Originally Posted by
HB.Watermelon
This might be a preference thing. But, I'm currently using a messenger bag for commuting, and hate it! It shifts too much when riding. And, all that weight makes me feel top heavy. Do backpacks dig into the neck when riding? Are they comfortable? Or, are panniers the way to go?
What kind of messenger bag do you have and do you have it cinched up tight? It should sit high on your back. Many, many people wear them too low. Also a cross strap can make a huge difference.
I've used a good quality messenger bag, a back pack, and a set of panniers. I could write quite a bit about what I see as the pros and cons of each but I'll try and summarize.
panniers:
1) weight is on the bike, not on you.
2) No sweaty back
messenger bag:
1) quick and easy access to your stuff.
2) little impact on responsiveness of bike.
3) stuff stays with you when making stops
backpack:
1) weight better distributed across back and shoulders.
2) many people already own one
Some of the same pros and cons apply to both backpacks and messenger bags but the degrees may differ. Personal preference plays a big role in which you will prefer. Some of that comes down to riding style. If you ride hard and change your clothes when you get to work, you probably won't care that your back gets sweaty. In that case one of the chief knocks against backpacks/mess bags becomes a non-issue. That's where I fit. I use my commute as training and I sweat whether it's 100 or -20.
Personal preference isn't everything though. If you have a long commute and need to carry a lot of stuff, panniers start become pretty attractive even if you'd be normally inclined to use something else.