Laptop on back or in pannier?

[007fair]

Hi Time is nearly on me to start commuting again (when the clocks go forward)
I cycle 9 miles and then the train to work and then do the whole 35 miles home - 50 % road / 50% canal paths etc.
Last year I took a rucksack to carry the laptop and lunch etc. I thought this year I would get a pannier but it struck me that the laptop would get bumped about alot more on a pannier than on my back where the bike and me would absorb most of the bumps. Can anyone advise if bumpy canal patches and hard tail mountain bike could damage a laptop if in a side pannier?

 

[Edwards80]

I commute with my laptop in a pannier, I've had no ill effects so far but constant vibration will take a toll on the hard drive eventually, other parts are less vulnerable to it.

If you can cushion the laptop with clothing/a case then it should be ok - I've hit a few potholes and even fallen off onto the pannier side of the bike and had no issues. . That said, It is my work laptop and I am the IT guy so I'm perhaps a little less worried than I would be otherwise

Some more expensive panniers are designed for carrying laptops and come with some form of suspension/shock absorption.

 

[Beebo]

I moved from back pack to pannier without any problems on bumpy pot holed roads.

I dont cycle canal paths but I doubt it will cause the laptop any damage.

I use a single pannier; when the pannier is very heavy ie laptop and large paper files the load is uneven on the rack and this extra weight can cause the rack bolt on the opposite side from the pannier to slip a bit. Just be aware of this.

 

[Edwards80]

I use a single pannier; when the pannier is very heavy ie laptop and large paper files the load is uneven on the rack and this extra weight can cause the rack bolt on the opposite side from the pannier to slip a bit. Just be aware of this.

+1 - that happens to mine also.

 

[sabian92]

If you take a change off clothes instead of having a change at work, wrap the laptop in the clothes. Make sure it's properly off too - if it's in standby the hard disc is still "live" and will ruin it. I ruined an external disc taking it to college and back in about 6 weeks.

 

[007fair]

Cheers all I may use the panniers for everything except the laptop. If this is uncomfortable I'll try it in the Panniers.. after all whats the worst that can happen !?

 

[Edwards80]

The hard disc should not be live when it is in standby/hibernation etc. The disc heads are parked. Its still better to shut down though as certain circumstances will make it wake up (low battery/the lid sensor being jolted etc.)

Be careful how you pack food with it too, my laptop only recently stopped smelling like yoghurt.

 

[Matthew_T]

Be careful how you pack food with it too, my laptop only recently stopped smelling like yoghurt.

A yoghurt in my mums handbag split once. Absolutely everything (including my phone and wallet she was holding whilst I went on a water activity) was drowned in yoghurt.

 

[doug]

I used commute with a Toshiba Libretto (tiny thing) in my panniers, 2-3 times per week, 10miles mainly on road, but with about 1mile of dirt track per journey. After around 2years the motherboard cracked - don't know if this was anything to do with the commute though.

 

[Bman]

Get yourself an SSD (Solid State Drive). They have no moving parts so are less likely to get damaged by bumps

 

[subaqua]

on your back , panniers shake the things to death. even solid state drive ones have circuit boards that won't like a constant vibration.

 

[GfromHull]

You could use an app called teamviewer, save you taking it anywhere.

 

[Tim Hall]

Mine has been to and from work for the past 5 years, maybe more. 10 miles each way, not every day though, say 2 days per week on average on A roads and B roads. No problems at all. It's an Acer Travelmate in one of the Altura briefcase panniers. I just pop the lid down and stuff it into the pannier.

 

[MisterStan]

I commute with my laptop in a pannier, I've had no ill effects so far but constant vibration will take a toll on the hard drive eventually, other parts are less vulnerable to it.

If you can cushion the laptop with clothing/a case then it should be ok - I've hit a few potholes and even fallen off onto the pannier side of the bike and had no issues. . That said, It is my work laptop and I am the IT guy so I'm perhaps a little less worried than I would be otherwise

Some more expensive panniers are designed for carrying laptops and come with some form of suspension/shock absorption.

Would the vibrations have an effect on a tablet, specifically an iPad?

 

[marafi]

Well i use a shopping basket for the bike rack. And put my laptop bag in there. Used it today and it works fine.