Lightweight, laptop-carrying, commuting solution?

Once a week I ride the twenty miles each way commute. Thing is, it normally falls in a day when I either need to take a laptop to our from work. I’ve persevered with the courier bag option for a while, but to be honest it’s not that comfortable.

I assume the answer is probably a rack and pannier, are there any that don’t weigh a tonne?

What about seat post racks, any good for a laptop?

Altura do a really good range of commuter luggage including a laptop-carrying backpack which might be a better option than a courier bag.

Otherwise yes, plenty of rack and pannier options which don’t weigh too much although you probably want a pannier with some padding.

I’d look at Tubus racks – we’ve just fitted an ultralight one to a commuter here, and it’s pretty impressive. Then Ortlieb or Altura for luggage, depending on how much you want to spend.

Give us a shout if we can help with any specifics!

Have you thought about a Carradice SQR bag? The Slim or the Tour. Secure, easy to remove and not too ugly when not fitted

I actually have one that I haven’t fitted yet, I tend to commute on a bike that has a rack/pannier

I went with panniers and rack for this.

Racks ain’t light – and sturdy racks are probably heavier. I went with Topeak but I don’t think it’s particularly better or worse than any thing else – I needed disk clearance on a Simgilar Gryphon.

Pannier wise – waterproof. Ortlieb roll tops work (and I currently use one for my shirt, towel etc) and my Altura Dryline laptop bag is pretty decent too. Both have been out in monsoon conditions and cycling through floods without leaking. The Altura laptop bag is padded and has a panel to zip over the attaching points do it doubles as a briefcase if necessary. But if you have a padded sleeve for the laptop already the Ortlieb would be lighter.

Did I mention waterproof?

Drive?

I loathe messenger bags. I have one of these, suits what I do:
Timbuk2 Ace

alternatively howabout using a frame bag? assuming your not using a laptop the size of a paving slab??

Can’t see how a laptop would fit in a frame bag easily?

I take my laptop to and from work once a week in an Altura Morph, which attaches to the side of my Topeak Rack (and still lets me use my rack pack on top)

The rack isn’t particularly light though, the Carradice solution would be much lighter, particularly as you’re not left with an ugly rack on the back

I like the rack for other reasons though, I can get a kids seat or a folding crate on it too. Makes errands and local trips much more civilised!

[Can’t see how a laptop would fit in a frame bag easily?] works fine for me, hp Elitebook

Alu racks usually weigh a little less, and you can get a single light pannier that will fit a laptop.

Sure you can do it without a rack but for something the size, weight and expense of a laptop a rack is a million times better IMO.

Really, blimey, genuinely surprised at that

Must be a big frame, a small bag, and relatively protected to stop it bouncing against the frame

I do 25 miles and find a decent rucksack far more comfy than a courier bag, tried panniers to but found them really draggy

Ortlieb panniers have a bolt protruding into the carrying space, so loads of padding required.

They don’t have a decent way of reducing the volume properly apart from the roll top, so you’d have to stuff towels and clothing to pad it out a bit and stop it rattling around.

51 cm road frame, as its suspended all it needed was some old karrimat on each side for protection so its less than 60mm thick with protection

works fine for a large road frame with a relatively small / thin laptop

I have a modest sized laptop (Latitude E7240) that fits just nicely in an evoc CC6L rucksack – with some room for phone and keys but little else.
All other bags designed for laptops were all huge by comparison.

it is of course completely unprotected but if it hits the ground when I am wearing it. I am far more concerned that I have just been knocked off

A 30L rucksack should be able to accomodate most laptops, get one with decent back padsthat will provide a bit of cussion and allow some air flow on your back and put the laptop flat against your back.

Something like This?

Cheers for the ideas. I’ve pretty much discounted the rucksack option as I’d rather not have it on my back at all if possible.

Fair enough, but it seemss the most sensible way to carry one to me.

+1 for Carradice

I’ve got an Osprey Momentum 30, plenty big enough for my 17″ laptop, very comfortable, as it’s designed by people who know about cycling & pretty much indestructible.

But if you discounted rucksacks, then…

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I really like my Tubus minimal QL3 rack and Ortlieb Downtown pannier/briefcase. It is not the lightest means of transport, but the rack really is “minimal” and barely visible on the bike. They also sell the rack and a “city bag” if you don’t need the Downtown

I like a Deuter Race Air EXP rucksack when I want to take a nice/race bike, but the Tubus/Ortlieb is lovely for my normal commute on the Paddy Wagon.

EDIT: It is worth saying that the QL3 system leaves all the protrusions from the back of the pannier on the rack, not the bag. This is perfect for a work bag. They have yet to make formal QL3 panniers, however, so the minimal rack really is just for the briefcase/city bag. I have a set of backrollers too for another rack, and a QL3 bracket mounted to the trike, with rack bag on top.

Topeak make a laptop bag that will fit onto their detachable seatpost MTX rack, but I haven’t tried it. Downtown on the trike with MTX rack bag for usual lock and gubbins:

How in God’s name do I link pics to this site?

Tried several times today & failed… 😥

I paste the .jpg address from a web page or the url from my FB page of mobile uploads. With the IMG button above ^

I use a rack and pannier. It’s a bit heavier but it’s great getting the weight off your back

Tubus and Ortlieb

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http://www.wired.com/images_blogs/gadgetlab/2010/06/bikeporter.jpg

Oh Hallelujah, Finally!!

Cheers TiRed…