Life with Bags: Panniers

It's funny how purchases can reflect your virtuous aspirations. That or how marketing has implanted a way of thinking and habit perfectly tailored to your life so you always want something else.  In my own personal case, it's a little bit of both.

Moving forward, bags are useful things. Around in some way shape or form since humans have been around. Our interactions with them are not something of a usual topic but they can make for a good or bad day. The subtle differences between types of bags is funny to me. Pack to panniers, this is a commuters story.

I recently transitioned from a rugged pack to a set of Ortlieb panniers. Reason behind the change is that I found it difficult at times to lug around my pack on a daily basis which usually tips the scales at 30 lbs. on a good day. Time to save some back and switch into something a bit more integrated to my bike. Let my bike carry the load and I'll do the rest, I thought. 

Arriving to the Bart station the large fare machine for over sized objects and people with bicycles was closed. I had to squeeze myself into the smaller ones because the bike was an extra 10 pounds. Next, I usually take the stairs... Screw it, I used the escalator. So far it has been interesting navigating the urban landscape as I commute to San Jose. 

Conclusion thus far, they're a clean set of bags. One of the bags is already surviving commute life well. For example, I accidentally spilled some of my water as I gulped some down only to find it land on the bag. Slight panic for half a second and then I notice the water bead in small pools on the top side of the pack

Hell yes, it's waterproof.

German made, cool, sustainable, sick, life proof. I am still getting used to them but I am look forward to using them more frequently. It is funny to me that I now begin to notice more people using bike with packs rather than panniers. Why would that be? For starters, if you want to agile on your bike as you weave through traffic; go the pack route. You are just not as limber when you ride with panniers. One might even think panniers might associate with older riders who just can't smash down straightaways, blowing through intersections. So be it, for the time being I can dig it. Its a load off my back.