Laptop protection commuting

[HobbesOnTour]

A 64 mile commute 3 or 4 times a week? Wow!

Is there anything to be said for going back and revisiting the idea of having to take the Laptop with you in the first place?
Would decent wifi at home and cloud storage not be a better solution?
Or even a portable, external disk would be easier (and safer) to carry, no?

Apologies for the off topic response.

 

[lazybloke]

A laptop in a pannier, especially in a padded sleeve or padded laptop compartment is well isolated from any vibrations that might cause issues. It's going to move about but that movement is heavily damped and is absolutely not the hard shocks like dropping on a hard surface that could break or shake apart PCB mountings or solder joints. It's going to get just as much movement being jostled around in a backpack on public transport. Protecting it from water or external knocks that could flex the chassis or screen are the main considerations, and the largest risk is from other hard objects in the pannier with it. This is where a separate padded compartment wins out.

Maybe we're not comparing the same "very rough surfaces" as mentioend in the first post, but I don't agree for one moment that a thin layer of neoprene and a pannier provide nearly as much isolation from bumps and vibration as a backpack and the soft suspension members and shock-absorbers of public transportation vehicles.

Hmmm, suppose I could test my theory with accelerometers....

 

[Drago]

I certainly wouldn’t want to do 32 miles twice a day in all weathers with a heavy backpack! What’s that, 2 hours each way?

If you're gonna sweat, you're gonna sweat, and once you're that frothed up a backpack makes little difference.

The issue here is having a bag with rigid items with corners held against your back if you have a spill, so the OP is wise to consider other options.

 

[Dadam]

Maybe we're not comparing the same "very rough surfaces" as mentioend in the first post, but I don't agree for one moment that a thin layer of neoprene and a pannier provide nearly as much isolation from bumps and vibration as a backpack and the soft suspension members and shock-absorbers of public transportation vehicles.

Hmmm, suppose I could test my theory with accelerometers....

"Jostled". Getting on and off bus/train, bumping against seats and pillars, trying to squeeze past people to get on/off, running for said bus/train etc. Not just sat in backpack as said bus/train rumbles along.

I wouldn't take a laptop in either a backpack or pannier in just a "thin layer of neoprene", it would be a decently padded sleeve or case. But as I alluded to, the risk carrying it in a thin neoprene sleeve is impact with other objects in the bag, not the vibrations.

What kills electronic devices is high G impact and higher frequency vibration, not the kind of highly damped jostling it would get in a good case: dedicated laptop case, or commuter backpack or pannier with a designed laptop compartment.

However, the panniers are normally securely fixed to the side bars of the rack or bike frame so it still gets some vibration

I'm not sure if we have the same sort of panniers in mind. The only way I could imagine the vibration you describe is if the pannier was a rigid box. If its structure is basically a reinforced bag, the contents are highly damped from the frame vibrations. It will be subject to larger amplitude but "softer" bouncing movements but not high G shocks.

I've commuted on a combination of public transport and bicycle for about 10 years with a succession of laptops, zero issues from vibration or damage.

The whole point of a laptop for work is you can take it anywhere, so wherever you work you have the same machine and configuration. Yes, in some cases people can work directly on home devices. For other cases there are VDI, VPN and cloud storage solutions which are viable. However many organisations don't allow their data to be accessed on personal devices. Many block removable storage completely. A corporate issued, encrypted laptop is by far the best solution for the vast majority of cases where work outside the office is sanctioned (home, other office sites, client sites etc). And as long as reasonable precautions are taken, carrying it by bicycle is simply not the issue people make it out to be.

 

[mjr]

However, the panniers are normally securely fixed to the side bars of the rack or bike frame so it still gets some vibration

Some vibration. My panniers are securely fixed (I need to lift a handle very definitely to detach them) but not tightly bound, so they swing a bit as the bike bounces along the road (which can be unsettling if you're not used to it). Then the bottom of the bag is hanging from the side fixed to the handle, and the padded sleeve for the laptop is free to move around in the bag a bit. That's a lot more shock-absorbing than if it was simply banging on the bike rack.

 

[HLaB]

Hi all,

I'm doing a [edit: correction] 16 mile each way commute up in Scotland here for 3-4 days/week and hopefully all weather as we go in to autumn and things get wetter. I have just acquired a new laptop and have some budget to spend on protecting it during the commute.

It currently goes in an Altura Dryline pannier bag which is probably 10 years old and a bit worse for wear, though I did re-waterproof it lately. I do tend to ride quite quickly and there is one hard-to-avoid short section of cycle lane that is unfortunately a very rough surface, so I imagine the laptop will be getting knocked about a fair bit at least on that section.

What do you think would be the gold standard of laptop-specific protection for a bike? Either inside the existing pannier bag or a standalone solution on to the rack. I'm imagining some sort of case that hopefully offers both physical protection and some backup waterproofing probably, whilst ideally being rather lightweight.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions

I do 11miles each way (sometimes upto 25miles when its light and sunny but I've done the commute with a laptop in unbelievable storms (that's global warming for you ). I put the lap top in a standard case inside of a cavernous Ortlieb pannier. I use a backpack converter as it feels more agile and secure there mainly and its easier to squeeze on and off a London bound train without panniers to snag. Over the last 3.5 years the Ortlieb pannier (with back pack converter) has done amazingly well

 

[roubaixtuesday]

If you're gonna sweat, you're gonna sweat, and once you're that frothed up a backpack makes little difference.

The issue here is having a bag with rigid items with corners held against your back if you have a spill, so the OP is wise to consider other options.

Can't agree re backpack, makes me sweater than a camembert in a sauna. Panniers are the way.

 

[cyberknight]

Can't agree re backpack, makes me sweater than a camembert in a sauna. Panniers are the way.

indeed , i tried backpacks and you end up with a sweaty back plus the weight can be an issue

 

[fossyant]

My commute is mainly off road, but I've done the full canal commute with the laptop in a 'wallet' in my panniers. It's fine.

 

[lazybloke]

Several posts seem to suggest that panniers are the superior option for commuting.
I came to the same opinion myself when commuting with a backpack.


And indeed, the OP has already mentioned having pannier bags, so that's not what's in question here.

HOWEVER....
There's no denying that bolting weight onto a rack can deaden the experience of riding a bike. Balance, poise, handling and performance can all be significantly affected; the bike is reduced to a mere tool.

Sometimes it's great to leave the panniers behind, throw the laptop in a rucksack and just ride... Ride like the wind, knees and elbow flexing to absorb buzz from bumps and kebs, heart pumping vigorously, endorphins flowing; the bike is elevated to the perfect fusion of nerd and machine that delivers you to your destination with a massive grin on the face.

Panniers have great utility, but there are very much a compromise.
I wouldn't want to say that one is better than the other, because there are too many variables, and there isn't a single best answer.

 

[Profpointy]

They really aren't nearly as delicate as some folks are suggesting. I carried one around to and from work on bike in pannier but otherwise unprotected, or in a (normal unpadded) backpack on trains if working away. The things got dropped a few times too - not that dropping them is recommended ! None failed from this treatment, though did have worn out keyboards and track pads from legitimate use. Did this for best part of 30 years in various organisations

 

[biking_fox]

Several posts seem to suggest that panniers are the superior option for commuting.
I came to the same opinion myself when commuting with a backpack.


And indeed, the OP has already mentioned having pannier bags, so that's not what's in question here.

HOWEVER....
There's no denying that bolting weight onto a rack can deaden the experience of riding a bike. Balance, poise, handling and performance can all be significantly affected; the bike is reduced to a mere tool.

Sometimes it's great to leave the panniers behind, throw the laptop in a rucksack and just ride... Ride like the wind, knees and elbow flexing to absorb buzz from bumps and kebs, heart pumping vigorously, endorphins flowing; the bike is elevated to the perfect fusion of nerd and machine that delivers you to your destination with a massive grin on the face.

Panniers have great utility, but there are very much a compromise.
I wouldn't want to say that one is better than the other, because there are too many variables, and there isn't a single best answer.

FWIW I came to the opposite conclusion. Backpack for commuting, comfortable convenient, the right size for what I needed, didn't disturb my normal riding, and I shower at work anyway (yes I know not everyone's so lucky)

But for longer rides with more stuff paniers (when you have enough to justify a pair) are better than a heavy rucksack, and the freedom of an unloaded back is better than a heavy weight.

I found it's more about what you need to carry and then choosing the best receptacle for that load. Leave the work laptop at work (or home) and use a desktop at the other location?

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Can't agree re backpack, makes me sweater than a camembert in a sauna. Panniers are the way.

Very true
Many years ago my daughter had a "women's Cycling Backpack" that she used for walking and school

It was great because it had a light frame that help the bag bit away from your actual back to let it breath - never seen one like it since

Migth be one around if anyone knows of one

I did commute to and from work with a laptop in a backpack for a few years - but as it was an ebike and only 10 minutes it probably doesn;t count!

 

[Mike_P]

Mine goes in an Ortilab waterproof quick release pannier which has a built in compartment for it. Clearly one morning misfitted the pannier as there was a thud behind me as it fell onto the road. Laptop unaffected unlike my apple.

 

[vickster]

Very true
Many years ago my daughter had a "women's Cycling Backpack" that she used for walking and school

It was great because it had a light frame that help the bag bit away from your actual back to let it breath - never seen one like it since

Migth be one around if anyone knows of one

I did commute to and from work with a laptop in a backpack for a few years - but as it was an ebike and only 10 minutes it probably doesn;t count!

Pretty sure Osprey and Deuter sell women specific backpacks