How do you carry your stuff?

When I ride to work or run errands around town, I take my backpack, although now that it's hot and the backpack makes it worse, I've been envying people with racks and panniers. I'm curious what you guys are using when you have to carry a lot of stuff on your bike?

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Permalink Reply by Rusty Piton on December 15, 2008 at 3:51am
XTRACYCLE!!!
Here's mine with various loads:

Permalink Reply by Leah on December 16, 2008 at 7:58am
very impressive!!

Rusty Piton said:
XTRACYCLE!!!
Here's mine with various loads:
Permalink Reply by cutifly on December 16, 2008 at 8:24am
Just like sleeping in someones bushes, I thought moving all my stuff on a bike would be fun and a real challenge. All Item moved from Chicago and Western to Foster and Broadway. About 1hr 20 min each one way trip. Not a difficult as one may expect.


Permalink Reply by Rusty Piton on December 16, 2008 at 10:16am
cutifly said:
Just like sleeping in someones bushes, I thought moving all my stuff on a bike would be fun and a real challenge. All Item moved from Chicago and Western to Foster and Broadway. About 1hr 20 min each one way trip. Not a difficult as one may expect.


Awesome.
I think I saw you when you were doing this.
Also, I love the mag wheels on the trailer.
Permalink Reply by Brett Ratner on December 17, 2008 at 4:36am
I have the obligatory Chrome messenger bag, used it for years. But I've been on a "green" kick lately, and about once per week I use my bike to tote my recyclables to the recycling center near Ravenswood and Devon. And then once or twice per week, I do my grocery shopping by bike.

Like you, I started to wonder about a rack for to make it easier to carry stuff. I invested in a Topeak rack (the type that accept their proprietary quick locking bags). I bought Topeak's expandable bag with panniers ... http://topeak.com/products/Bags/MTXTrunkBagDXP ... and I also bought a set of Banjo Brothers grocery panniers ... http://www.banjobrothers.com/products/01080.php ...

There are many advantages to going the rack/pannier route, and personal preference plays a big role here.

But I found myself preferring to use my messenger bag and now all these panniers I bought are collecting dust. As Jim Behymer said in his post, having the weight on my back feels much more stable than on the bike.

The cargo itself also feels more stable on my back whereas in the bags items tend to bounce around when I hit bumps.

And when my panniers are loaded up, the bike's handling feels weird to me and I don't feel as nimble and safe in traffic. Then when I get to my destination, it's a real bitch getting a loaded bike up and down stairs and in and out of buildings.

The biggest surprise was that the panniers made getting groceries harder for me. Watching me balance the bike while trying to attach two loaded panniers must be comical to watch. If I use my messenger bag or a backpack, I simply unlock the bike and go. Granted I can't carry as much, but it seems to carry what I need.

If you're worried about a sweaty back, Jim Friend's suggestion about the Camelbak bag is a good one. Their bags feature raised pads that help keep your back ventilated. Also, ditching cotton shirts and switching to "wicking" materials (Nike "Dry Fit," "Capilene," etc.) makes a HUGE difference. If you need to carry a lot of stuff, I'd look into the new backpack style bags that Chrome is now selling.

I hope this helps!
Permalink Reply by Chi Tour de Cure on December 17, 2008 at 5:09am
I don't have space for a true commuter bike in my lineup just yet. Since I do long rides on my cyclocross (commuter) bike with the team on the weekends, I don't feel like taking the panniers on and off - thus I'm still sticking with my bag.

I just traded in my timbuk2 messenger bag for a Crumpler Mahoubar backpack. I can see how it will be hot in the summer, but I'm only riding 12 miles round trip with it. It's huge but sits very well - they designed it not to interfere with helmets and peripheral vision. The Crumpler brand has really impressed me so far. Super sturdy construction and great details (lots of subtle, hidden pockets) for much less coin than some competitors (sorry Chrome, I'm talkin' bout YOU. :-)

Lots of space so I can sew on the mandatory flair.


Permalink Reply by Natalie on January 28, 2009 at 9:13am
Resurrecting an old thread because I really don't want to work today:

I carry stuff all different ways, depending on my mood and what I need to carry.

Some days I just toss all my crap in a Timbuk2 messenger bag.

On my commuter bike I have a cheapo Performance-brand rack and Ortlieb Back Roller Classics. I love those panniers--of the several I've tried so far, Ortlieb has the most stable attachment system. But as someone pointed out, if you get out of the saddle and crank hard, things can feel unstable even with the best attachment system.

Last year my husband and I bought a Burley Flatbed, which we've used to haul the recyclables and 44-pound bags of dog food and cases of beer. A few downsides to the Flatbed: the attachment system is kind of meh; there are no fenders on the wheels, so if it's mucky out your cargo gets covered with spray; and the trailer bobs when you accelerate.

Then this summer we got really lucky when we had some spare cash at the same time a friend wanted to sell her Bakfiets (http://www.dutchbikeseattle.com/html/bikes/bakfiets.html) at a great price (relatively speaking). That bike is awesome! The dog will ride in it; we can haul one adult or two kids; and we can buy a week's worth of groceries, beer, dog food, charcoal, watermelons, whatever, at once. We absolutely love it. Obviously, bakfietsen are very expensive, mostly because of the import tariffs, but they're cheaper than any car, and the upkeep is minimal. The only downside I can think of is that we can't get it in the basement because it weighs something like 80 pounds.
Permalink Reply by Rusty Piton on January 28, 2009 at 9:23am
When I don't need the capacity offered by the xtra I use Ortlieb rolltop panniers on my crosscheck. And the rack.

Permalink Reply by Natalie on January 28, 2009 at 9:37am
M.A.R.K., I can see the hooks on those things that hook over the top rail of the rack, but what secures them at the bottom? The bungee? I like the ingenious, economical reuse of materials that would otherwise have to go to the recycle station.

M.A.R.K. said:
Great bump.. Still using rear ack for small stuff and a kids trailer for larger loads..looking for a cheap front rack. Also looking for cheap rear baskets for a schwinn. People out there want alot of money for baskets that are aging up to 30 years old, I think I saw some recently for like 60 bucks!.!.! Im also using a homemade kitty litter pannier. I thought chucko posted his here but I guess not, so I'll post mine.

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