Originally Posted by Cyclosaurus

, , , ,, , Not for my commute. I'm often threading through downtown congestion, hopping curbs (sometimes at oblique angles), swerving around glass on the MUP at speed, etc. The effect of all the weight being on the rear wheel rather than on my body made these maneuvers much less sure. A lot of things I would have done on the bike I avoided because it just didn't feel right. I tried to hop the rear wheel over a 2" lip at a 30 degree angle and instead it just slid along almost causing a crash. The bike felt much less like a single rigid machine than a front end and a back end that sometimes were doing two different things. And it was warm enough that I had to change my shirt when I got to the office anyway.

I get the reason for choosing panniers over a backpack, and if I'm on a ride where speed and agility are less important than comfort and endurance, I'd probably go that route. But the compromises it forces me to make on my typical commute mean I'm sticking with the backback, sweaty back and all. Happy to have the panniers and looking forward to using them for shopping trips and other expeditions. But I much prefer the way the bike handles with the load on me.