I have an Arc'tetyx Spear 20 and it's never been a problem in an urban non-race environment. Not even in the drops.

Good info for the OP. I personally hate riding with a backpack, but it might be a good solution for him. Different strokes and all that.

I just fought through that madhouse this Oxford circus my up yo Newmarket for a horserace. Needed my black tie suit in one hand and would've hated a messenger bag or anything else.

Long live the arc'teryx spear 20!!!!!!!!

I think it must depend on your frame as well. I never feel my pannier on on my long, touring frame, whereas I do feel a pull when I'm wearing a heavily loaded backpack up high. As far as expense, Axiom makes a very cheap transit-oriented series I like called the "Mount Royal." You can get it for $25. Two sided, saddle-bags style.

Regarding all these Londoners with backpacks, it couldn't be any different in NYC. A good bit of totes and messenger bags on the train here. It's absolutely annoying when passengers get on with backpacks and leave them on, taking up twice the space on crowded trains. They have messages over the intercom that tell you to hold it at your feet. The worst: since your backpack lacks nerve-endings, you don't feel when it's prodding others. Ugh, sorry for the tangent here...

Packs always come off on the tube, we're quite considerate. Never really liked NYC (Bronx is OK tho.)

backpack by a mile. my backpack is like a loyal buddy. baskets are real handy too if you don't want a bag on your back.

I hate backpack. My back gets way too much sweaty. Here's my bike configured in commute mode. That bag has expandable side pannier if you need more room and expandable top lid for even more room. Clips to the rack in seconds. It's also water resistant but they do also have a rain cover for those downpour. Comes with a shoulder strap so backpack looses that advantage when carrying it away from the bike.

http://i.imgur.com/UF7TMG0.jpg

Did a 35 mi ride with my Osprey Radial 26 pack today. Brought it for a change of clothes because of iffy weather. Didn't really notice it. It has a mesh back with and air space that allows air to flow between the back and pack and it works.

I highly recommend this pack. If you do this a lot I would look for a bike-specific pack like this one. It has lots of great features that makes it a pleasure to use. like a "kick stand" so you can sit the pack upright - it basically is a stiff underside that parks the pack upright and is very stable, so you can get things in an out with ease. A pull out rain cobver, soft poacket for phone, a bottle holder, helmet holder etc, etc.

https://photos.smugmug.com/Other/Mor...._SX425_-M.jpg

I rode with a backpack for a while when I first started commuting. I used the same Osprey Radial as GeneO above, but in the 34 liter size. I loved that pack for commuting. It was bright, came with a raincover, and because of the mesh back panel and rigid frame it was very comfortable. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a good commuting backpack.

Then one day I got hit by a car on campus. After I recovered I quickly found out that my back couldn't handle the weight anymore, and I started looking for pannier options. I first tried the Banjo Brothers Backpack/Pannier. It was good for the cost, but the little hook that it attaches to at the base of the rack wore a hole in mine after about a year of use. Now I'm using the Arkel Bug Backpack/Pannier, and for the added cost it is a MUCH better bag. It has better organization, better water bottle pockets, and a helmet holding pocket for off the bike use.

So those are my recommendations for each style.

If you carry heavy stuff, or have an aversion to back sweat, go the pannier route.

Personally though, I'm not a pannier fan. Panniers make my bike feel heavy and less agile, so I use a backpack for my 15 miles of bike commuting. I'm a sweaty mess when I get to work, no matter what, so back sweat is no issue at all. And I try to keep my load at a reasonably sensible weight.

I initially tried brands like Osprey and Ortlieb, but my personal choice of backpack is a Chrome Barrage. I've been using it since they first came out, maybe 4 years ago? It's pretty much totally weatherproof, and ballistic as all getup. The cargo net on the back is great for storing my helmet, or other large objects when shopping.

http://i.imgur.com/hUbHItt.png

I initially was all about carrying everything on the bike so I rode unencumbered. Long story made short - now I ride with a Patagonia Atom sling bag (with stabilizer strap) and the only thing on the bike is my computer. Phone/headphones are bluetooth so that's in the bag pocket on the strap. Water bottles and everything else in the bag. Mini u lock on the outside of the bag. Keys on the internal lanyard. Lights attached to the bag. Now when I stop, I just lock and leave instead of standing there stripping the bike to prevent theft.
I still have the front rack on my bike for when I go grocery shopping for big loads and use my cooler/panniers. but day to day it's the sling bag with a foldup nylon backpack inside for unexpected purchases. The backpack goes on my back and the sling bag rides as a front bag at my waist. The sling leaves plenty of circulation around my back, too.

As a third option... I prefer a side basket. It's just so easy to toss stuff into it, and it's also where I store my helmet and other gear. Kind of an odd side effect is that the basket is on the drive side, so it functions as a sort of roll cage for the delicate bits of the drivetrain, protecting the latter when I park the bike in some crowded place.

It's a Wald 585, attached with hose clamps, has lasted for 20 years so far. Wald is one of those amazing historical brands that just keeps going, making good honest stuff.

Again, I'm using the backpack off the bike. I'm flying over to Salt Lake City for a conference and a few days of camping. The backpack makes an excellent daypack, while the 65l back is hood for the bulk of the gear.

Try that with a pannier/backpack combo bag ;)

Upgrade your bike before visit mountains because if there is any issue no one will help

Wald folding baskets on the rear rack. Just drop the backpack in and go (through a bungee cargo net over the top if you're worried about bumps). Gives you the ease of walking around with a backpack without the sweaty back or weight. Switch modes in seconds. When I bought them, a pair was in the $30 range and I already had the backpack that fit in it. Also made grocery trips a lot easier.

A backpack will work you do not need panniers to start just to see if you like bike commuting.

No bikes this trip. Marley is staying in UK and it's only hiking.

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.

I rode with a backpack for years and never liked it much. It worked well enough, but for me, it caused discomfort in my chicken wings and a wet, nasty back from sweat.

Now that I am older, self-employed, and maintaining deteriorating knees, my days of aggressive riding and bunny-hopping are behind me. I can relax and choose a route and a pace that works for me. Rack and panniers are a much better choice.

I also use my bike for shopping and many other hauling activities, so again, the panniers make more sense for this stage of my cycling journey.

All that being said, backpacks are an excellent option if they work for your needs / system. :thumb:

It all comes down to the level of temperature/back sweat you can live with! :)

I can't abide with anything on me while riding (well aside from clothing of course) so I use panniers. For non-work rides, sometimes I use a trunk bag. And I have a basket for my folding bike. The downside of panniers is carrying them off the bike. I have old Nashbar panniers and they are not comfortable to carry around if I need to walk around for a bit. They just have one small handle strap.

They are old and ragged so I'm actually considering leaving them on the bike. Maybe even zip tie to the rack lest someone is interested in old raggedy panniers. That way I can plop my backpack and regular bags/purses in them. If they are ever stolen or give up the ghost, I would consider the Wald folding baskets. My concerns are rattling and weight of the baskets.

been commuting with the backpack for the last 3 years daily and before that, the previous 3 years, a few times a week.

this summer i came back from touring and left the rack on. decided to use one pannier. it's nice to have the back free. but it messes too much with the handling of the bike. maybe i need two panniers to even that out. but i'm honestly not carrying that much to warrant two panniers.

as soon as my pack comes back from being repaired and as soon as i'm done with touring for the year and uninstall my rack, i'll go back to the backpack. so in the fall sometime.

both are good, it's simply personal preference - typically based on factors of distance and weight (how much you're carrying).

+1

Then there was the day I did a back pack and the Wald baskets...

My wife and I both have a short commute. She regularly takes her workout clothes plus a dizzying array of tupperware containers with her breakfast and lunch for the day. It's regularly been in triple digits here, so she finally picked up a Timbuk2 pannier and loves it.

I am still going the backpack route, but it is no fun riding home at the hottest part of the day.

I used to hate wearing a backpack while on the bike, but I really like it now. The trick was to find a comfortable one.

Yeah I'm with you on that.

I mostly commute on one of my bikes with racks and I always vastly preferred panniers, but I've added a lightweight road bike which I love to ride and the only option is a backpack if I'm commuting on it.

I bought a backpack designed for cycling, a Deuter Race Exp Air, and it's amazing how much more comfortable it is compared to a standard backpack. The design keeps most of the fabric off my back and allows air flow as I'm riding. It's a world of difference!

Like others have said before, it's really a preferential thing, but not required to test commuting out. My recommendation is to use what you have and slowly try new things. You will soon realize you have various bags and panniers of different sizes and shapes. I personally have done all but my favorite so far is a (Blackburn) trunk bag that has droppable "panniers" if needede and a (revelant) frame bag. I work long shifts so I carry clothes, b'fast and lunch, sometimes dinner, along with spare inner tubes and bike tools; As well as other items like phone, wallet, door remote (for work) it adds up.

What is your commute type? That will/may affect your bag of choice. If you are hammering and doing jumps and hops over obstacles, that will influence your selection. Personally I cruise in to work at a comfortable pace and then do a slightly spirited pace on the way home.

This is true, you don't really want to put a rack on the lightweight road bike. A backpack with thoughtful design I'm sure works well, but I have in the past gone to some lengths to avoid them on the road bike.

It may be a little off topic since we're talking racks, but a nylon or canvas bag is very easy to rig up as a quick release frame bag and that was my go-to for a couple of years. More recently I've switched to handlebar bags, that I've designed ... but most of my commutes now are happening on the bike with a rack.

Believe me, I've hated using backpacks in the past - most of them trap all your body heat and my back would wind up a soaked mess even after a short ride. The new one I've got is so vastly better that I can't really compare.

That said, I still prefer to put something on the bike instead of my back, but I just don't want to mount anything on my road bike. Maybe a frame bag of some sort would be worth exploring, but it almost seems sacrilegious to put anything like that on such a nice light road bike :lol:

Of course, I don't commute on my road bike very often, it's my lightweight fast and fun bike and not meant to be all that practical, I've got a couple of other bikes that fit that bill.

back that cannot sweat because the pack is on it, Vs having a bag you walk around with in your hands ( or have a shoulder strap on)? .