Originally Posted by
ganchan
I know the standard wisdom is to carry delicate electronics on your back when riding, but I'm just getting really tired of sweating under a backpack most months of the year. Lately i've been looking into getting some rear cargo carriers (like the Wald 520) that would allow me to just put the laptop in my backpack and then shove the backpack into one of the baskets. Maybe I'll stuff something soft into the bottom of the backpack for extra cushioning.
My current laptop is just a cheap Chromebook, and very much a second computer, but down the road I might need to transport something a little pricier....
What's your backpack-less solution, if you employ one?
I still use a backpack. I went from panniers to backpack for just this reason - I ride on some unpaved trails so I think I hit ruts and get lots of ruts and shocks. Don't know if it is any better than our rods nowadays. In any case the sweat doesn't bother me even in 90+ 30mi RT commute.
How a shock can really damage a laptop isn't only the disk drive - but disk heads are pretty securely parked - it is damaging to the cooling that might get you. If the heat conductive path shifts this could cause trouble. In any case,, if you could get a cushy tight fitting case for the laptop, it can help absorb shocks and would probably be enough.