irclean

Are you willing or able to attach a rear rack to your ride? If so, it opens up the possibilities; before I bought a trunk bag I used a WalMart hardshell lunch bag that I secured to the rack with a cargo net. Both have room to pack enough food for a 12-hour shift. If a rack is out of the question then I think the above-mentioned handlebar bag is a good idea.

orionz06

It's a CAAD10, no way, or desire, to attach a rack.

chandltp

I think you've just discovered that if you don't have certain gear for commuting, it's harder and possibly less enjoyable. If it were me, I'd get a second bike with panniers and a rack. Although I do pretty well in the winter with just my backpack (not as fun in the summer since it's too hot for me). Granted, I tend to take more soup and such in the winter so it's easy to transport.

orionz06

I can't say it is less enjoyable, I just might need a different bag instead, or suck it up and eat a little more repetitive than I wish.

jrickards

lol

+1

chandltp

Well, you're complaining about your lunch, which is a byproduct of your commuting. For me, that would classify as less enjoyable.

Antaresia

Left overs! If you're making supper anyway, it's not like it's more work to make twice as much (learn a few Indian curry recopies, they're perfect). I have zip-lock containers that are the perfect size; a full one = a lunch. And if you just use one of the same type of container each day, there can't possibly be that much re-arranging to deal with (unless you are one of *those people* can't have different foods touching?)

Today it's perfect mash potatoes with horseraddish cheese, carrots, and some spicy ground beef. Sort of like a little shepherds pie.

Usually I have one filler type thing; rice, lentils, noodles, perogies, quinoa, couscous, dim sum, pasta, mashed potato or yam. There will be some veggies (swiss chard is my current obsession) and If I have too I pad it with something like a boiled egg, shrimp, cheese, tiny tomatoes, garbanzo beans, an avocado - there are lots of possibilities. I have a banana & trail mix for breakfast, maybe an apple or granola bar for afternoon snack. Sandwiches are a last resort and usually have to have things like goat cheese and cilantro in them to be interesting enough.

Zrane

I do commute with a messenger bag and manage to fit a change of clothes, lunch and snacks in it(With a laptop sometimes!)

I sometimes take wraps or sandwiches, but frequently take leftovers. I use a small, insulated lunch box(About the size of a brown bag sack, just insulated) and can fit a small tupperware hardshell contained and a few other things. I usually take a thing of leftovers, a little tub of yogurt and a can of fruit. I find the Dole 50 calorie cans are small enough to fit easily. I also shove an apple and a banana in the bag and I'm good to go.

Edit: Maybe you need a larger bag? I use a TimBuk2 Command messenger in large. I hear the Chrome ones are cavernous, too.

wez312

I have a Chrome citizen (mid size) usually fit tshirt, shorts, laptop, ulock, lots of little extras like tools, wallet, phone, small notebook, etc. and two of these containers on the bottom left here for lunch and dinner in there.

Vodalus

usually i take leftovers, a yogurt, and a few pieces of fruit and eat things throughout the day as i get hungry. I pack it all in a lunchbox and then velcro the box in with the main handle over the top of my pannier so it hangs off the side of my bags.

Pedaleur

Dang. Beat to the Banana Keeper photo.

Alas, lunch is typically sandwich, apple, banana, yogurt, snack in a Hello Kitty lunch bag (my daughter was so proud when she gave me her 'old' lunch bag). Bag goes in the pannier, sometimes on top, sometimes under my daughter's clarinet. Rarely bruised bananas.

scroca

Do these things actually work? Are they somehow soft enough to accommodate different size bananas but still hard enough to give protection?

bikerjp

If you are the boss, you should invest in some better beer. We call that stuff rocky mountain panther pi$$.