Originally Posted by
PCTallguy
I am looking for a pannier to carry a laptop and other work-related items. While I bike to campus, I often have a fair amount of walking around within and between buildings where is is not practical to move the bike. Are there any panniers that are comfortable to carry around as a shoulder-bag in those circumstances?
Lots of people recommend the Ortlieb and Arkel panniers for the durability and ease of use. I am specifically looking at the Ortlieb Downtown and Office Bag panniers and the Arkel Commuter. However there are several comments about how they are uncomfortable to wear as shoulder bags because the hardware digs against your body. Can anyone comment or recommend a good pannier that would also work as a good shoulder-style office bag?
I have the Ortlieb Classics, with shoulder straps, and I use them every day. I also walk around a lot, with the panniers slung over the shoulder, and, if they're not really loaded, it works just fine. However, the straps that come with the panniers are a bit thin, and if you're carrying massive amounts of books or groceries or other really heavy stuff, it does tend to get a bit uncomfortable after a mile or so. For a long time, I just switched shoulders occasionally. More recently, I've managed to solve this problem by going to an outdoor fabric store and getting wider straps for about $5.