I prefer my bike to be as clutter free as possible. Panniers, racks, fenders, bells, baskets, streamers, spokey-dokes… All of these things offend me on some fundamental level.
Despite efforts to keep my bike unadorned, the practical matters of riding to work everyday has made certain accessories worth their affront to my clutter-free preferences.
With all the paraphernalia adorning my rig there is no choice but embrace the “commuterism” of it… During the fall, winter and spring I’m sporting a bell, lights, fenders, rack and panniers. And while my commuting bike has never been exceptionally svelte, it now bristles with clydesdale-ness.
I’ve been rocking lights and fenders for quite some time now, but the rack and panniers are a recent addition. I had always been a “backpack guy,” but a recent injury forced me to get the weight off my back/shoulders. I had never really felt that I needed the ‘legitimacy’ of a pannier bag – I didn’t think I carried enough to necessitate it. On any given day my gear includes:
- Change of clothes – Underwear, pants, undershirt, dress shirt
- Personals – Wallet, phone, keys, pocket change, anti-perperant, hair goo
- Repair kit – Mini pump, tube, tire levers, tire-boot, multi-tool, folding knife
- Emergency gear – Rain jacket, gloves
Not that hefty of a haul… I try to find the best balance of being prepared and travelling light.
I’ve been using the rack & pannier combination for a couple weeks now, and despite my initial trepidation, it hasn’t been quite as bad as I thought it might be. Some first impressions:
- The good
- Less restrictive – Definitely easier and more comfortable to shoulder check, stretch, etc.
- Stable – Surprisingly stable through turns, rough terrain, curb jumps etc.
- Quiet – Not as noisy or ‘clang-ey’ as I thought it might be. Though things have a tendency to loosen over a week or so, so I need to check/tighten the bolts weekly.
- Great airflow – No more sweaty backs! I feel like the technical clothing I have is finally able to do it’s job and properly wick away any moisture.
- The less good
- Boat anchor – I found there was a noticeable effect to the feeling of the bike. It felt somewhat ancho-rish, especially when accelerating or climbing. Once things got up to speed though, all was well.
- Not aerodynamic – Noticeable drag when it’s windy (which in Calgary, is most days)
Though the conditions have been too varied to gauge decisively whether traveling with panniers is truly faster or more efficient than a backpack, I definitely ‘feel’ like it’s slower – but I also ‘feel’ like I finish the ride fresher, especially in the upper body… No aching shoulders, or stiff neck.
If you’re looking for speed, responsiveness and your commutes are shorter the backpack could be the way to go, at least if you’re a clutterphobe like me… However, if you’re commuting daily, or are looking for comfort, the rack & pannier combination is guaranteed to be liberating.
As for me, I’ll keep rockin’ it as long as the fenders are on my bike… After that, we’ll have to see ;-)
I have to agree with the transition to panniers for commuting; I have always used them for touring, but for commuting I use a big saddle bag, the pockets on my jacket and a back-pack – it’s not far, after all. But my commuting bike is going away for a re-spray and we are hoping to move a little further from work, so I am taking the opportunity to have some mounts brazed on for rear panniers. So I am back to where I started all those years ago when I commuted relatively long distances in London on a touring bike: panniers, and for the same reasons – no sweat, easier if I need to stop off to do some shopping and the ‘luxury’ of taking more or less what I want.
I never liked the shift and tumble of my book bag when riding my bike to shool as a child, and my rekindled interest in bicycling in the 80s was around cycle touring, so hauling a lot of gear on both wheels was something I got used to, so when I returned to bicycling two years ago the first accessory I bought was a rear wheel rack and shopping bag panniers. my dutch style three speed had a rear wheel rack as standard equipment, and I added a front handlebar basket, and am considering a front wheel rack for those days where I need to drag a lot of stuff along. since I don’t have a car, i use my bike to go grocery shopping.
since the ideal number of bikes is n+1, I wouldn’t be surprised if my third bike would be a cargo bike rather than something more agile…
There must also be the additional benefit of daily riding, with the increased weight, to your fitness. Not unlike a runner who will put on ankle weights, or an adventure racer who will run with a loaded pack, the panniers will certainly up the required intensity needed to get up that big hill everyday! When you finally take those off, and ride the bike in its ‘race’ form, you’ll feel fast as a mule suddenly unhooked from its plough ;-)