tdonline

I can't abide with anything on me while riding (well aside from clothing of course) so I use panniers. For non-work rides, sometimes I use a trunk bag. And I have a basket for my folding bike. The downside of panniers is carrying them off the bike. I have old Nashbar panniers and they are not comfortable to carry around if I need to walk around for a bit. They just have one small handle strap.

They are old and ragged so I'm actually considering leaving them on the bike. Maybe even zip tie to the rack lest someone is interested in old raggedy panniers. That way I can plop my backpack and regular bags/purses in them. If they are ever stolen or give up the ghost, I would consider the Wald folding baskets. My concerns are rattling and weight of the baskets.

snow_echo_NY

been commuting with the backpack for the last 3 years daily and before that, the previous 3 years, a few times a week.

this summer i came back from touring and left the rack on. decided to use one pannier. it's nice to have the back free. but it messes too much with the handling of the bike. maybe i need two panniers to even that out. but i'm honestly not carrying that much to warrant two panniers.

as soon as my pack comes back from being repaired and as soon as i'm done with touring for the year and uninstall my rack, i'll go back to the backpack. so in the fall sometime.

both are good, it's simply personal preference - typically based on factors of distance and weight (how much you're carrying).

BobbyG

+1

Then there was the day I did a back pack and the Wald baskets...

Crashola

My wife and I both have a short commute. She regularly takes her workout clothes plus a dizzying array of tupperware containers with her breakfast and lunch for the day. It's regularly been in triple digits here, so she finally picked up a Timbuk2 pannier and loves it.

I am still going the backpack route, but it is no fun riding home at the hottest part of the day.

noglider 

I used to hate wearing a backpack while on the bike, but I really like it now. The trick was to find a comfortable one.

winston63 

Yeah I'm with you on that.

I mostly commute on one of my bikes with racks and I always vastly preferred panniers, but I've added a lightweight road bike which I love to ride and the only option is a backpack if I'm commuting on it.

I bought a backpack designed for cycling, a Deuter Race Exp Air, and it's amazing how much more comfortable it is compared to a standard backpack. The design keeps most of the fabric off my back and allows air flow as I'm riding. It's a world of difference!

gjosuem

Like others have said before, it's really a preferential thing, but not required to test commuting out. My recommendation is to use what you have and slowly try new things. You will soon realize you have various bags and panniers of different sizes and shapes. I personally have done all but my favorite so far is a (Blackburn) trunk bag that has droppable "panniers" if needede and a (revelant) frame bag. I work long shifts so I carry clothes, b'fast and lunch, sometimes dinner, along with spare inner tubes and bike tools; As well as other items like phone, wallet, door remote (for work) it adds up.

What is your commute type? That will/may affect your bag of choice. If you are hammering and doing jumps and hops over obstacles, that will influence your selection. Personally I cruise in to work at a comfortable pace and then do a slightly spirited pace on the way home.

wphamilton

This is true, you don't really want to put a rack on the lightweight road bike. A backpack with thoughtful design I'm sure works well, but I have in the past gone to some lengths to avoid them on the road bike.

It may be a little off topic since we're talking racks, but a nylon or canvas bag is very easy to rig up as a quick release frame bag and that was my go-to for a couple of years. More recently I've switched to handlebar bags, that I've designed ... but most of my commutes now are happening on the bike with a rack.

winston63 

Believe me, I've hated using backpacks in the past - most of them trap all your body heat and my back would wind up a soaked mess even after a short ride. The new one I've got is so vastly better that I can't really compare.

That said, I still prefer to put something on the bike instead of my back, but I just don't want to mount anything on my road bike. Maybe a frame bag of some sort would be worth exploring, but it almost seems sacrilegious to put anything like that on such a nice light road bike

Of course, I don't commute on my road bike very often, it's my lightweight fast and fun bike and not meant to be all that practical, I've got a couple of other bikes that fit that bill.

fietsbob

back that cannot sweat because the pack is on it, Vs having a bag you walk around with in your hands ( or have a shoulder strap on)? .

winston63 

Right - the one situation where I'll choose a backpack is when I need it for the convenience it offers when walking about. Even with shoulder straps, none of my panniers are all that great for hauling around on foot.

Bike Gremlin

If my luggage fits in a backpack I prefer it to panniers. Using panniers only when I need extra room, or I'm expecting a heavy rain.
However, the backpack stays on the rack, never on my back. It's more comfortable and more aero!

Skipjacks

Panniers for me and its' not even a contest. This is my second year bike commuting. Last year I was all backpack and on hot days my back would just be soaked since it couldn't air out. Plus it didn't give me much leeway in terms of storage. A backpack holds my change of clothes and not much more (I have big shoes). It I wanted to stop at the store on the way home I couldn't get much as I'd have no where to put it.

Panniers give me flexibility. 1 is the size of a small backpack that fits a full change of clothes. That leaves with with an empty one for lunch or stopping to pick up something on the way home...whatever.

You don't have to spend a lot on them to try them out.

I have a pair of Axiom Kingston Commuters (I can't post a URL yet. Google will show you what they look like. They are $53 on Amazon)

Axiom makes a waterproof bag too that quite frankly I wish I would have gotten instead, but whatever. Mine a water resistant and since I don't ride when it's going to be pouring out anyway it's not a big loss.

Panniers really help to let the bike do all the work of carrying to load too instead of my upper body and back doing it.The other day I put a 1.5 gallon of liquid crabgrass killer I picked up on the way home in my pannier and I couldn't tell it was back there. If it was in my backpack that would have weighed me down.

winston63 

For sure, if I've got to carry anything heavy or bulky, it's going to be panniers every time. Today I'm going to be running some errands and buying some items that are heavy (including beer) - no way am I carrying that on my back. I'll take my touring bike with the big Ortlieb panniers and load em up as required.

greg3rd48 

I used to use a back pack but now after utilizing two inexpensive Nashbar panniers for the past six months or so I am reluctant to revert to a backpack unless I am carrying very little. Sometimes I carry upwards of 20 lbs. of necessary items in the panniers so that obviously is not conducive to wearing a pack. Other times I am picking up produce on the way home which the panniers are wonderful for. I suppose it all depends on the individual's comfort level and what they plan on carrying.

Untitled by irishbx4th, on Flickr

John E

I use panniers for shopping. Unfortunately, my Rudy Project panniers were discontinued long ago, may even have been prototypes, and I am having trouble finding suitable replacements, as they are nearing end of life, with nylon rips.

They have stiff inner boards to keep them from flopping into the back wheel (essential!), and each can hold a box of cat litter, 30x29x10.5cm. They also simply drop right over a Pletscher mousetrap or Blackburn MTN rack, the ultimate in easy on / easy off.

I have found some $90 rollup canvas units that appear to be about the right size, but I about stiffness.

I am wide open to suggestions and advice.

Germany_chris

I've never had a set of panniers that didn't have a stiffner in them but whether they're stiff enough I don't know. While I generally like panniers for shopping because I can bring them into the store I think if I was regularly picking up things like kitty litter I'd get one of those clip on wire baskets and use a normal pannier on the other side.

Sardines

I use bikes for transport most days, and find backpacks a bit too warm in the day. The pannier backpacks are very nice for hot days cos it won't stick to the back and will feel cooler.

Calsun

One can buy a good enough rear rack and pair of panniers for under $200. This puts the weight on the rear wheel instead of on your back. It also does not interfere with your clothing in terms of waterproofing or allowing perspiration to evaporate. Rucksacks are fine for kids going to school with a couple of textbooks and a sack lunch but hardly ideal for commuting.

I can put a brief case, street shoes, jacket, and other items in rear panniers without affecting my pedaling of the bike. At my destination I can unclip the panniers and carry them inside with their handles and I have the option of only using one of the panniers if that is all that is needed.

GhenghisKahn

Single side waterproof pannier with zip enclosed shoulderstaps. Can't remember who makes it. Kathmandu, I think.

Daniel4

When I was much younger, I used to ride to my summer job with backpacks.

Now I prefer panniers for their low center of gravity and to allow ventilation on my back. I don't like the trapezoidal shape of pure panniers and they are awkward when you need to carry them around. I also don't like that they are a little more than sacks so you have to rummage and mess up your packing just to look for stuff.

Then I got an Arkel combination backpack and pannier. Being a backpack, it's got lots of pockets and a big zipper that can open the main compartment all the way down.

RichSPK

I rode with backpacks when I was younger, but I find it uncomfortable now. I greatly prefer panniers. I've never had any, but I'm sure I've seen panniers that can be worn as a backpack when removed from the bike.

jbandt

I've done both and prefer a backpack. I'm in a hot region and still prefer a backpack. Bike feels more responsive and agile to me. Makes the ride more enjoyable even if I'm sweating a ton.😄😄

Riveting

Yup, backpacks definitely make the bike more responsive, can help keep you warm in the winter, and allow you to ride your fast road bike without mounting and unmounting anything. With that being said, I now solely use an MTX quick release trunk bag with fold out panniers that mounts to the special MTX rack, for increased overall comfort, and ease of use.

noglider 

I weighed into this thread in 2017. That's when I was using a Timbuk2 backpack. It didn't last very long, but it wasn't expensive, either. My spouse gave me her Osprey backpack, as she wasn't using it. Wow. Now this is some serious equipment. It has a gap sort of thing to keep the pack away from my back. It touches me only on my shoulders and my hips. It's surprisingly heavy when empty, and that's because of the internal frame. The frame makes the weight sit on me so the total weight feels less than with other backpacks. It has a zillion pockets. After a couple of years of use, I just discovered more pockets. She got a women's model and it barely works for me. I'm not a large man, down to about 5'8" tall.

I've noticed that putting luggage on a heavy bike doesn't worsen the ride much but on a light bike, it makes it much worse. That's why a backpack makes sense for so many of us. It's also simpler than panniers. You can't really use panniers for anything but their intended use.