Originally Posted by
Andy Thousand
What is your favorite gear to commute with. Do you like clothing made specifically for bicycling. Or do you prefer gear that can be used on and off the bicycle?
Do you prefer panniers or a backpack?
My hybrid is outfitted with:
- Tubus Cargo Evo rack
- SKS long-board fenders.
- Cycling computer.
- Lights front, back, and side.
- Ortlieb Bike Shopper panniers (2x)
- 32mm Conti Grand Prix 4 Season tires.
- SPD / Platform combination pedals.
- Mid-size saddle pouch.
I know that the backpack vs pannier debate is like a holy war, but I'm in the pannier camp. I can't imagine wearing a backpack through the warm months, and I ride to the light rail station where I can roll the bike onto the train, so I don't mind that the panniers add weight to the bike itself during my commute.
In the dry months (of which there are many in Utah) I'll remove the fenders.
I use the bike for commuting, utility, and casual ride fun.
My road bike is outfitted more minimally for training and endurance rides. But it does have a Tubus Fly Evo on it in case I want to toss one of the panniers on the back occasionally. The Tubus Fly Evo is such a minimal rack I don't even notice it back there. Adds about 2/3rds of a pound. And I have lights for the road bike too.
I'm not in the 'must commute' mode -- when the weather is really bad I'll drive to the light rail or just work from home. And sub-freezing constitutes bad enough to not bike commute, for me. So does over-92.
For that reason I don't have foul weather cycling gear. I do have cool weather cycling gear for training rides, but not for commutes.
At my work we have lockers, showers, and bike parking available, so I don't need to have special office clothes that are commute friendly; just bring along what I want to change into, or leave a few changes in the locker.