I have a single pannier and always keep in on the right. At night, it allows cars to see my left pedal reflector (yes, I have pedal reflectors) and sometimes I use a reflective ankle strap on the left, too. Reflectives that move are much more attention-getting to cars than others.
Sounds like you would not have reflectors on your clipless pedals though!
In that case, you might think about putting a strip of white reflective material on your crank arm facing front and/or back. The white material is almost invisible during the day, but the motion makes it pretty visible at night. It's easy to remove later, too, without leaving any trace.
Originally Posted by
axelfox
I'm an avid road biker, so I have experience in riding in busy streets. I haven't had experience riding with a load, as I have one saddle bag that was loaded with a laptop and a toiletries bag. I installed new clipless pedals last night so I could wear my road shoes, but I'm contemplating putting on my Forte Campus pedals with SPD on one side and platform on another.
I'm riding a single speed, so off the line is a bit tough, and about 2 miles in, the back wheel fell off as I jumped the light. I was also having some trouble with the rim rubbing the brake pad. I guess it rides a bit different with no load than with a load.
Should my bag be on the left or right side of the bike? I only have one saddle bag and a trunk bag.