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]

ps. i use these straps to tie my kayak to the roof-rack on my car. the fastener is really easy to use and very tough, which is a nice combination. the straps come in different lengths (well, you could also cut to length :) tends to be a surf-shop thing cos of the roof-rack association. http://www.sidssurfshack.co.uk/rhino-3m-tie-down-straps.html

since i discovered these, i don't like bungee-cords any more. especially for something heavy.

[feanelwa.livejournal.com]

Hey, another one! Where do you paddle?

[rabbit1080.livejournal.com]

:)
I live in Perth, Western Australia. I generally paddle at the beach (which is pretty sheltered from waves, so mostly there's not much surf). Although I went paddling on the river with BIL and his new wife last weekend.

[feanelwa.livejournal.com]

I have yet to go on the sea! I go to the River Don near Sheffield, UK. It's not very exciting but I'm not very good yet! I will go to Anglesey in April and get my first salt-water capsizes in...

[venta.livejournal.com]

I have very fond memories of playing tiggy on the River Tees when I was a teenager. The Tees (at that point) was extremely flat, shallow and uninteresting but it was still a lot of fun.

(Our rules - you have one football, to "tig" someone you simply have to hit their canoe with the football. Obviously it has to be a light plastic football to avoid damage/risking causing someone to capsize. Time-out penalty if you hit a human rather than their canoe. Works best in quite a small area, good for improving manouevering rather than speed/strength.)

I've only been in a kayak once in about the last 20 years, when I was on holiday a few years ago. I was really surprised how much I remembered - and even more surprised at just how much my muscles hurt for the next 3-4 days. Turns out muscle memory doesn't imply you still have the strength to do what the muscles remember :)

[feanelwa.livejournal.com]

Ahh, that sounds great fun. I wonder if the kids at canoeing would be up for that (and in a couple of cases, non-dangerous enough). I definitely would but I suspect they would thrash me because they are smaller!