Commuting - is a rucksack always going to be sweaty?!

Commuting, Day rides, Audax, Incidents, etc.
User avatar
NATURAL ANKLING
Posts: 13780
Joined: 24 Oct 2012, 10:43pm
Location: English Riviera

Re: Commuting - is a rucksack always going to be sweaty?!

Post by NATURAL ANKLING »

Hi,
Well I always carry a rucksack and the panniers too.
Modern cycling jerseys wick away so much moister that its rarely a problem.
Motorbike is no problem either it saves all the hassle in remembering to take gear out of panniers when late for work :)
To much weight can make it a problem in the seat but seldom carry that much in it.
Keep valuable's in the rucksack so no fear of being parted.

If your out exploring off road then a rucksack is fine short trips.

My only to date experience with hazards was spectating at a motorcycle enduro and a headless rider cut us fine and his handle bar caught my strap and pulled me down the road..........................he jumped back on bike and teared off again with a bye or leave.........................
NA Thinks Just End 2 End Return + Bivvy - Some day Soon I hope
You'll Still Find Me At The Top Of A Hill
Please forgive the poor Grammar I blame it on my mobile and phat thinkers.
User avatar
horizon
Posts: 11275
Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 11:24am
Location: Cornwall

Re: Commuting - is a rucksack always going to be sweaty?!

Post by horizon »

The Man, the Boy, and the Donkey

A MAN and his son were once going with their Donkey to market. As they were walking along by its side a countryman passed them and said: “You fools, what is a Donkey for but to ride upon?”
So the Man put the Boy on the Donkey and they went on their way. But soon they passed a group of men, one of whom said: “See that lazy youngster, he lets his father walk while he rides.”
So the Man ordered his Boy to get off, and got on himself. But they hadn’t gone far when they passed two women, one of whom said to the other: “Shame on that lazy lout to let his poor little son trudge along.”
Well, the Man didn’t know what to do, but at last he took his Boy up before him on the Donkey. By this time they had come to the town, and the passers-by began to jeer and point at them. The Man stopped and asked what they were scoffing at. The men said: “Aren’t you ashamed of yourself for overloading that poor Donkey of yours—you and your hulking son?” The Man and Boy got off and tried to think what to do. They thought and they thought, till at last they cut down a pole, tied the Donkey’s feet to it, and raised the pole and the Donkey to their shoulders.


Of course you could always carry the bike as well.
When the pestilence strikes from the East, go far and breathe the cold air deeply. Ignore the sage, stay not indoors. Ho Ri Zon 12th Century Chinese philosopher
User avatar
mjr
Posts: 20308
Joined: 20 Jun 2011, 7:06pm
Location: Norfolk or Somerset, mostly
Contact:

Re: Commuting - is a rucksack always going to be sweaty?!

Post by mjr »

al_yrpal wrote:Carrying a rucksack on your back on a bike, riding on road on a MTB with the original knobbly tyres, having the saddle too low, being in the wrong gear. All these things say to me "that guy hasnt a clue".

Thank you for your application for the position of resident bike snob! :roll:

Therealsouthstander wrote:The only negative about using panniers is that the wind catches them and slows you right down ,especially if it's a head wind...

The winds howling across the fens is why I use a rack bag if I can, then slimline panniers if not, then full panniers if I must.

BrianFox wrote:Why not consider a bar bag - clip on & they can be surprisingly capacious, easily enough for your commute.

Can get in the way of lights though

Until you get into the expensive ones with QR blocks that means you have to plan which bikes you put them on, bar bags seem to get in the way of every blooming thing. I remain surprised that they're so popular. Do other people never hold the tops to keep the front wheel down when riding over uneven surfaces? Even baskets are better and I've described many of my troubles with baskets - mainly them hitting the fork crown light, flopping into the head tube or bouncing off entirely.
MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk
All the above is CC-By-SA and no other implied copyright license to Cycle magazine.
User avatar
al_yrpal
Posts: 11537
Joined: 25 Jul 2007, 9:47pm
Location: Think Cheddar and Cider
Contact:

Re: Commuting - is a rucksack always going to be sweaty?!

Post by al_yrpal »

Bar bag is my default bag of choice. Never leave home without one. Easy to unclip and carry around town with a shoulder strap. Just dont overload them.

Al
Reuse, recycle, thus do your bit to save the planet.... Get stuff at auctions, Dump, Charity Shops, Facebook Marketplace, Ebay, Car Boots. Choose an Old House, and a Banger ..... And cycle as often as you can......
User avatar
TrevA
Posts: 3551
Joined: 1 Jun 2007, 9:12pm
Location: Nottingham

Re: Commuting - is a rucksack always going to be sweaty?!

Post by TrevA »

I normally use a single pannier but have a small Camelbak- type rucksack (with the drinking bladder taken out). I can fit my laptop in this and a few bits of clothing, for when I'm commuting on a bike without a rack or I don't want to overload the pannier. I could ride with 2 panniers but my wife has pinched the other one!
Sherwood CC and Notts CTC.
A cart horse trapped in the body of a man.
http://www.jogler2009.blogspot.com
User avatar
661-Pete
Posts: 10593
Joined: 22 Nov 2012, 8:45pm
Location: Sussex

Re: Commuting - is a rucksack always going to be sweaty?!

Post by 661-Pete »

al_yrpal wrote:Carrying a rucksack on your back on a bike, riding on road on a MTB with the original knobbly tyres, having the saddle too low, being in the wrong gear. All these things say to me "that guy hasnt a clue".
Well, can I get away with 1/4 then? Or perhaps 2/4: I do sometimes get in the wrong gear, just like everyone else who makes the occasional mistake, especially at night or in filthy weather.

I don't have an MTB, but if I did, I would probably ride it on the road for a short distance to get to my favourite off-road track. So then it would be 3/4... 8)
Suppose that this room is a lift. The support breaks and down we go with ever-increasing velocity.
Let us pass the time by performing physical experiments...
--- Arthur Eddington (creator of the Eddington Number).
on6702
Posts: 33
Joined: 27 Nov 2015, 12:47pm

Re: Commuting - is a rucksack always going to be sweaty?!

Post by on6702 »

Hi Martin,

In common with several other posters, I'm going to say that I've found panniers to be a godsend, and if you can fit them to your bike I'd encourage you to think about doing so.
Not only do they remove feeling of a sweaty back but its far more pleasant and stable to not have a load on your shoulders.
The other advantage is that they increase your footprint on the road, thus making you a more obvious and wider obstacle to be avoided.

Oliver
User avatar
mjr
Posts: 20308
Joined: 20 Jun 2011, 7:06pm
Location: Norfolk or Somerset, mostly
Contact:

Re: Commuting - is a rucksack always going to be sweaty?!

Post by mjr »

al_yrpal wrote:Bar bag is my default bag of choice. Never leave home without one. Easy to unclip and carry around town with a shoulder strap. Just dont overload them.

OK, I'll bite: what bar bag? Can it cope with a good lock and mini toolkit (say 2kg) or is that overloading?

I've found unclipping bar bags more troublesome than rack bag or panniers and the shoulder strap is about the same.

One of my slimline panniers has started to disintegrate today. I think I can stitch it back together, but does everyone have to do this sort of thing or are Norfolk's roads especially rough or something? :(
MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk
All the above is CC-By-SA and no other implied copyright license to Cycle magazine.
User avatar
Heltor Chasca
Posts: 3016
Joined: 30 Aug 2014, 8:18pm
Location: Near Bath & The Mendips in Somerset

Re: Commuting - is a rucksack always going to be sweaty?!

Post by Heltor Chasca »

mjr wrote:
al_yrpal wrote:Bar bag is my default bag of choice. Never leave home without one. Easy to unclip and carry around town with a shoulder strap. Just dont overload them.

OK, I'll bite: what bar bag? Can it cope with a good lock and mini toolkit (say 2kg) or is that overloading?

I've found unclipping bar bags more troublesome than rack bag or panniers and the shoulder strap is about the same.

One of my slimline panniers has started to disintegrate today. I think I can stitch it back together, but does everyone have to do this sort of thing or are Norfolk's roads especially rough or something? :(


I've got an old Ortlieb bar bag. Same as Al, it's the convenience that's a winner. I carry up to 2.5kg without any issues on or off the bike. My one is out dated now but I can press-stud a map to it too. Dead handy. The only issue I have is that bananas get liquidised in bar bags!
boliston
Posts: 60
Joined: 5 Jul 2013, 6:35pm
Location: Taunton
Contact:

Re: Commuting - is a rucksack always going to be sweaty?!

Post by boliston »

Used to use rucksack on my old bike but since moving to a brompton (after my old bike got stolen) I have used the "c-bag" that came with the bike and just clips onto a single clip at the front of the bike, and as it's clipped to the frame rather than the forks or bars it does not sway about as you steer. I have carried two 5 litre beer kegs in it without any problems.
User avatar
foxyrider
Posts: 6044
Joined: 29 Aug 2011, 10:25am
Location: Sheffield, South Yorkshire

Re: Commuting - is a rucksack always going to be sweaty?!

Post by foxyrider »

I think the OP might just have got the drift that we are almost unanimous in our disdain of using rucksacks for any but the shortest trip! :lol:
Convention? what's that then?
Airnimal Chameleon touring, Orbit Pro hack, Orbit Photon audax, Focus Mares AX tour, Peugeot Carbon sportive, Owen Blower vintage race - all running Tulio's finest!
sjs
Posts: 1306
Joined: 24 Jan 2010, 10:08pm
Location: Hitchin

Re: Commuting - is a rucksack always going to be sweaty?!

Post by sjs »

Si wrote:Lots of professional cyclists (bikeability instructors, couriers) carry loads on their backs with no problem. Bit of planning and you can use a back pack all day without much hassle. Thus a short commute shouldn't give any issues. Especially if mostly dh on the way in so less sweating.
Contrary to popular belief, a well set up rucksack won't hurt handling and having the weight higher can be a lot better than having it lower (mike burrows did a bit about this a while back) plus on the body it's dynamic rather than static weight so another bonus. But as the load increases there is more incentive to have it on the bike.


I agree.

I usually commute with a single pannier (cue more howls of protest no doubt) or a rack pack. But when I fancy using the other bike, it's no big deal to do the 19 mile round trip with a rucksack, fairly lightly laden. Because of last-minute mechanical problems with the touring bike, I once did a four-day tour on a road bike with a rucksack, and managed to enjoy it.
User avatar
al_yrpal
Posts: 11537
Joined: 25 Jul 2007, 9:47pm
Location: Think Cheddar and Cider
Contact:

Re: Commuting - is a rucksack always going to be sweaty?!

Post by al_yrpal »

My bar bag is a Karrimoor on a Klikfix mount . its easy to lift off and carry. In it I usually carry a pump, spare tube (37 mm). Puncture oufit, multitool, gloves, wallet phone keys notebook pen wet wipes shower cap, and any small shopping, eggs, coat etc. If you overload it it can be trouble and lead to stabiliy problems. Apologies if my remarks grate with anyone but I do wince when I see people making cycling a chore when it can be made so much more comfortable and rewarding. Of course I too ride a MTB on the road with nobblys to get to off road tracks. Bar bags dont look cool enough for most people :D

I recently did a shop with just one pannier and put loads of heavy stuff in it. I was amazed how difficult it made things.

Al
Reuse, recycle, thus do your bit to save the planet.... Get stuff at auctions, Dump, Charity Shops, Facebook Marketplace, Ebay, Car Boots. Choose an Old House, and a Banger ..... And cycle as often as you can......
sjs
Posts: 1306
Joined: 24 Jan 2010, 10:08pm
Location: Hitchin

Re: Commuting - is a rucksack always going to be sweaty?!

Post by sjs »

I suppose it depends just how much weight is involved. But laptop, office clothes, spare lights, waterproofs, pump, etc in a single pannier doesn't cause an imbalance that I notice.
User avatar
al_yrpal
Posts: 11537
Joined: 25 Jul 2007, 9:47pm
Location: Think Cheddar and Cider
Contact:

Re: Commuting - is a rucksack always going to be sweaty?!

Post by al_yrpal »

sjs wrote:I suppose it depends just how much weight is involved. But laptop, office clothes, spare lights, waterproofs, pump, etc in a single pannier doesn't cause an imbalance that I notice.


My load was 12kg or so, quite a bit compared with that. Big mistake on my part I wont do it again.

Al
Reuse, recycle, thus do your bit to save the planet.... Get stuff at auctions, Dump, Charity Shops, Facebook Marketplace, Ebay, Car Boots. Choose an Old House, and a Banger ..... And cycle as often as you can......
Post Reply