Okay, so the title was meant to catch your eye. And if you are riding a bike then you don’t have a trunk. Where do you put your stuff when you commute by bike?
My friends from Portland who visited me over the winter break raved about her XtraCycle. She loves, loves, LOVES it for hauling two kids and a bunch of books or groceries:
I used the cheaper TransIt panniers for awhile, but the hooks pulled away from the bag over time:
Looking for a sturdier bag, I became smitten with an Arkel pannier. It was hard to justify spending so much for a bike bag until I convinced myself that it is way less expensive than a car and will last a long, long time. My Arkel has been worth every penny. It is super functional and perfect for an urban work commute.
http://www.ecovelo.info/2009/05/09/arkel-metropolitan-pannier/
A friend working at UCLA bought a colorful and fun pannier:
http://detours.us/product_info.php?cPath=44&products_id=252
Of course, messenger bags remain ever popular:
And for the purely functional, no frills approach, let’s not forget the milk crate:
http://www.chicagobikeblog.com/2007/08/milk-crate.html
What do you use to lug your stuff when you are riding a bike? Share your stories and images in the comments!
April,
Thanks so much for covering this. I’ve been thinking about this for the past month or so, since I just got a bike and am about to start riding to campus! Your recommendations will help me make my decision!
Previously, I’ve relied upon these for biking and Xooting:
1) A backpack. Pros: It was free (gift from Dad); Cons: Zippers broke down (I actually lost an iPod Touch this way); sweaty back; no good place to store bike gear, and all the stuff for work.
2) A mini-messenger bag – it was the right size for short trips, was large enough for my U-Lock, but it kept shifting to the front of my body, which was annoying.
More recently, I’ve taken to putting a hobo bag I got around my neck and right arm. Not such a good idea, but it works for short distances on the Xootr.
Hi Sirinya,
I’ve had the same experience with the sweaty back and slipping messenger bag. Post a photo of whatever you end up getting.
That XtraCycle is great! My 3 yr-old never really liked her trailer too much (as much as I coaxed her into riding with me) but that thing looks more interactive and more fun for the youngens. Nice!