The situation: I’ve decided to trade a bit of my walking/bus taking for biking. Nothing serious - about a mile and a half each way to and from work, twice a week, and occasional (once a week or so) jaunts into town. I figure it’s a way for me to get more exercise that’s not too rough on my knees. Plus, going anywhere from campus is pretty much straight downhill, which is fun.
The request for suggestions: I gotta carry stuff and need a good way to do so. I bring my lunch to work, and usually a book or two (mostly, so I can shamelessly do homework while I’m supposed to be earning my paycheck). The problem with biking into town is, unless I’m just going ‘out’ and not, say, to a store to buy something, I’m going to need to carry stuff uphill.
Those wire baskets to just hook on your handlebars? Dorky. I’m not sure what would fit on my bike - it’s actually a cheapo mountain hardtail (Raleigh M20, IIRC). I’ve been doing the messenger bag thing, but it doesn’t work very well, mostly because the strap is too long and I’m a very tiny person. Also, I can’t afford (literally) to spend a lot of money - cheaper is going to equal better in this situation.
I have one of those massive backpacks for travelling. I often do my grocery shopping on my bike with it. It works well, I can fit a week’s worth of groceries in the bag. They can be pricey new, but I bet you can find them reasonably priced on eBay. I love my bag anyway, I’ve had it for six years and I use it all the time.
Front baskets are useful for no more than children’s bikes for little girls to carry their dollies in. For any load heavier than some milk, eggs, and bread, they can affect control, and you can still crash less than a mile and a half from home. Never ridden with a backpack, but I think I’d hate it, and I’d not want the load that high. Get panniers, or even my el cheapo expedient of a sturdy cardboard box lashed to the rear rack. It’s good for basic grocery shopping. It keeps the load low, off your body, and away from your steering.
In your situation, I’d just go with my backpack to get started - that’s zero cost outlay. Later, if you find that you are doing more bike commuting then you can spring for more gear, but honestly I’ve found that for all my campus-type loads a backpack is fine. FWIW, the vast majority of the students here use a backpack for their loads.
You’ve probably heard this next part before, but I’d make sure to have a U-lock or cable - otherwise the commute experiment may be called unexpectedly short.
If I’m going a short distance I’ll use a messenger bag, but you definitely want to make the strap as short as possible. Maybe you can swap out the strap? Sew it shorter?
I currently have a rack and rear panniers, which I absolutely love. From what you list, you probably don’t need all that space, but I love having the extra room available.
I’ve also used a trailer which was great. Easy to hook up, detach and wheel through stores loading with supplies. Not needed for every day travel though.
Check your local bike/outdoors shop. Somebody may be selling things secondhand.
If you can put a rack on ($28) I’d go with panniers. I haul a lot of crap with little effort. I’ve got what’s called grocery bag panniers. Wide rectangular and open at the top. You can fit a lot of stuff in them. Sorta like this: http://www.jandd.com/detail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=FGBP
They’re expensive here, it’s simply the first one that came up on google. You can get them at the bike store on sale for less than $40. You’ll probably only need 1, that’s all I need. They unclip so I just use it as a bag other times.
Then I also go to thy gym, so I just stap my gym bag on top of that and bungee it down. Real easy, but man, does my bike move slow with all that crap.
If you have a real small frame though, they may not fit on the rack without your back heel kicking the front of them, so check that first.
Jesus H. Christ, say no to panniers unless you never, ever, ever, not in a million years, ever want to get laid again. I don’t care if you’re a woman, or how hot you are, you just won’t be able to get laid ever again, so avoid at all costs.
Now that that unpleasantness if out of the way, look for a backpack, or, even cooler, a messenger bag from TimBuk2 or Chrome bags.
I ride to and from work every day. I carry a backpack. It’s not a fancy, oversized hiking one. Just a backpack with two shoulder straps. It carries my folder with all of my paperwork, my headset, a book or two, my nintendo DS, my lunch (if I take it) and miscellaneous other crap. It’s good for me, and doesn’t affect my steering.
If you carry all that extra weight on your back, you’ll crush the relevant nerves in your saddle area, and then you’ll be physically unable to get laid.
Me, I’ve been flashed by cute drunk chicks in taxis while biking – with saddlebags.
Man, I’ve already got more than enough trouble with my non-existant love life. I didn’t realize I had to worry about biking accessories, too. :rolleyes:
