I’m a total commuting novice (bike or otherwise!). I’m looking for a backpack that could occasionally take a 15″ macbook and have some waterproofing.

Other than that it needs to acommodate a change of clothes and lunch… and snacks… and maybe a school book or two, I’m off back to university 😯

I’m not really after any gravity-defying, quasi-elasto-steel, hydro-repellant space neo-fibers. Something reliable and reasonably priced would be grand.

Rack and panniers every time mate, or a carradice SQR if you can’t fit a rack. Way better than a backpack (IMO of course), stop you turning up for lectures all sweaty 🙂

Rack and panniers every time mate, or a carradice SQR if you can’t fit a rack. Way better than a backpack (IMO of course), stop you turning up for lectures all sweaty

But the OP will look a right poindexter.

judging by the mahosive hills that stand between my new student hovel and university I’d say sweating is a certainty!

so Panniers you say… hmmm, should be able to fix one (I have a drill and tap set :D) what should a rack and pannier set me back?

good point… I need to look flashy when I arrive at the university… the chicks will never be impressed by panniers… unless they’re stuffed with narcotics and cherry lambrini

£40-£50 all in with a bit of shopping around 🙂

I use an Osprey Momentum 34. Prior to that I used a Deuter Trans Alpine 32. Both good bits of kit. I prefer the Osprey though, lots of nice features and good laptop padding.

GrahamS will probably be typing the same thing right now, but my vote would be for a Carradice SQR tour slim. £55 last time I looked.

Easy on/off, you’re left with a plastic block on your seatpost when you’re not using the bag, rather than a rack. will carry what you want. Cover the bolts on the inside or wrap the macbook, though!

Dakine bags are good

Deuter Race EXP. Mine carries a 13″ laptop and a few spare items of clothing – underwear and a clean shirt. This rucksack

When not on a geared bike, it’s Ortlieb Downtown briefcase pannier. Which holds less!

Alpkit Gourdon

Cheap, waterproof, tough.

I can’t stand panniers.

Rucksack, I use a Jack Wolfskin Moab 28. Ideally I’d like something a fraction smaller like a 26 but the next size down was a 22 which was *just* too small for what I needed.

Bought it cos I had a Jack Wolfskin rucksack for years which was brilliant – after about 14 years it finally died at the zips and was getting knackered.

this morning Ive just taken delivery of my new 25L Alpkit Gourdon. It looks luverly.

For the last 7 years Ive been using a Carradice Super C saddlebag on a SQR frame and bracket. It’s been really good, but Im now getting a little bit fed up of it’s ungainlyness when off the bike and it’s starting to look a little scruffy. It also needs packing very carefully to get everything in.

I have a 30L gourdon, which is ok, but does lack compression straps (or loops for them like their dry bags). I was set to change to a 20L, which has these and a few pockets, but dawdled too long, and they are out of stock (and not he on the bloody lead-time list either).

Bugger, missed this one on ebay last week: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/USED-Alpkit-Gourdon-20-Roll-top-lightweight-Rucksack-Backpack-Walking-Running-/121170212308?pt=UK_SportingGoods_BackpacksRucksacks_Bags_EH&hash=item1c364eb5d4&nma=true&si=V56D7bW5X57T%252BZbBQjVNkYYcBvo%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Alpkit Gourdon

i got this.

It’s waterproof. cheap and bright orange.