Try This On Your Next Ride-Or Not!
I am a bike rider who prefers to use panniers to carrying a backpack. I don’t even like to carry a hydration pack on my back when cycling. I will carry a small backpack now and then. I also carry my yoga mat on my back when riding to the gym. The yoga mat is very light and it is only about a mile to gym.
The other day I needed to bring a twenty pound computer home from work. My original plan was to bicycle home and drive back to work and pick it up. I really didn’t want to make an extra trip and I didn’t want to drive.
I then debated all the ways to get it home on my bike. It would fit in a large pannier. I have a touring bike with racks front and back. I could have used it. I also have a Bob trailer I use for grocery shopping. I thought about using that.
I finally decided to bring it home in a back pack. Bad idea!
There was of course the extra weight. I could really feel it on the hills. I would have felt that with a trailer or if I had put it in a pannier. There was a bit of a balance issue with so much weight in a backpack but that really wasn’t so bad.
The worst was my backside. I had never considered how much twenty pounds on my back would add to the pressure on my butt and the bike seat. Ouch! It was not pleasant. I was glad to get home.
Update:
RBK makes a good point. Panniers are bags used to carry stuff on your bike. I use panniers to carry my lunch, clothes etc when commuting to and from work. I commented about using my touring bike for the computer because it has two racks. That would allow me to carry my work stuff over the front wheel and the computer on the back half of the bike.
December 5th, 2008 at 9:43 am
That doesn’t sound very smart. I don’t even like carrying my yoga mat because the weight isn’t very evenly distributed and it messes up my balance.
December 5th, 2008 at 10:42 am
I give you credit…you didn’t drive back and pick it up, you stuck it out and did it!
Although you paid with pain, you still set your mind to it and stuck it out!
Do you have snow and when will you stop riding your bike? With your determination I wouldn’t be surprised if you tell me that you ride right through the snow!!
December 5th, 2008 at 11:06 am
Liz: A yoga mat messes up your balance? I know you better than that Liz.
Carey: I actually bought some studded snow tires for my bike a couple of years ago. I used them a few times but decided that maybe it was a little too obsessed. Now I pass on riding in the snow and ice. Though riding in the quiet on fresh snow is rather fun and peaceful.
December 5th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
ah, I feel your butt . . whoops! I mean I feel FOR your butt
December 5th, 2008 at 1:28 pm
I would have wrapped it in plastic and used bungee cords to hold it on a rack. It would give all new meaning to rack mounted server.
Seriously though, think what it must be like to be overweight and starting out on riding a bike to get in better shape. People carrying an extra 20 pounds is nothing these days.
Makes me glad and keeps me motivated to ride.
December 5th, 2008 at 3:51 pm
Ok this is from a complete ignoramus in your biking world who is revealing it all to everyone -what on earth are panniers?
Could you please going forward if possible define these terms for those of us to whom these are not second nature
I am certainly learning a lot by living vicariously through your bike rides.
December 5th, 2008 at 6:22 pm
I knew you’d say something about my balance. But the mat slides off my back to my front, which really gets in the way, so I really have to shove it back, and that totally throws off my balance on the bike.
And honestly, panniers is such a weird word, can’t they come up with a new name?
December 5th, 2008 at 10:16 pm
Thank you for the explanation. I have seen this term often on your posts but was hesitant to ask and now I am glad I did as it makes complete sense. It sounds more complex than what it really is.
I agree with Liz. “Pannier” is a weird word.
December 7th, 2008 at 7:27 pm
Honestly that does not sound like fun. Reminds me of when I tried to ride my bike with downhill skiis strapped to it.
December 8th, 2008 at 7:07 am
Debateur: Do you mean you were carrying your skiis or had the skiis strapped on in place of the tires?
December 8th, 2008 at 10:05 am
The word “pannier” comes from French. It was originally a basket to carry bread (”pain”), and of course baskets are also useful for carrying things on bikes.
20 lbs isn’t so much. I regularly cycle with over 70 lbs at a time of steel racks from a company 25 miles away:
http://hembrow.blogspot.com/2008/11/hoogeveen-en-weer-terug.html
December 8th, 2008 at 10:19 am
David: Yes 70 lbs with panniers is doable. Though it would still be load. I wouldn’t do it with back pack. I notice in your pic that you are pulling a bob plus the basked loaded on the back. Does this cause any trouble with your front end being too light? I guess maybe it doesn’t because the rider’s weight is more in front of the rear axle than on a regular bike.
December 8th, 2008 at 10:40 am
Hi Red, I should have said that I do agree about backpacks. Truly awful. I’d only ride with a backpack if I had no choice. On the other hand, the biggest problem with getting 70 lbs into panniers is that unless you’re carrying something very dense you will need rather large panniers.
The bike in the picture handles very well with weight on the back. I split the load between the rear basket and the BOB. There is more room in the BOB, so it tends to have more of the racks. In this case, I think it was six in the BOB and five in the rear basket.
I have found before with the BOB that if you overload it then it steers you rather than the other way around ! This problem tends to come with speed, so just at the worst time when you’re going downhill fast.
I use a different bike for other purposes:
http://www.hembrow.eu/personal/xtracycle.html#withtrailer
I rode it like this many many baskets, a tent, food and drink for a few days, wet willow (which is heavy) to an event 40 km away earlier this year. A bit of a beast, but once you get going it rolls along well enough.