Best way to carry stuff? bag etc.
 

When riding my bike normally its pretty comfy but when commuting to work i need to carry 12hrs worth of food, a bit of spare clothing, drinks and a chain bike lock. In a backpack this makes the bike a bit more uncomfortable and it seems to make my neck/shoulders tight as hell.

Any advice? Id love to ride in with no bag at all but due to diet requirements i cant use the work canteen :notamused:

Same problem - tight shoulders and balance screwy on my road bike, so I'm trying to minimize pack contents and leaving most stuff at the office. However, the only real option is a small duffel strapped to a rack or a clip on pannier.

What sort of bike?

Are you against adding racks or other mounting systems to it?

If adding stuff racks to the bike is out of the question, then a Carradice saddlebag may work. They even make a dry bag that attaches only with saddle loops. Or it can mount with a quick-release system.

Drive monday am with the lock, food and changes of clothing. Also drive friday pm with dirty clothes etc. No need to carry the lock with you, leave it at work. Plan B, get a rear rack and put a bag or pannier on it. Much easier to carry stuff that way.

If you get a rear rack, get one with a spring. You'll find that spring clamp very useful.

Best way to carry stuff ?bag etc

I know jimmuller (and tsl) and respect both their opinions. I have visited the Dill Pickle website, and I’m trying to find the time to visit their (nearby) location to see what kind of saddlebag they can make for my carbon fiber road bike.

Dill Pickle Gear

This obviously has its own disadvantages, but I've been commuting with a kid trailer for my "cargo."

Thread about it here: http://www.bikeforums.net/commuting/...e-trailer.html

Not the solution for everyone, but it's working for me.

And as I said in the other thread, riding a hybrid and pulling a trailer all week sure makes my road bike feel like a rocket when I get to ride it ;-)

I have a full rack and big Ortlieb panniers; I can carry a lot of stuff. But this summer I bought an Arkel Tailrider; simply because I wanted to (sue me!). Its very light and fits on top of the rack so it does not screw balance at all. And if you can't add a rack, they also sell a saddle-post mounted rack that fits the tailrider! (Pelican here in Quebec..) I love it :love:

Arkel's Rack bag | Trunk bag
Arkel - Porte-Bagages Randonneur pour tige de selle

I really ought to start bringing in my lunch -- that cafeteria (or local restaurant) food really add$ up over time. :twitchy:

Anyways, another vote from me for getting that weight off your back. One of my bikes ("The Mule") has a rack and long chainstays, so once a week, I fill up a pannier with a weeks' worth of clean clothes and then cart home my dirty clothes after work that day. Freed from that load, I can ride zippier bikes the other 4 days of the week. :thumb: Lock gets mounted to the bike, and I carry my badge/keys/wallet/phone in jersey pockets. Hope this helps.

I bring changes of clothes and lunches about once every two weeks, when I drive. That reduces how much crap I have to carry.

But I do love having a rack and I'm not choosey - front or rear. I've never been one with much upper body strength so backpacks are a drag.

The solution is a bike rack and a bag -
http://www.infobikes.com/wp-content/...1iMqWVAjRL.jpg

If you need to carry a *lot* of stuff, you can get panniers, or a trunk bag that has panniers that drop down from the side:
http://robertsdonovan.com/wp-content...s/imgp4572.jpg

If your bike doesn't have rack mounts, there are several racks designed to go on bikes without mounts built in - the Axiom Streamliner DLX if you want cheaper, the Bontrager Backrack II if you want the lightest available.

As other people have mentioned, I also leave as much at work as possible so I don't have to carry it back and forth, though not everyone can do that. Spare shoes/clothing I leave in my desk, my lock I leave locked to the bike rack (have my phone # on it in maintenance is wondering if anyone is using it). Still, it's nice to be able to carry a few things, so I use a rack.

With a Burly Travoy, a commuter trailer, you have a seat post towed 2 wheel trailer, that tows directly behind you.. has a generous capacity
for things like an insulated foam chest So food stays cool etc.
a bag above it for your stuff. handle to walk with it, off the bike , up lifts escalators and all that .. to bring it onto the Jobsite.

::Bike Trailer - Travoy Commute Bike Trailer - Burley--BURLEY--

I would have thought someone with your screen name could carry stuff without a trailer. :)

I Own 2 .. CoOp era Burly flat bed (406 wheel) and a Carry Freedom City .. It folds Flat within its own frame.

My wife has found the best way to take things is to always go with me and have me carry them. Can you get a sherpa?

MTX rack system from topeak, slide in, slide out, not cheap, not expensive

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=399268

Fanny pack, obviously.

Because if THE ROCK can do it, so can you
http://i.imgur.com/TrwuNH2.jpg

Rack and panniers.

if you opt for a rack and trunk, my new favorite is this one. I like that it's a giant gaping hole one can stuff to the gills. I'm not currently commuting but this bag would be my commuter now. my other bags have too many too small pockets and when commuting I need volume and this bag has it. it'll fit any rack but it's not cheap. I paid $99 at a LBS a couple years ago. now we use it for family bike trips to the beach or day trips with wifey. looks like it comes in red now too.

http://www.rei.com/product/847603/ti...ck-rack-trunk-

Timbuk2 Hunchback Rack Trunk - YouTube

Hunchback Rack Trunk

I use a rear rack and trunk bag, a frame pack for my tool kit, tubes etc., an under seat bag for phone, keys, wallet and a handlebar bag for misc food items, I also carry 2 water bottles (1 water and 1 gatorade).
I can carry an amazing amount of stuff with this set-up.

I only use a backpack, hydration system when I am mountain biking and the above setup for commuting.