Okay, so I have a pannier on my new (used) bike (that is what the rack thing is, right?...)

So anyway I tried carrying some books strapped down with a bungee cord on it today from the library and my bungee ended up loosening itself and getting busted in my wheel. In a seperate incident, my books fell off but my bungee stayed on?

Is there something I should be using with this? What do you guys use?

I can't picture what you're talking about. A pannier is a bag that attaches to a side of your rack. You put the objects you're transporting inside that bag. In, not on the pannier. It ties/zips up. What do you need bungee cords for?



Can you provide a more detailed description or a picture?

Well, actually the rack is the rack. Panniers are saddle bags that attach to the rack.
One of the most common ways to carry odds and ends, such as books, is to attach a wire basket to the rack with zip ties. Most bicycle shops will have bicycle baskets. Plastic milk crates make fantastic and cheep baskets as well. Or you can do as my brother does and snag a handheld basket from the grocery store.

I think you're describing the rack itself. The pannier is the back on the left side of the bike as shown in the above picture. My suggestion? If you're going to carry lots of stuff, find an old milk crate and zip tie it to the rack and haul your stuff in that.

Another alternative is that they sell little cargo nets, which are like a bungee net with multiple hooks that you can use to hold the stuff on better.

If you have nothing else but bungees etc, the trick is to put them on in a way that they are snug, and that they hold your cargo against shifting side to side, and fore to aft.

sorry...it's a rack...

To summarize what you've learned and we knew:
Bungees suck (though they do have uses), a rack isn't a pannier, and you might need one, or perhaps a rack trunk. The nice folks at Arkel might be of assistance.

Nah, they're great. One just has to know the limitations. Books and bungee cords don't go together, that's true. The books are so flat and smooth, it's rather difficult to keep them in place with bungees only. Probably possible, but takes some figuring out and testing...

Panniers are even greater though. Their main disadvantage is that they are bloody expensive! If you can afford one - luky you; if not - wire baskets and milk crates rule!

I really have to take a pic of my setup and post it... I use a backpack strapped to my rack... the biggest issue is that I have to make sure I put an extra strap around the lower rear corner of the bag and tie it off to the upper front corner of the rack to keep it out of my wheel.

Been carrying my laptop that way for weeks... it works GREAT.

BTW: It's difficult to find a pannier for a reasonable price that will hold a 17.4" widescreen laptop.

I think you can shorten that. It's difficult to find a pannier for a reasonable price. Period.

A rucksack strapped to a bungee cord sounds like something that might just do the trick. I imagine it can be somewhat of a pain though, having to deal with those bungees every time you want to attach the rucksack to, or remove it from, the rack. But if you get skilled at this, it probably takes you mere seconds.

I use my backpack strapped to one side, and a soft cooler I bought from Family Dollar strapped to the other side. Total cost: Less than $30 ($5 for the cooler, $20 for the backpack, and less than $4 for the two 6 foot long web straps I use with them)

It takes me about 2 minutes to put the backpack on or take it off the bike... the cooler I usually just leave on, but it takes another minute to attach or remove.

With bungies, make sure they have sufficient tension to hold. Put several objects together in a bag. Use any bag loops to hold the bungee from slipping off. Use several bungies or an elasticated cargo net.
Hook bungies onto the bottom of the rack legs from the inside, outwards. You can loop the chord between two of the legs then poke the hook out at the bottom. This is more secure than hooking straight from the outside , inwards.
Pannier bags can be expensive. If you want a cheap option check out a mil surplus store fro bags that can be zip-tied to the sides. Respirator bags are a good choice, they are stiff enough to avoid entanglement with the spokes.
You can add some extra stiffenening by rivetting bits of Correx (For Sale signs) inside the bag at the base and inner surface..