Originally Posted by
thdave
Good points, except for the manageability, imo. A backpack makes you less manageble, too, and for me and my trunk bag, I don't notice a lick of manageability issues. Even my pannier is a minor issue.
A backpack or bag means I take up more space yes, but there are people with no bags at all who take up more room than I would with bags hanging off both my front and back. A bike in a crowded train or elevator is tricky to maneuver. Put loaded panniers on it and it's that much worse.