Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliott said:I have a beater bike with an aluminum rear rack. The weather is
getting
Quoted message said:nice and I'd like to use it to commute to school. What's a nice setup
Quoted message said:for carrying school books, etc., on a bike? Something that can detach
Quoted message said:easily and pass as a backpack or messenger bag?
When I was in college I had a set of panniers on my bike. In one I
would carry my clothes and in the other my book bag. I also paid rent
on a locker. When I arrived I would lock up the bike next to my
locker, pull both panniers off, throw the books pannier into my locker,
take the other to the gym and shower, come back, toss the clothes
pannier into the locker, and pull the book bag out of the other
pannier, throw the book backpack over my shoulder and head to class.
To answer your question more directly, a set of panniers that are big
enough to carry your book bag so you can just pull it out and head to
class.
One more think about panniers is that you should find some way to
secure them besides the clips that they come with. If they bounce off
while you are riding, such as after you hit a pothole, it could be
dangerous. I use spotties now but in college I used tie-wraps, since I
had to remove the panniers daily.
Tom
