaviour, less aero penalty, more convenient, goes where you go without having to be disconnected from the bike. The only caveat is that anything solid that could cause spinal injuries doesn't go in the pack.

I don't suffer unduly from sweaty back syndrome, my level of sweatiness is much the same with or without a pack.

But having said all that many people prefer pannoers, or even a trailer. Its as much a taste thing as anything else.

 

[Willam]

I went from backpack to panniers and found the same as you, mine was only small too, I then went back to backpack and now just hang it off one of the handlebars which is better still.

 

[I like Skol]

I went from backpack to panniers and found the same as you, mine was only small too, I then went back to backpack and now just hang it off one of the handlebars which is better still.

 

[HLaB]

Better a second of hassle than an hour of sweat IMO but each to their own.

Since this thread has been resurrected I better update. I still carry a laptop once a week but the train is the larger part of my current commute and it would be more than a second and only 40minutes of riding (not really sweating). If I was sweating I would reassess but for the moment I prefer the agility of having a little weight on my back still that I don't really notice and the convenience of having my hands free to get tickets and hold/push/carry the bike in the station/ on the train.

 

[Etern4l]

Do people carry laptops in those pannier bags? Some cheap/disposable laptops presumably?

 

[mjr]

Do people carry laptops in those pannier bags? Some cheap/disposable laptops presumably?

Why would you think disposable? It isn't too hard to lock a pannier onto a rack.

 

[froze]

Do people carry laptops in those pannier bags? Some cheap/disposable laptops presumably?

Yes they do carry laptops in panniers, some panniers even have a built-in laptop slot, just slide it in and it's padded on both sides for added protection. Some panniers are what are known as business panniers, those function as a pannier and a carry bag, and they tend to be very stylish so you can walk into the boardroom for a meeting and look all business, and those will have built in protected slots for laptops; those are usually a single panner that will attach to whatever side of the rack you want it on.

Here is a good example of a business pannier, I would still recommend a neoprene laptop cover just to be safe from water:

View: https://www.amazon.com/TOURBON-Leather-Crossbody-Handbag-Backpack/dp/B07WYCK6F1/ref=asc_df_B07WYCK6F1?tag=bingshoppinga-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=80882915731061&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4584482461397324&psc=1


Therea are other styles of this same concept, you just have to research them.