Ok so I'm trying to make sure I'm geared up properly for commuting and I have a couple of questions that searching didn't turn up exact answers for

Panniers, do I need two to balance out or will 1 suffice? I'll be commuting to school and work so I'll have to carry a little bit of stuff with me.

Secondly are there any panniers other than timbuk2 that come off and can be used as a backpack/messenger bag?

Third instead of a pannier could I just get a rack and strap my bag to that? I have both a timbuk2 med messenger and a chrome borris

Yeah, the arkel bug -- check that one out.

I just use cheap ones that "drape" over the rear rack and have 2 on each side. I've used the same set for almost 3 years and they're still going. You can jam a lot of crap in them too. They're "appalachian" "Axiom" or something like that.

1 - Lots of people run with one pannier. It works just fine.

2 - Those types of panniers exist, but I have no experience with them.

3 - Sounds like you're getting a rack anyway, right? But yes, you can strap your bag to the top of the rack. You could also attach a milk crate to your rack, and put your bag in the crate.

Regarding the milk crate option: depending on the size of the bag, it may not fit inside the crate. I had that problem with my big backpack and hit upon another solution. You could also explore getting something from Wald that would allow you to just use your current bags...

Im looking seriously into a rack mainly for warmer months as the commute is rather short (10 mile round trip) in texas summer heat thats still a lot of time to get a soaked back

Question to the OP- what bike are you going to be using? Some bike geometries lend themselves to using panniers better than others.

Want a single back pack/pannier? , Nashbar sells one. sewn in Asia.

there is an Ortlieb Bike Shopper pannier, sold singly,
+ they sell a back pack harness to clip the bag onto,
Advantage Ortlieb is waterproof, Shopper uses a waterproof zipper closure.

You could also pick up a set of Axiom Lasalle Panniers, which now sports a shoulder strap. Run with one on the left side for a while, then switch to the right. A set of these panniers are still less than one Arkel Bug and they are very durable as well.

Hi

I ride at times with a single pannier. Works fine for me. As to the pannier/messenger bag, no experience sorry.

Andrew

You can absolutely strap a backpack to the rack. That's how I commute. I've found that Surly Junk Straps hold the bag the best for me. (I've tried bungie cords & cargo nets). Some others here have used other straps with success. I find the backpack/rack combo works better for me than panniers do. If you are only planning on using one pannier, a backpack may distribute your weight better as it will be centered on the rear rack.