THE PERFECT ALL-AROUND SEAT BAG?
How much stuff do you really need to carry on your bike? And how do you carry it?
Hmm. That’s a “loaded” question.
It depends. Are you commuting? Do you need to carry a computer? Clothes? Are you touring? Doing a multiday ride? An all day ride with changing weather?
The answers to many of those questions could easily lead to the conclusion that the best solution is to install a rear rack and have the option of a rack trunk or panniers. Most of my bikes are configured that way. I even have a guitar with a removable neck and a case that’s fitted with Ortlieb hardware so it can be easily secured to a rack.
But what if all you are doing is hopping on for a ride after work. It feels good to go fast. It feels good to have a bike that’s light and nimble. That rack is heavy, and so are the bags. What about the drag. you paid a lot of money for a bike with a carbon fork and lightweight components, and now your gonna load it down with a bunch of heavy luggage? Not a chance.
I just built up a bike with the sole purpose of being my daily ride, the one I take out for a spin up the Schuylkill River Trail or out to meet friends for dinner. It’s not going for overnight trips loaded with camping gear. It’s not going to hop downed trees on single track trails. But it’s going to see both pavement and gravel. It’s going to see weather changes from morning to afternoon or afternoon to evening. It needs to be able to carry some stuff.
