I've never owned a sleeping bag let alone a mountain bike

[venta]

So, cycling persons... I need a recommendation. I want to buy a rear pannier, but I want one that turns into a rucksack when it's not on the bike. I know these exist, because I know someone who's got one. But they seem to be very thin on the ground (or, possibly, are known by a particular name which I do not know and thus cannot google for). Needs to be large enough to fit a 15" laptop and a bunch of other stuff, and should have a few zippy pockets.

I am currently using a Hamax pannier rack - I don't know how much variation there is in racks, or whether there are different systems for fixing, so any advice on that would be welcome.

If you're going to do the classic LJ-answer-thing and tell me why I don't want what I think I want but should instead buy something totally different, please read the detailed bit below :)

1. Yes, I know having one pannier on unbalances the bike. But I've been doing it (with a borrowed pannier) for a few months now and I'm ok with that. Yes, I could just put my laptop in a normal rucksack to carry it when I'm cycling; I did that for around 6 months and ended up with quite a sore back. Even if I could find a better rucksack, I vastly prefer cycling without one.

2. Yes, I does have to convert into a backpack. I have a lot of neck problems, and carrying a shoulder bag (currently the borrowed pannier) is doing me no good at all. I don't care how comfy/padded/supportive the shoulder strap/handle is, I wanna rucksack! Having to carry the bag some distance without the bike is unavoidable in my current commuting pattern.

3. Today in my bag I have: 15" laptop, waterproof trousers, lights, gloves, hat, lunchbox, gym kit, magazine (because I couldn't fit in a book). It all just fits into the borrowed pannier. I'd like a little more space if possible. That pannier is also just like a big bucket with not much in the way of pockets - all the little bits (pen, puncture repair kit, sweets) just rattle about at the bottom.

3a. I'm currently using one of those neoprene sleeve things to protect the laptop, so although it'd be nice if the rucksack had an inbuilt laptop-pocket, it's not the end of the world if it doesn't.

4. The borrowed pannier hooks onto the rack with a series of plastic hooks, which seem to have developed plastic fatigue and are shearing off one by one. I reckon it will become useless if one more goes (at present it's fine so long as I don't hop off kerbs too violently). Something which has a more robust attachment mechanism would be nicer.

In other cycling news, I finally decided I was brave/balanced enough to put my seat up to the proper height for the length of my legs. Whereupon my nasty very-uncomfortable-saddle problem promptly vanished. Which just means I should have listened to alien8 and put the saddle up in the first place :)

Comments

[rabbit1080.livejournal.com]

Ah, yes, overnighting at a train-station is probably not a good idea for a pannier-bag :)

I assume you have a bike-rack on your bike, on which you attach a pannier-bag? I used to strap a ruck-sack to the top of suck a bike-rack. I used one of those adjustable tapes-with-clippy-things wot they sell at outdoors shops (just as long as the clips are very tough). That way I had a proper ruck-sack that was comfortable to wear. I made sure the tape went through a few loops of rucksack-handle, so even if the rucksack slipped loose it wouldn't fall far, giving me valuable seconds to find a safe spot to stop and fix up the mess.

[venta.livejournal.com]

Ah, yes, overnighting at a train-station is probably not a good idea for a pannier-bag :)

Out of curiosity, I left the (defunct) frame-fit pump on the bike to see if anyone pinched it. In around a year, they haven't. Although they did pinch my nice green bell (http://venta.livejournal.com/351415.html#cutid1).

I don't think a bag would be wise, though :)