Originally Posted by SurlyLaika

+100

Thanks for stating what I could not articulate. Perfect! One More thing. I live on the third floor of my apartment and my bike is heavy as it is. Having the load of a backpack in a pannier just makes it that much more difficult to carry up three flights. My bike feels way lighter and easier to toss around with the load, even a moderate one, on my back. I

I especially agree with 3, 5, 6, and 7. Sometimes it's necessary to carry a real heavy load and then a rack and panniers comes in handy, but that simply isn't a daily occurrence. When it is, it's going grocery shopping which I think is better done every 2 days instead of every week. Fresher produce and less wasted food. I think the ideal weight of a load is between 10 and 15 pounds. If you're carrying a 25 pound load, there's a good chance, you're carrying something unnecessary.