I've been using a backpack, but I want to get a bag for my bike. Most of the time, I'm only carrying my lunch, one or two compressible items of clothing (pants or skirt, sometimes a windbreaker), and wallet/keys/cellphone. I like being able to stop at farm stores or the grocery store without going home first, but there's not much room left in my backpack for food.

I can't decide whether a rack trunk or panniers would be a better choice - it seems like a waste to use panniers when they'd be mostly empty, but I'd like enough space to do a little grocery shopping.

LBS hasn't been much help - the guy there told me "Why don't you just strap an orange crate to your rack? That will carry anything you need."

But, I found this online: https://inertiadesigns.com/catalog/pr...roducts_id=171

Has anyone seen or tried these? Any other recommendations?

Thanks!

I've not tried that rack trunk, but it looks neat! I've seen similar knockoff-type rack trunks from Nashbar and Performance occasionally.

I personally like panniers a lot. You can get a pair of mid-size panniers from Performance for about $40 when they're on sale (the Transit Pro panniers). I use only one pannier normally, and that's big enough to hold a few days worth of groceries, though it gets a little side heavy. Empty panniers are not very heavy, so carrying around an extra one should be no big deal normally.

I used to use a regular-size Performance rack trunk. It was fine, but annoying to carry around and not very spacious.

My recommendation is: panniers. Once you have the extra carrying capacity, you might find a use for it. Also with panniers, you can still strap large objects onto the rack. The rack truck might just barely contain your typical load but if you have to take a box to the post office or stop off and buy milk, it won't do.

Thanks for the suggestions - I guess I'll go for some regular panniers! Being able to carry a gallon of milk home would certainly be good

I must be one of the only trunk bag fans around. I like panniers, but most of the time I worry about not being able to remove them easily when I lock my bike up.

I've not used that trunk back, but I saw a similar model at REI that I almost picked up, but it required a special rack to connect to. And with my disk brakes, my rack options are somewhat limited.