Rucksac vs. panniers

[HJ]

I carried a rucksack around for years, until I was persuaded to try using panniers. Now I am very reluctant to carry a rucksack on a bike, it is just so much more comfortable with panniers. As carrying a laptop, it shouldn't be a problem as most if not all modern laptops are designed to take that level of vibration.

 

[Terminator]

Both!

For work that is.

 

[bonj2]

Panniers are easily best for commuting. But why lug a computer around anyway? These days its easy to access your work computer from a computer at home, so get work to give you a laptop to keep at home. Carting a computer about between work and home is a bit old-fashioned these days, and on a bike you can't even write that vital report while you travel as some people do on the train.

agree with this. Companies have got no excuse not to have a working VPN these days.

 

[bonj2]

I have a rack and strap bag to it with those elastic ties with hooks on the end. Whilst a rucksack is ok for short commutes, you will have sore knees and back if you are doing long off road rides etc and naturally you get very hot and sweaty with this weight on your back. Also you are able to generate much more power and have much control over your machine without a bag on your back. So rucksack riding is really not to be recommended.

proper hardcore MTBers always have rucksacks though, because the last thing you want when you're tackling a technical rocky trail is panniers flapping around. OK for trekking though. It also provides some protection in the way of padding for your back. Better to take an inner tube in the kidney than a rock.

 

[bonj2]

Better than even panniers OR a rucksack - just do what I do, and :
*Don't take anything with you to work. I don't even take a wallet, just stick some cash and/or bank card and mobile phone in my saddle bag. Keys go in jacket pocket, that's literally all i need with me.
* Resist any attempt at imposing a need to transport something regularly to and from work, e.g. a laptop. As simoncc says it's inefficient to cart the same thing back and forth again and again every day.
* On the odd occasion when you do NEED to transport something, e.g. a parcel, sports gear, equipment for a specific job, just drive. Getting a job a long way from home makes this a lot more tolerable, so that even if for this reason you do have to drive some days, you'll still get plenty of commuting miles in anyway, enough to keep fit and get your fill of cycling on the other days.

 

[RedBike]

proper hardcore MTBers always have rucksacks though, because the last thing you want when you're tackling a technical rocky trail is panniers flapping around

Not all panniers flap around?

The main reasons MTBers use 'ruck-sacks' is so they can carry a water reservoir and so the weight distribution of the bike isn't effected. Larger panniers would also get in the way when you have to get your weight back.

 

[bonj2]

Not all panniers flap around?

well you're not riding hard enough then

but yes you're right it is a weight distribution thing - it would be all wrong with panniers - too much weight either side of the wheel, i.e. too much of a sideways moment about the axle when leaning. But then again, some people's definition of MTBing is different to others, for me, it's riding trails just for the fun of riding those particular trails, not to actually GET anywhere in particular. Some people on the other hand class what I would call trekking as MTBing.

 

[goo_mason]

I like my rucksack because:

• There's no point worrying about a sweaty back when you're wringing wet all over
• I have to carry my bike up and down 5 flights of stairs to and from the flat, and at the bottom I have to awkwardly get it out a narrow main door onto the street that opens outwards, and is built into a continuing set of steps. No flat area whilst you open the door - you're standing on steps on either side of it, trying to stop the bike rolling into the door or back down the steps, depending on whether you're going on or out. I prefer the weight to be attached to me and not at the side of the bike to get in & out the bloody stupid door.
• I just don't like the look of panniers - they 'uglify' a bike

All this is just my own personal opinion, of course - and I'm in no way criticising anyone who prefers panniers. They just don't work for me.

 

[Ashtrayhead]

I use a rucksack having converted from panniers a long while ago as I found the panniers had an adverse effect on the bike handling. I use an 'aeroback' style so there's no sweaty back issues and have a Respro Hump cover. They stick out a bit and make it look as if you're going for a parachute jump, but overall the straps are well padded and they're comfortable enough.


When I was hospitalised a few years back, having been side swiped on a roundabout and sent flying, I landed on my back and was cushioned by the rucksack so my injuries were confined to my legs!

 

[simoncc]

proper hardcore MTBers always have rucksacks though, because the last thing you want when you're tackling a technical rocky trail is panniers flapping around. OK for trekking though. It also provides some protection in the way of padding for your back. Better to take an inner tube in the kidney than a rock.

Hardcore MTBers never ride their MTBs on the road unless its between off road sections, they never use panniers and very, very rarely use rucksacks either. A bar of chocolate, a flapjack, a banana and a spare tube in a pocket is what they mostly carry, with a water bottle and a minipump on the frame. Camelbacks have a limited following. MTBs, especially inexpensive ones that are not really suited to serious off-road riding, are a poor choice for commuting as they are often quite heavy, have fat tyres, no mudguards and energy sapping suspension that is unnecessary on the road. A cheap tourer such as a Dawes Horizon fitted with a rack and panniers would be much better.

 

[palinurus]

*Don't take anything with you to work. I don't even take a wallet, just stick some cash and/or bank card and mobile phone in my saddle bag. Keys go in jacket pocket, that's literally all i need with me.

I do this quite a bit in the summer, take clothes in (on the bike) monday, then just keys, cash, tubes and tools in the jersey a couple of other days so I can get out after work.

 

[bonj2]

Hardcore MTBers never ride their MTBs on the road unless its between off road sections, they never use panniers and very, very rarely use rucksacks either. A bar of chocolate, a flapjack, a banana and a spare tube in a pocket is what they mostly carry, with a water bottle and a minipump on the frame. Camelbacks have a limited following. MTBs, especially inexpensive ones that are not really suited to serious off-road riding, are a poor choice for commuting as they are often quite heavy, have fat tyres, no mudguards and energy sapping suspension that is unnecessary on the road. A cheap tourer such as a Dawes Horizon fitted with a rack and panniers would be much better.

I personally don't like having anything attached to the frame if i can avoid it, and i love my camelbak. My pockets would be a bit full if i rammed three spare MTB tubes in, let alone banana, keys, phone etc. aswell. And yes I do need three tubes. I've had a dual snakebite before and only had one tube, and had to call a lift home. So in future i want to be able to recover from that eventuality and still have a spare.

Agree with everything else there though.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

Camelbacks have a limited following.

This is not true. Try going to any MTB event, or doing some serious XC riding and the majority of people you will meet will be using Camelbaks or some similar system.

However I agree with you on the serious MTBers not riding their MTB on the road... except for those of us who do it for training purposes. I commuted on my full-susser all last winter to build up strength (it also gets amusing looks when you overtake people on road bikes! ).

I always use a rucksack for commuting, mainly because I like to commute on my fast road bike - the same one I use for sportives. This was never my intention but I just enjoy it too much not to. It would unbalance things and create drag to use panniers (yes, I do go that fast), as well as looking crap (yes, I do look that good too ). I wear cycling clothes when cycling and have a shower at the office and the only things I am usually carrying are a clean shirt & tie, underwear and socks. I keep a couple of suits and pairs of shoes in the office.

My Kaffenback has a pannier rack, and I do occasionally use that on the rare occasions when I've got a lot of stuff to haul between work and home. If I'm going to be carrying my laptop around, I'll take the Metro anyway, because that usually means I am going off somewhere else. I've got no reason to take it into the office.

 

[gambatte]

Camelbacks have a limited following.

Amongst MTBers?

Most of the off road riders I see or ride with tend to have some form of 'Camelback' type drink system..

 

[threefingerjoe]

This has been an interesting conversation! We've demonstrated that there are many different types of cycling, and situations, each with it's own unique demands, and an overlap of solutions. We also ride for different reasons.

In my case, I don't do much real pleasure-riding, unless I view my commute as a "pleasure ride"....which, come to think of it, it's usually the high point of my working day! :-) I mainly view the bicycle as transportation. I think of my bike as my "urban assault vehicle". I has full mudguards (with front mudflap), lights, rack, slick tyres, etc, as I never venture off of hard surfaces. FOR ME, I carry my "lunch box" (a soft cooler) tied to my rack with bungee cords. I stuff everything that I need to carry into the box, or the unneeded coat or rainjacket to the top of the box. I have panniers, but rarely use them for commuting. I usually hang them on for shopping. I've carried various tools home from work, when I needed to borrow them for a home project. I once rode home, then back to work, with pipe threader dies in the box, and the pipe threader handle taped to the seat stay with electrical tape. I've hauled home tropical fish from the store in a rack-top pack.

I rode with a rucksack, years ago, and it served its purpose, but I find the bike to be more stable with the lower center of gravity achieved with the load on a rack, either in panniers or in a racktop bag. As far as "looks" go, I'm an old fat guy, and no longer concerned with "stylin'". ;-) Heck, over here, some people laugh at me for having mudguards! But, those are mostly the guys who would rather load the bike onto a car, and drive it somewhere where they can PLAY with it, rather than actually USE it for a practical purpose. I'm sure you have people like that over there, too, they probably just don't frequent the "Commuter" board.

Joe