I've bike commuted both ways, backpack and no backpack. Here's some things I noticed:

1) Backpack is easier to get on/off quickly.
2) Backpack can be used with any bike.
3) Backpack puts more weight on butt.
4) Backpack needs more frequent washing.
5) "No backpack" puts weight on bike, not back/butt.
6) "No backpack" more comfortable.

I had no balance problems wearing a backpack, even with 15 pounds inside. When I strapped the backpack to a rear rack, I had temporary balance issues until I got used to it. Then I went back to wearing a backpack, and had temporary balance issues with that, too. I got used to that, also. In the end, it wasn't whether or not I wore the backpack, but getting used to the new weight distribution.

I've made mine a messanger bag. But I'm suppose it may not work with all models; I have the Cloudwalker something something.

When I commuted exclusively, I always used a backpack. Heavy books, laptops, etc. are just more comfortable, when carrying weight on your hips. On the down side, like all point out, you perspire much more. I have a messenger bag too, but it is more of an everyday bag, as I am not in a position to commute due to the distance and familial obligations everyday. The mess bag works well for most things; however, it is not even remotely comfortable when carrying heavy loads, and doesn't alleviate the 'sweaty back' syndrome. A couple of gallon jugs (growlers, milk, couple of 6 packs whatever) bothers my neck/shoulder after a few miles no matter how I adjust it. A laptop and books doesn't seem comfy either. I have panniers for larger grocery runs and use that as a combo with either a backpack or the mess bag. (No curb hopping here with a grocery load though.)

IMHO the best option is to have a variety of choices and pick the best tools for the job. Over time, the expense of having all is minimal. I tend to shy away from 'single use' gear, so the backpack I use is a general do it all climbing, camping, bikeing, ... The mess bag is my briefcase, lite biking load, everyday bag now, and the panniers are easy to attach and detach so they are mainly for grocery/beer runs or picnic w/ family on the weekends.

If you think a pannier takes too long to attatch/remove, its probably because you havent tried a modern quick-release system such as Ortleib or Rixen and Kaul. They clip on and clip off.
The old hook and elastic systems are so obscelete they really shouldnt be manufactured anymore.

Shortly, I will be switching to panniers from a backpack. I hurt my lower back sometime ago and this backpack is killing me. Plus, it is difficult to haul the clothing I need for our 20-30F mornings and 60F afternoons. In the afternoon my backpack is almost ready to explode due to the massive amount of clothing in it.
I won't even go into the massive sweating when wearing a backpack.

That's a marketing opportunity here folks, pay attention.

But me I like backpacks. I have several. I prefer the kind with a string draw and a flap over the top. Very hard to find these days, but they'll be back. The accomodate a greater variety of loads and keep out the rain better.

I have one for usual loads that I commute with every day and a capacious one that I use to carry groceries, laundry and even on occasion, a dog.

I also have a fully framed one, for real heavy duty.

While I understand that panniers(I have those as well) have a low center of gravity, The backpack is closer to my own center of gravity.

Because I commute 18 miles, each way, I put my 4 to 8 pounds of stuff in my mini-panniers and on the rack. It keeps the weight and heat off my shoulders and back. I don't dislike backpacks or messenger bags. I've carried both, but prefer having my back free to breath.

On the rare occasion that I need to bring more stuff, I throw it into a small day-pack. It's the same type pack I used for 15+ years of commuting by skateboard.

I use a large messanger bag because the back sweat issue with backpacks. Same reason I don't use camel backs for road riding. Another advantage is that when I need to grab something from my bag quickly, I can just swing it around and grab it, as opposed to taking the entire thing off. Panniers are great for larger loads, but for smaller, and more especially, uneven loads they make a bike less maneuvarable and a bag, messanger or backpack becomes more pratical.

I find that a single pannier with a light commuting load has no discernable effect on bike handling, even for tracks and trails. With heavily loaded (20lbs+)single pannier, it does become noticable but still not problematic and much easier than 20lbs on your back.

As opposed to a pannier, because the pack rides higher, there's less mud to carry into your workplace. Your back stays warmer so you need less clothing on your torso. You'll need to establish a weight limit so you can safely handle the bike esp. in windy conditions or on unexpected swerving.

For biking, the pack needs to work harder

1. Weatherproof cover
2. Smaller flatter profile, weighing 1-2lbs
3. Fit your shape with a chest or hip strap to stabilize the load

Back in the day, I used to rock the panniers on a rack, but then I had to lug them around all day, which was not enjoyable. They also made the bike unwieldy when I had to stop at lights or in general.

I swtiched to a regular backback some time in the early 90's, and that was ideal for my 40km round-trip commute. I carried clothes, textbooks, Coke, etc. I liked the pack because it kept my back warm in the winter, and I didn't sweat like a pig to begin with.

Years later, I switched to a messenger-style bag, as I didn't need to carry as much stuff and my commute was much shorter. It was handy, but didn't keep my back warm and I couldn't carry as much stuff comfortably.

I recently returned to using a backpack, and it's perfect for carrying my lunch, lock, lights, plus spare clothing in case the weather turns sour. It's heavy, but very comfortable and pretty much bulletproof. I like how it fits close to my body and moves with me [waist and sternum straps are good]. I have to dodge and weave in traffic, and I appreciate the fact that my bike is light and manoueverable. When I bail, it's another bit of protection between me and the ground/car/bus/tree.

To the OP: no matter what you get, you will eventually get used to it. Try some stuff out. If you don't like it, sell it or just go and buy something else. Just make sure that whatever you use is the right tool for the job. Panniers should be of good quality with an appropriate rack system. Messenger bags should have a cross-strap of some sort to prevent load shifting/rotation. A backpack should have a narrow profile and should not interfere with your helmet when you're in a standard riding position. In this, as in everything else, you get what you pay for. Good luck!

I use an old North Face daypack. I never carry much more than a change of clothes, lunch, and all the stuff that would go in my pants pockets. It gets sweaty in the summer, but with the heat here everything gets sweaty in the summer anyway.

Works for me.

I've tried everything, but for me a good backpack is more comfortable and rides better than a messenger bag, though it doesn't quite have the messenger bag's easy access. Like ghettocruiser mentioned, I like to be able to hop curbs and such, and even a lightly loaded pannier impairs my mobility more than I'd like. Also, I sometimes venture offroad on the way home (Portland's Forest Park isn't very far out of the way), and when the going gets rough I find it works better to carry my load on my back than on a rack. Plus ... I don't want to have to have a rack on my bike.


Get a Vaude pack and you'll solve both problems! They have a built-in Safety Yellow raincover that stows in a hidden pocket when not in use, and keeps everything dry (even my laptop) when in use. Their Aeroflex-equipped models have a stay in the back that provides an airspace between the pack and most of your back, wiping out (so to speak) the sweat factor.


I've been commuting with their Siena 40 (and, in nice weather when I have less stuff to carry, the Dash 10) for almost 5 years now, and it's been bulletproof. Here are the mtbr reviews for the Siena series -- scroll down to the one by "Dan W" and you'll see my review, from 4 years ago. Still going strong, although they don't make the Sienas anymore. Here's their current bike-pack lineup. Look for the Air models with the "Aeroflex" back:

https://www.vaude.de/hps/client/vaude...hbs/outdoor/en

I went to panniers from a backpack for commuting. Funny thing is, now I carry more stuff, simply because I can. Maybe a backpack keeps things in perspective for some. But I do enjoy the freedom and handling with all the weight off of me and down low on the bike. I ride right up near my desk and can almost work right out of the bike.

I carry my laptop computer in a Camelbak Feratta (minus the water) two days a week. No problems. I generally put lighter things in the bag if I need to, and put most of my bulk in my trunk bag. I don't own any panniers.

I need panniers for xmass ... my butt hurts because heavy load on my skinny seat

I ride almost daily with a backpack. It's a Mountain Equipment Co-OP Velo 20(?) it's big enough for lunch and a change of clothes, has lots of mesh pockets and reflective tape on the outside, and the shoulder straps, waist belt and chest compressor are all long enough to adjust comfortably for a roadie riding position. Even a loop for a blinkie light aligned for maximum visibility. Never moves around in traffic - the only problem is it prevents effective ventilation.

Best of all, it takes a camelback bladder, but I don't use that for the daily grind. Cost? About CDN$40.

I love this pack, it's comfortable for biking, hiking, even XC/Downhill skiing.

Pick one up!

A.

I think distance and weight is key here. I wonder how many backpackers commute more than 5 miles one way. Granted some things I carry in my panniers, such as my pump, could be attached to the frame, my panniers weigh much more than 8 pounds loaded.

Try a Topeak rack with a quick release system. They make large trunk bags, and trunk bags with pannier pockets for the rack. You just push the button on the front and the bag slides off.

https://www.rei.com/product/47611606.htm

https://www.rei.com/product/47802675.htm

https://www.rei.com/product/47802673.htm

If you already have a pack go ahead and make a tight wad of duct tape to lift the pack off your back. Attach and you've got an automatic air vent.

I rode with a completely full bag yesterday and really could feel the weight through knee pain after a half hour, that sucks but must be as I'm saving my money for a new bike.

When my backpack dies I'll probably get a Chrome bag, my girl loves hers and she carries it to full capacity every day, I think it's Metropolis. I've got a k2 snowboarding medium size backpack I use every day and feel attached to it since it has survived a snowboarding trip and five years of school use.

Am I the only person who feels like their pack, whatever it may be, is like an extension of themselves?

Cheers, Al

i don't think any of the options could really be called a 'big' mistake. they all carry stuff, so that's the prime directive covered right there.

i've used backpacks, which were fine. now i've got a sort of crypto-messenger thing i got as an experiment and i wouldn't go back. i expect to be graduating to a real messenger bag when this one bites it. no stabilizer straps and it's basically rectangular, but even with those factors i don't find any comparison. i think it does depend a lot on what you personally want from whatever you use, but here's my list:

- access. someone else said this already. it's easier to reach into a shoulder bag, is one reason. i never found outside pockets saved me from having to get out of the damned backpack, especially when i wanted something that wasn't in one of the pockets within 'easy' reach.

- how they organise your stuff. i don't carry a lot of weight, but i carry a lot of different things; pretty much most of what i might need for most of my life through the course of a full day, so i'm probably in there a good 15-20 times a day. in my backpack that stuff was always layered in there, and there wasn't any pattern to what i'd want at a given time. i spent more time unpacking it from top to bottom, or opening every single sub-compartment . . . my shoulder bag is wider than it's deep, and has a single zipper right across the top. i still rummage, but it's much less severe. i never found the elaborate backpacks with all the different compartments helped with this in the least - in fact they seemed to make it worse. someone more organised might get different mileage.

- they've both been stable, but i prefer the shoulder setup. i find that even without a lateral stabilizer, it works better on this factor than my backpack did. weight doesn't affect that, unless it's in a positive direction. backpack was okay too, but if i had two gallons of milk in there things could get pretty weird pretty fast any time i swivelled a bit to do a shoulder check.

- fast transfer. i really really like being able to just get off my bike and start walking as soon as the lock's put in place. for me, the cost of riding with my stuff on my back is a tiny inconvenience compared with the inconvenience of having to fiddle around with panniers or anything else.

I have used a backpack as long as I've ridden, 20 years or so, and find them to be ideal. I do not carry enough weight for top-heaviness to become an issue, and I live in the South, so I WILL sweat when it is hot regradless of whether I have a backpack on or am buck naked with panniers.

A good retrofit could include foam pipe insulation. It comes with a split down the length. You cut it to size with scissors, open it and lay it flat and it automotically has a springy feel, trying it go back to the pipe shape. If you duct tape this stuff, it's very close to the professionally done ones in comfort, providing you cut and position the material in the right spots.

Arn't we all so lucky to have a choice instead of somebody in charge telling us that we will all use a front mounted wire basket because thats what fearless leader says to do.
And we will all be happy about it!