Clearly, it's a matter of taste. I never really liked riding with a backpack, but since so many people here endorse them, and since there are these new, narrow backpacks, I decided to try one, and it works well for me. It depends on the bike I'm riding. I don't like to attach things to my racing bike which make it heavy, so I use a backpack when I ride it. The trick is to use a small backpack so I don't put too much stuff in it. I rarely carry more than my laptop, lunch, and a couple of garments.