Originally Posted by
Bjforrestal
Sweet. So trunk bag least drag, Then panniers, then backpack? I was assuming backpack to be second and panniers to be 3rd but with the legs in front I could see this. Now can you do it in a wind tunnel? Seriously though, thanks for going to all the trouble!
I've been wondering about it for a long time. I had assumed the same way you did, but now we know. If not certainly (because of experimental errors), at least with some confidence. I'm surprised at the size of the advantage of trunk bag over backpack.
Wider panniers of course would mean more drag, but for the size of a minimal commuter load I can't argue with the observed results: we're better off with just strapping it on the rack as far as power is concerned.