A lesson about panniers came back to me yesterday. I've been using panniers on my daily commutes lately to avoid having a hot and sweaty back from a backpack. I was barely carrying anything, so the heavy-ish bags were overkill, but it didn't matter. Then I met friends for dinner, and we did a little walking. And we had to stand around, waiting for a restaurant to have a table for us. Carrying a pair of panniers is never easy, and these weren't even very laden. Panniers are great for on the bike, but they are one of the worst things off the bike.