Originally Posted by
H.S.Clydesdale
I am currently using a backpack after a year on panniers. I think its important to get the waist strap tight so the weight is on your waist, not your shoulders. If I dont do this right, shoulder fatigue from an uneven load is a problem.
I did not like the panniers as they made the bike slow and cumbersome. Plus, there is no suspension between the bike and the panniers, so the contents get jostled/vibrated around horribly. I would not trust a laptop in panniers, too fragile. You can use your legs as a very intelligent suspension system between the goods in your backpack, and the bumpy road.
Ditto here. I switched from panniers to backpack. I have to sometime have to carry my 17" Macbook pro in my backpack. I couldn't do that with the panniers without risking damage. My panniers once flopped into my spokes - yikes! Panniers also limit your bike selection, and the type of bike I wanted didn't accommodate panniers. I have yet to use the pack in 90+ weather - it does certainly cause sweat buildup on me - but I haven't noticed it until I got off and I have a shower at work.
So far I have found my pack (a Mission Workshop) to be a pleasant experience. It is very light, waterproof comfortable, allows quick access while stopped (without having to get off of the bike), useful all around besides biking, and has all of those storage advantages as others have mentioned. It hasn't bothered my back and I have arthritis of the spine and I can easily get inflamed causing severe lower back pain.
Oh yeah, and I don't have to have a rack on my bike when I ride for fun
