Carrying your gear

By Jim Hagerman

Whether riding to work or across the country, you need to be able to carry the stuff that gets you through your day. The methods that work best depend on how your bike fits into your life.
First, a couple safety notes: Never carry objects in your hands, which are already occupied maintaining balance, operating gear and brake controls and signaling turns. Carrying things that dangle from your hands, like grocery bags or a purse, is especially dangerous, because they can easily get caught in the spokes of your front wheel and cause a serious spill. Also, take your bags or the contents of your baskets with you when you leave your bike in a public place, or they could get stolen.
I mention some brand names in this column. These are not intended as endorsements, only as examples you might use to start a discussion at your local bike shop or to begin research. A few products are only available on the Web, but you owe it to your local bike economy to make purchases at a local shop when you can. If your bike shop does not have what you need in stock, they should happily try to order it for you.

Packs and baskets
The easiest way to carry your gear is in a backpack, shoulder bag or fanny pack. Many people like the simplicity and convenience, but I avoid it because the load tends to move around as I ride. Waist straps can help alleviate that problem. Backpacks are not good for long distances or heavy loads. The weight is supported by your butt and arms, which are already stressed without the additional burden.
Baskets are convenient and offer more capacity. You can put your backpack or briefcase in a bike basket and secure it with a bungee with minimum fuss. Capacity varies from small front baskets to enormous twin rear baskets that will hold a lot of groceries. Odd items like an 18” by 24” sketch pad can be secured across the top of rear baskets. Standard American-style baskets (Wald) are made of wire. Baskets made from willow or wicker are also available (Cynthia’s Twigs in Asheville). Folding rear baskets do not have as much capacity but they make storing or parking your bike easier and have less tendency to sway with a heavy load.
Racks attach to the bike frame and provide a structure for supporting loads or attaching folding baskets or bags. A plethora of manufacturers offer different designs for different styles of bikes. Rear racks are most common, but front racks also have their uses.

Hanging bags
Panniers (fabric bags that hang on the sides of racks) are made in a range of sizes. The general-purpose pannier can transport gear groceries or school books and is at home carrying camping gear. Manufacturers of bags readily available in the US include Arkel, Bike Pro, Breezer, JANDD and Lone Peak. Most are made of heavy nylon fabric, but one brand (Ortlieb) is made of waterproof polyester. Traditional French (Berthoud) and British (Carradice) bags are cotton duck.
There are also specialized pannier designs, including open-top fabric baskets sized for grocery bags, briefcases, hard-shell cases, and garment bags. Some (Brule) convert to backpacks. Cobbworks uses substantial recycled-plastic bins, providing a semi-rigid, waterproof pannier.
Handlebar bags, seat bags, and rack-top bags are offered by most pannier manufacturers for smaller loads, day trips or to compliment the function of standard panniers. Handlebar bags are especially good for carrying things that require quick access, like a camera, bird identification guide or map. They can hold snacks to eat on the go, and many are big enough to carry extra clothing or water.
In the United States, seat bags are commonly very small and used only to carry repair tools, but the British use larger seat bags as their primary container. The largest (Carradice, Rivendell) are suitable for inn-to-inn touring.

Big loads
Rack-top bags are another option, some providing substantial capacity. Their function overlaps with handlebar and seat bags. They are less useful for loaded touring because they compete with your tent and sleeping bag for space.
For bulky loads, or if your bike is not suited for hauling, a trailer may work best. Single-wheel trailers take less space on the road and will carry a big cooler, a guitar or a car trunk worth of groceries. If you want to take your kids along, you will need a two-wheel trailer.
The Extracycle is in a class of its own. It is a bike frame extender that provides space and strength to carry just about anything a trailer will carry (except kids) without the complications of towing.