Intrepid Bicycle Commuter
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 819
Likes: 95
From: Upstate New York
Bikes: 1976 Motobecane Grand Jubile, Austro Daimler 'Ultima', 2012 Salsa Vaya, 2009 Trek 4300, Fyxation Eastside, State Matte Black 6, '97 Trek 930 SHX, '93 Specialized Rockhopper, 1990 Trek 950
Thanks for the advice guys, especially WalksOn2Wheels.
GP - Sorry. Detours doesn't make anything that would fit me. I carry a laptop. The Detours cycling packs have no provision for laptops. Even with a separate laptop sleeve, it doesn't look like my laptop would fit either of their packs.
n8ked_rider - Camelbak makes nothing cycling specific that is large enough for my needs, and/or has a laptop sleeve.
1nterceptor - I was unable to find any ventilated commuter packs from Ful.
no1mad - I tried a rack and panniers last year with my Sirrus Sport, but they didn't work out very well with that bike.
So here's the full story. I tried my 30 mile round trip commute last year on my Sirrus Sport. The rack and panniers just weren't a very good mix. The bike didn't handle well with the load in the back. Then I switched to an old steel Diamondback mountain bike. The rack and panniers were a good fit with the Diamondback, but there were other issues. The commute is very hilly, and the heavy lumbering Diamondback killed me on all of the hills, Also, the extra weight got to be a bit much when it got sunny, hot and humid. The trip seemed endless. The Diamondback also needs a lot of work to get back in shape for the long rides, and I'd prefer not to dump a lot of money into it.
So I'm back to looking at the Sirrus for commuting. It's fast and light and nimble, and a lot of fun to ride. I just need to find a rackless solution for my gear. I carry a laptop every day, so I need a laptop provision, and I need the solution to be very waterproof. I currently store all of my gear in a 1550 cubic inch pack during the winter months, and carry it a mile to the bus stop. The same sized pack should be about right for the summer also. I'll probably bike commute every other day, so the new pack will be on my back, walking to the bus on the off days.
My ride home in New York's Hudson Valley is wicked in the dead of summer. Very sunny. Very hot (as high as 96 last summer), very humid. Lots of hills and bucking a headwind. I'm going to sweat like a pig no matter what. The ride home will probably take about 1 1/2 hours on average.