backpack vs pannier
09-16-10, 09:11 AM
#26
born again cyclist
i'm firmly in the backpack camp. my reasons:
1. aesthetic purity - none of the bikes that i commute with need to have a cumbersome rack attached to them. this is especially important for my titanium road bike which is my fair-weather commuter.
2. i'm gonna sweat no matter what - i have 15 miles each way; there's no casual cruising at 15mph for me, i like to hit it hard, so i'm dripping with sweat when i get to work whether i'm wearing a back pack or not.
3. handling - i prefer having the extra weight on me as opposed to on the bike. it just feels more natural to me to have the weight on my back, it makes the bike feel zippier and more maneuverable, especially when out of the saddle.
4. comfort - i tried a lot of packs, but eventually settled on an REI pack with multitudes of micro-adjustment straps that allow me to cinch the pack down in all the right places to get that perfect feel where the pack simply becomes an extension of my body rather than something i'm wearing. waist and sternum straps are absolutely essential in my opinion for a bike commuting backpack.
5. the backpack always follows me - when i get off my bike, my backpack is already attached to me, so it goes wherever i go without me ever having to think about it.
6. psychology - in my mind, i feel faster/less draggy with a pack on my back than elsewhere on my bike. that notion might not have much basis in reality (if any at all), but it's still there in my head and hard to ignore.
7. simplicity - i try to travel as light as possible. all of my bikes have a small saddle bag for a spare tube, levers, multi-tool and CO2 pump, so the only things that i'm actually carrying with me in my backpack on my daily commute are a change of clothes, a thin folder for any necessary work papers, wallet, phone, flash drive, and keys. that's it. i don't do the laptop thing because a tiny little flash drive weighs 100's of times less than a laptop and allows me to easily transfer any necessary files between home and office. i don't usually carry a lock because i store my bike inside my office. i eat out for lunch everyday, so i don't have food to carry along either. and i leave my work shoes at the office so that i'm not needlessly shuttling them back and forth everyday.
with all that said, it really does boil down to personal preference. there's no such thing as a one size fits all answer to this eternal question. different commutes, situations, riding styles, and a multitude of other variables will eventually inform each individual's decision as to what works best for them. anyone who tells you that there is only one answer to this question is a fool and their opinion is best ignored.
1. aesthetic purity - none of the bikes that i commute with need to have a cumbersome rack attached to them. this is especially important for my titanium road bike which is my fair-weather commuter.
2. i'm gonna sweat no matter what - i have 15 miles each way; there's no casual cruising at 15mph for me, i like to hit it hard, so i'm dripping with sweat when i get to work whether i'm wearing a back pack or not.
3. handling - i prefer having the extra weight on me as opposed to on the bike. it just feels more natural to me to have the weight on my back, it makes the bike feel zippier and more maneuverable, especially when out of the saddle.
4. comfort - i tried a lot of packs, but eventually settled on an REI pack with multitudes of micro-adjustment straps that allow me to cinch the pack down in all the right places to get that perfect feel where the pack simply becomes an extension of my body rather than something i'm wearing. waist and sternum straps are absolutely essential in my opinion for a bike commuting backpack.
5. the backpack always follows me - when i get off my bike, my backpack is already attached to me, so it goes wherever i go without me ever having to think about it.
6. psychology - in my mind, i feel faster/less draggy with a pack on my back than elsewhere on my bike. that notion might not have much basis in reality (if any at all), but it's still there in my head and hard to ignore.
7. simplicity - i try to travel as light as possible. all of my bikes have a small saddle bag for a spare tube, levers, multi-tool and CO2 pump, so the only things that i'm actually carrying with me in my backpack on my daily commute are a change of clothes, a thin folder for any necessary work papers, wallet, phone, flash drive, and keys. that's it. i don't do the laptop thing because a tiny little flash drive weighs 100's of times less than a laptop and allows me to easily transfer any necessary files between home and office. i don't usually carry a lock because i store my bike inside my office. i eat out for lunch everyday, so i don't have food to carry along either. and i leave my work shoes at the office so that i'm not needlessly shuttling them back and forth everyday.
with all that said, it really does boil down to personal preference. there's no such thing as a one size fits all answer to this eternal question. different commutes, situations, riding styles, and a multitude of other variables will eventually inform each individual's decision as to what works best for them. anyone who tells you that there is only one answer to this question is a fool and their opinion is best ignored.
Last edited by Steely Dan; 09-17-10 at 08:37 AM.
09-16-10, 09:18 AM
#27
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Southern Wisconsin US
Posts: 275
Bikes: Schwinn DBX, Trek 820
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I strap my backpack to my rear rack.
Switched from on back to rack and I ain't gonna go back...
If it's gonna rain I wrap the back pack in two plastic bags...works great.
I bungee the pack to the top of my rear rack...
jp
09-17-10, 08:19 AM
#29
born again cyclist
which is one of the reasons i kinda like the backpack (see reason #7 on my list above), it forces me to think "simple" in terms of what i bring along with me on my commute because i don't want to carry unnecessary weight on my back. with a rack and panniers, i might be tempted to lug along a bunch of extraneous stuff that i really don't need. now, some people don't have the luxury of commuting simply, ie. they must shuttle a laptop back and forth, or they can't afford to eat out everyday so they have to bring lunch food with them, or they must street park their bike and thus have to carry big heavy security devices, etc., but if you can strip down your commuting needs to just a change of clothes and your wallet and phone, it can help keep your total overall weight down, which transfers into more speed. and a backpack with a change of clothes in it is not something that i would consider as a "load" that will be injurious to my back overtime, but who knows, time will tell. i've been backpack bike commuting for 30 miles/day for 3 years now and my back feels fine, so.............
Last edited by Steely Dan; 09-17-10 at 08:38 AM.
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