Commuting - Keeping your back dry

Hello,

When i commute, my back would be soaking wet when i arrive at work
(it is only 6 miles but i have a big backpack on my back).
Is there a solution to this?
(i must say that i am asking this question with a certain trepidation -
i have already spent $200 on light, fenders, etc since i start my daily bike
commute and i must say that i don't want to spend more money on
those frightfully expensive super-duper hi-tech jersey or panniers -
man, that $200 would cover my gas money for two years if i were
to drive - it is hard to be green :o) ).

Thanks!

Rack and panniers I'm afraid. Its the only sensible solution for comfortable utility riding.
You dont need to spend loads of money on expedition quality racks. I have a cheap Blackburn copy that has functioned well for years, but it does rip off an excellent design.
On panniers, cheap ones will last a couple of years, mid-range ones 5-10. Depending on your load, you can attach a small daysac to the rack using bungie chords (always useful on a rack). When I was a zero-budget cyclist, I zip-tied a couple of military respirator bags to my rack. They make really good small panniers.

nevermind :D

You're talking sweat, right?

Panniers are the way to go, but you'll probably still sweat a bit anyway. The cheap solution is to just load up that backpack a little bit more with a fresh shirt. So long as you shower before you leave home, the sweat from the ride won't make you smell.

You're talking sweat, right?

Oops, I didn't get that.. I thought he meant rain.. :o

A cheap rack to which you ziptie a basket of the type located in closets for linen (made of steelmesh). You can throw anything in this baskin and rain and water goes through.

Good luck!

Hello,

Sorry - yes, it is from my sweat and not rain. :o)
I biked in my 3-ply gortex jacket - i laugh at those
inconsequential droplets from the sky (ok ok, wait
till the monsoon season).

Yes, i have been looking at those racks and panniers.
I think these should set me back > $100. Ouch.
Also, i think i run out of room on my seat post
(occupied by my wedge, hitch receiver for kid's tadem
and the tailgate flasher) - i have short legs. :o(

Yeah the problem is that from the minute i step into
my office, everybody wants to talk to me at once.
(yes i am that important - NOT).
By the time i make it to the shower and a change
of clothes, it is typically two hours later.
(mercifully i don't smell - on the other hand i wonder
why my collegues are usually blue in the face when they are around me)

Thanks for the suggestions.

Save your goretex for when its raining. If you ride in goretex you will sweat. Get a cheap windproof pullover made from microfibre polyester or pertex.
Sweating is often a sign that you are wearing too much clothing. Take something off, and maybe expose your arms for cooling. Once you have a place for sweat to evaporate, you can do your cooling off on the bike. Ease up for your last 1/4 mile and cool off on the bike.

The backpack also causes sweating due to being in direct contact with your back. There are some that have spacers or ribs to keep the bulk of the pack away from your back. A cheap alternative is a sports bag with a long strap worn "messanger bag" style that allows the bag to be positioned down low in the small of your back. You still sweat a bit, but a smaller area.
I have the cheapest rack you can buy (about $15 at a bike shop or the same $15 at an X-mart) and it works fine. I have a Bell Pro rack bag that was $15 on sale, it works great too, but is not big enough for the extra stuff I need to drag along this time of year. I have some thrift shop pannier bags I found for $5. You don't have to spend a lot of money!

Hi,
Planet Bike makes a nice rack for $25. Nasbar has some panniers on sale cheap, $40
http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=66&subcategory=1004&brand=&sku=6998&storetype=&estoreid=
I think the Cannondale panniers they have on sale are 5 times as good; but I understand money can be an issue.

Messenger bags don't ride on your back the way that backpacks do. You will get more air across your back with a messenger bag. You don't need a rack either.

Dan

If you are looking for messager bags, I just got Sierra, www.sierratradingpost.com, in two days ago and they have nice (at less the brand is) messager bags, cheap-
MOUNTAINSMITH ROADRUNNER MESSENGER BAG
for 40 dollars
Just thought I would let you know

I'd second MichaelW. If you are sweating, it means you are wearing too much. Below about 50 F / 10 C, I don't wear my single-ply GorTex coat unless rain is falling.

Do you really need to change clothing for such a short commute? I do my 5 mile commute in suit and tie.

I still think a rack is a good idea. It is so much more pleasant to carry things on the bike rather than on the back.

Gas expenses alone vastly underestimate the marginal cost of driving. If you figure, parking costs, mechanical repairs, dented fenders, salt corrosion, getting stuck in traffic, and higher insurance costs due to daily use, you may find that not driving saves far more than gas money. Using the 37.5 cent per mile IRS rate and no other car costs, I get $1,102 (with three weeks off). You could throw away your bike and get a new one twice a year and still come out ahead. $200 is chump change.


Paul

Bikeweenie,

Whatever you do, don't get a seatpost-mounted rack. My first one snapped at the weld (which never happens when you're at home, but when you're in traffic)
and my second one did the same thing this morning on the way to work. This last one couldn't have been more than six months old. The weight I put on these racks was only about 15 pounds, less than the recommended capacity.

Good thing I used a backpack on my racks. In both cases I was able to strap the pack on my back and keep going.

If you are sweating, it means you are wearing too much.
I think it depends on the individual. This morning was a typical cool November morning in the low 40's F. All I wore was my windbreaker. When I started out it was quite nippy, but after 20 minutes I had worked up a sweat. By the time I got to work, a full hour of cycling, I was very, very sweaty. In fact, even when it's well below freezing and my feet get cold, I always sweat heavily. That's why I carry an exta warm, dry jacket in case I have to stop due to a breakdown, because after 10 minutes in freezing temps with a damp windbreaker, I'd be in trouble.

:)

I have a back pack by Schwinn that is supposed to have gore tex lining and straps are supposed to raise up pack so air circulates about the back.. I don't think those qualities are all that effective..Do not like back packs.
as to panniers... I bought mine on sale, two for one..Think it was about $59...Back packs are not that much cheaper.
You can buy panniers for a reasonable price..Not all are top end prices..Well worth it for comfort..Plus you can carry more stuff...

Bikeweenie-

I have some old Performance panniers you could have for free if you paid for the shipping. They are well used and a little frayed, but I just replaced them with Arkels last week. They still have a good year or two on them at any rate, and they'll just be sitting around my house unused. Let me know. I am in Tucson, AZ (85718).

phli

Bikeweenie-

I have some old Performance panniers you could have for free if you paid for the shipping. They are well used and a little frayed, but I just replaced them with Arkels last week. They still have a good year or two on them at any rate, and they'll just be sitting around my house unused. Let me know. I am in Tucson, AZ (85718).

phli

That´s an offer you can´t refuse ;) There should be a "giveaway" section here at bikeforums.net! Too bad I live in Europe, too expensive shipping from/to here.

Hey thanks for all the wonderful suggestions.

Thanks 520commuter for the generous offer.
I will think about it (i am in CA).

However, that PaulH guy is ticking me off.
Biking in suit and tie and not even breaking into sweat...
Must be one of those commuter He-men that blasts
past me every morning as if i were in the Matrix slow-mo
mode (they left me in the dust so quickly that i do not
even notice whether they are in suit/tie).
It is humiliating enough to be passed on the trail everyday by those nubile coeds in their roller blades
or young mothers in their baby joggers.
Sheesh... Must be my bike. I need to get myself
one of those $5000 titanium super-duper bikes.

You already have the backpack, get a rack & strap it (the pack)on. I have racks on most of my commutters & didn't buy any of them new.

bikeweenie-

Let me know if you want them. I can send you pics if you want. They aren't too big, but you can just barely fit 3-ring binders in them, if that helps you visualize the size.

Phil

Hello,

(snip) i don't want to spend more money on
those frightfully expensive super-duper hi-tech jersey or panniers -
man, that $200 would cover my gas money for two years if i were
to drive - it is hard to be green :o) ).

Thanks!

I am a big supporter of my LBS but, "When the budget is in trouble I am not slow, its hip hip hip and to ebay I go." (slightly adapted from Under Dog). You can get a lightly used set of panniers for $30 - $50. Look under Pannier, panniers, and bike bag. They tend to go for around half of the retail price. If you have a rear rack then they will usually clip right on to it. I got an new single REI pannier for $15.

Lurk for a while till you get the feel for the market. Remember to figure in the shipping cost.

tom o.

are you a sweaty person by nature? I am :( I was actually gonna post a similar thread asking what I can do about it, but I figure what can anyone really say besides "deal with it!". When I got home yesterday (about 15kms/just over an hour's ride in cloudy 27-28C weather) my shirt was the wettest I've produced yet - completely wet at the back, mostly wet in the front, and catching up on the sides ;) nothing on my back besides said shirt. My pants looked like I'd pissed myself (at the back too) :(

Damn my eager sweat pores...

bikeweenie,
A rack and panniers are the way to go if you want to stop sweating into the backpack. They can take a little getting used to, you will notice the bike handles differently at first, especially when you stand up and pedal. But if you carry a lot to and from work or need to go shopping on the way home.

Jaand Expedition rack, heavyduty and bomdproof. About $55 and worth every penny. The Blackburn is nice but is ia a copy of a better rack, the Jannd. The Jannd is also larger so there is no chance of hitting you heals on the bag.

Ortlieb back roller classic, like the Jannd heavyduty and bombproof but also waterproof and adjustable. They have an attachment system which guarentees you will not have a pannier flopping around. $135 per pair at Lickbike.com (I know its an online seller, bad, but they are also my LBS). See the link below. There are cheaper options out there, and some which have a raincover but I have ridden home in a downpour and had everything in my bag bonedry. 'Nuff said.

http://www.lickbike.com/i3643050.htm

If you really like using a backpack look at Deuter packs. They have vents which allow air to flow over the back. I have a Trans Alpine 30 pack (1830 cu.in.) See links below (general site and TA 30).

http://www.deuterusa.com

http://www.deuterusa.com/Product/Hydration/TransAlpine30.htm

Good luck.

Either messenger bags or backpacks don't carry enough stuff.To commute to work I need carry more...So I use my touring bike with a pack on the rack..