I recommend going to Dick's or another large outdoors store and checking out their backpacks, they've always done well for me and lasted nearly forever.

Why do people will drop serious money on "breathable packs" instead of a rack and pannier...

I like having my breathable pack as an option. I do have a bike with rack and panniers but I dislike the style of riding it limits me to : no bunnyhopping, no unweighting of rear wheel, going up curbs can only be done at about 2 mph, etc, etc. Standing to sprint doesn't really feel that nice.

Then of course with a pack, the pack comes with you the instant you step off the bike. The bike's easier to hang on hooks, get through doorways and load onto bus racks.

Because a pack can be used for lots of things, rack and pannier only for the bike.

I spent more money trying to get a pannier and rack to work for my bike when I realized that a backpack is what I wanted. Probably spent 150-200 bucks trying to make panniers work. 100 bucks for a backpack and I'm happy as a clam. Mostly it fits my riding style. For the majority of riders, rack and panniers work fabulous. For some of us, backpacks work.

I swear, for a group of people that don't understand why more people won't get out of their cars and on a bike, it seems like you have enough people on bikes to look down on before you even worry about the increasing number of obese and diabetic folks. I'd love to see just one backpack thread without someone having to drop in and ***** about sweaty backs and preaching the superiority of racks.

Word


EDIT: Also, I don't know what "serious" money is. . . I paid $27 for my Access (like 6 years ago) and. . . I think $55 for the Lite-Speed (coupon!).

Now. . . there's also ScottEVest. . .

Backpacker here. Sweaty backs are a fact of life.

But racks have their place. They allow for an additional place to mount a rear light, a place to carry a lock, virtually eliminates the skunk stripe, and a way to get the bag off my back.

I don't berate the rack and pannier crowd (nor the drop bar users), because everyone is different and has different needs/tastes/desires.

I mean if you're not sweating, you're not doing it right.

How much stuff are you looking to carry? And why are you only looking for one pack? Don't you know you're going to need more than one just like the rest of us? :D I got the L L Bean Stowaway pack a few weeks ago and haven't used it in the heat yet, but it breaths better than my other 2 backpacks and is great for a smaller load (1,000 cubic inches or less). A place for a blinky and reflective areas are both good for whatever size pack you end up with, and try and wear the pack in your riding position to see if you like it or not.

Another thing to look for is the ability to carry your bike stuff with you after you're done riding. Pockets to carry water bottles, helmets etc.. help here.

I love my Osprey backpack for hiking/camping, but it's just too big for biking as I don't need to carry much stuff, just a change of clothes, phone, wallet, and office keys. I'm using a small Kelty, I think it's the 3100 as mentioned by monsterkidz, and it works really well.

During the cold, wet winter season I use panniers and a handlebar bag to carry home my foul weather gear and the batteries for all my redundant lighting systems. Around the first week of May I ditch the boat anchor of a commuter bike in favor of racing machines on which I would be loathe to attach a rack. The backpack I found that works best for me is the 17 liter Rapha Fixed. It was pricy at $200 and is now unavailable. It keeps the load even and close to my back.

I have panniers and racks (which cost more than any of my backpacks) but I choose to use a backpack or messenger bag for everyday carrying: I have five bikes and a motorcycle (it doesn't have saddlebags either) I can pick from so unpacking and repacking is a major pain. I used panniers and racks for a few years when I had only one bike but I never liked the way the load affected handling and I hated having to unhook the bags from the racks every time I had to lock the bike up (I eventually cable locked the bags to the bike and took out the most valuable stuff which had to go into yet another bag). Then on race weekends I had to remove everything (I eventually gave up and left the rear rack on - probably the only dork with a rear rack at the starting line). Yeah, racks and panniers are ideal on a dedicated tourer/commuter but a backpack/messenger bag is better when you are on and off the bike a lot.

For what it is worth, I currently use a Maxpedition Pygmy Falcon II for my commuting without a laptop and a Timbuk2 Swig when I have to carry my laptop. On hot summer days I try to put reduce my load so it will fit into an REI Flash 18 which in turn fits into a saddlebag (Carradice Nelson on my Crosscheck or Minnehaha medium on my IRO). Sometimes if I have to carry larger loads I switch to a large Baileyworks Pro. Man, I have/had a lot of bags.

Very nice. I used a Pygmy Falcon for years, before I started carrying a laptop.

I prefer a backpack for logistical reasons. I bike commute very other day, and take the bus on the off days. A rack and panniers does me no good on the off days, and I have no wish to swap all of my stuff, every day, between the panniers and backpack. I also have days where I bike between five different buildings. I'm definitely not dragging panniers through buildings all day long.

My Sirius also hates a rack and panniers. The panniers look bad on that bike, and the bike gets all twitchy with them. No problems with a backpack.

Ok, I took the suggestions and anecdotes so far and added them up.

The heaviest pack was the Camelbak HOSS at 1620g followed by the Kelty Redwing at 1531g. The lightest pack was the LL Bean Stowaway at 454g followed by the second lightest pack: GoLite V024 (595g).

The largest pack was The North Face Mentor at 3500ml. Next largest was another The North Face, the Hot Shot, at 3300ml. Or smallest packs were the Camelbak HOSS and Maxpedition Pygmy Falcon II at 1400ml each. The Novara Commtuer was slightly larger at 1480ml.

Finally, our cheapest: $30 for the LL Bean. After that you should be able to swing a Jansport Revolt 32 or Timbuk2 Swig for around $55. If your feeling flush, you can pay around $120 for a Detuer Trans Apline 30
or maybe $100 for either the Marmot Zypher (still around!) or a Dakine Apex.

According to our suggestions, the average capacity of our packs are 2244 ml having an average empty weight of 987 grams with an average price of $79.

Of all the suggestions, based only on paper: I would pick the Osprey Talon: $99 street price is higher than average, but it as a very reasonable 2200ml capacity and 800g empty weight plus many cycling friendly accouterments. After that, the Dakine, and then well, I think it's much a push after that.

And FYI, I just did a quick search and found the green Talon 22's on sale for 80 bucks at the sun and ski sport website. Darn near bought one just because....

JensonUSA has some pretty good deals on packs.

Oh, for the street prices I took the mode of the prices appearing in Google shopping.

The North Face Bandwidth. Three years old and irreplacable.....

I thought I should add that if you 1) buy any of these packs from REI, you could return it two years later for a seam failure or something thanks to their no questions asked return policy or 2) if you buy an Osprey pack, they guarantee their stuff pretty much forever: http://www.ospreypacks.com/CustomerS...ightyGuarantee You just don't find that in a lot of companies these days.

As you can see, most of us that use backpacks have more than one (a common theme with bicyclists, n+1), and use them for different uses. I find I start out assembling the stuff that goes with me that day and then figuring out how I'm going to carry it, it's a lot easier than unpacking one bag to pack another after realizing I made the wrong choice earlier.

BTW, I bought my GF the REI flash 18 earlier in the year so she could use it on her bike when needed and store it in her handlebar bag when she didn't, and she's been pretty happy with it the few times she's used it.

*doesn't need a new pack* *doesn't need a new pack* *doesn't need a new pack* *doesn't need a new pack* *doesn't need a new pack* *doesn't need a new pack* *doesn't need a new pack* *doesn't need a new pack* *doesn't need a new pack* *doesn't need a new pack* *doesn't need a new pack* *doesn't need a new pack*

Meh. Who am I kidding. . .

not the guy who made the spreadsheet from the sound of it, let us know how you like it will you? Says he who's fighting off the urge himself....

So which pack is on your short list?
 

At the moment, I'm torn between the new Banjo Brothers Metro*, something like a Camelbak or other hydration+cargo pack, or something really light weight.

I don't need massive capacity during the Summer, as I work in a warehouse that has no A/C- so I don't have to worry about being presentable :D. I do need something to carry food, spare batteries, lights if I have to lock/leave the bike at the main bus station, and other small items.

*So new that the product info isn't up on their site yet. It's waterproof, but a bit on the small side at 1100 c.i.'s. Available in either the classic black or the Whitey Von theme. From the sneak peek on Youtube, the Metro has the organization that is lacking in the Commuter line (I have the large one), but it also looks like there is no sternum strap...

Missionworkshop Vandal here. Best bag investment ever.

I use it for everything, every day. As a full-time copy editor who races, commutes, drives, walks, catches a bus and still has to carry around all the books associated with grad school, I've avoided panniers after my last fiasco with them on my 3-speed.

I will, however, be putting them on my LHT this summer. With one caveat. I will be running front and rear panniers so that I can have some balance. I almost ate it daily on my 3-speed because it caused so many "little" issues that I eventually ripped them off.

Pedal strike, then the rack it turned out wasn't "proper" with setbacks so the bag was always into my rear wheel. It destroyed spokes like cookies all the time. My LBS and I looked for workarounds to avoid buying a more expensive rack. Then I had to buy aluminum for sale signs to fold and "mold" for my panniers. Still didn't resolve the issue.

So yeah, I guess I could have sat there and threw money at the problem repeatedly to get what I wanted, but ultimately, it just became an exercise in frustration for me.

I'm hoping my LHT with Surly racks will go a lot more smoothly.

I still intend to use my vandal as a pannier if I can swing it, otherwise it goes in the ted trailer.

Marmot Aero?It's prey minimalist, but also inexpensive as far as normal prices go. Dunno. Any pack is worth tyring out first.

But the laptop department can be fixed by getting something like a ZeroShock case and forgoing the dedicated laptop compartment. . . Then again. . it depends on just how big is this computer of which you speak? Thinkpad W700?