Originally Posted by Clyde1820

Heel strike shouldn't be an issue on a bike that's long enough for basic stability, one with long enough chain stays, a rack that's not tucked closely to the seat tube. Get the fattest, largest panniers that exist, and you'll likely be hitting your feet against them, sure. But if just commuting, you can generally get by with panniers smaller than the larger, typically rear-oriented bags. Such as, going down from the Ortlieb Back Roller bag to the Front Roller bag. It'll take up less space, be less likely to strike.