Today I went grocery shopping with newly acquired "grocery bag" panniers from Nashbar. Early in the morning I made the 2 miler to the market and bought $70 worth of grub. That about filled both panniers. Before I go further I must point out that I am not a neophtye cyclist. I'm in my mid-forties and have been seriously cycling since I was 15 (had dreams of being a Euro-based racer then). I went through college and grad school as a bicycle courier. I have never stopped cycling and thus stayed in pretty good riding shape. Friends, let me confess, those groceries wore my butt out!!!! I have never ridden a bike loaded like that (I used my fixie commuter). Just when you think you know it all, along comes a totally new experience. My commute is 7 or 8 miles with a Carradice nylon Camper. Due to my racing past I am strict roadbike guy. I 've done weekend tours on a fixed touring bike...never "fully loaded" just a Carradice LF Nelson sufficed. This was new and rather exciting. I have a whole new respect for those guys riding loaded tourers all over the world. It seems one uses a different set of leg muscles when riding loaded (so to speak). The great thing is it's another reason not to use a car and have some fun.
peace

I go to a higher gear and spin away when I have heavy loads in my panniers and or bike trailer and take my time

:p i was staying at someones house for a while and i had a tramping pack plus my laptop bag and the path would usually take me 20 minutes... took me 35 - 40ish :lol: it was good for my muscles though

Fixed gears aren't for everything.

I'm a little weakling, so... I don't buy $70 of groceries at once. ;)

I'm lucky in that I'm single and live alone, so I can get away with it, but I get by better by going shopping 3-4 times a week and getting smaller amounts.

Your muscles will get used to it. I ride with a heavy backpack almost every day. I actually feel naked if I don't have my backpack now.

What kind of bike do you have your panniers on? Any trouble fitting them?

I'm a little confused by your narrative. Are you saying that you found a 2 mile trip (4 mi. loop) hard on the posterior? Why would it be harder on the rump than usual biking ... unless you usually stand up most of the way? I could understand if you were wearing the groceries on your back. I could also understand how $70 could be painful to the hind quarters if that's where you usually keep your wallet ;-)

I'm in your same age bracket, but without the history of athleticism. About 2x a month I make an excursion to the big city for groceries from a specialty store. 13 mi each way with hills. Usually only *one* pannier worth plus overflow in messenger bag. Plus a couple locks and other gear. Luckily the hills are mostly downhill on the way back. A semi-roadbike -- definitely with gears. Once I carried an entire grocery bag in the messenger bag as an experiment. Now *that* was hard on the posterior.

Your muscles will get used to it. I ride with a heavy backpack almost every day. I actually feel naked if I don't have my backpack now.

What kind of bike do you have your panniers on? Any trouble fitting them?
It's a bike I got second-hand from an LBS...Sterling Sportlight...the tubing is nice Tange double-butted..I stripped off the cheapo components and built into a nice fixed commuter...I have a Tubus rack on the back. The rack has a bar below the platform that is also further aft allowing the panniers to sit low and away for ankle clearance and low center-of-gravity.
A heavy backpack, I think, does not approximate the ride of loaded panniers. I was a courier and have ridden a lot with loads on my back. Having the load on the bike is a unique feeling. If you haven't, you should try it. It is really quite efficient (though challenging).
peace

I'm a little confused by your narrative. Are you saying that you found a 2 mile trip (4 mi. loop) hard on the posterior? Why would it be harder on the rump than usual biking ... unless you usually stand up most of the way? I could understand if you were wearing the groceries on your back. I could also understand how $70 could be painful to the hind quarters if that's where you usually keep your wallet ;-)

I'm in your same age bracket, but without the history of athleticism. About 2x a month I make an excursion to the big city for groceries from a specialty store. 13 mi each way with hills. Usually only *one* pannier worth plus overflow in messenger bag. Plus a couple locks and other gear. Luckily the hills are mostly downhill on the way back. A semi-roadbike -- definitely with gears. Once I carried an entire grocery bag in the messenger bag as an experiment. Now *that* was hard on the posterior.

Not hard on the posterior (fortunately those days have past...I ride with most Brooks saddles and have been riding long enough) but the nature of riding, sans experience, with loaded panniers seems to engage different leg muscles or use them in a different way. The visual of a wallet in a back pocket while riding on Brooks saddle just made me shudder.