Panniers or rack top bag?

Have used more or less every type of bag over the years..but have to say I love my Carradice super c saddlebag..You'd be amazed how much stuff you can get in them. Cant tell I have it on the bike when I ride it. Well made and last for years. Up there with my best ever cycling buys.

I've used a Topeak MTX trunk bag on my commute and long Audaxes for years.
Never had any issues with it. Really good bit of kit. It take a few seconds to remove the bag from the Topeak beam rack, and only a few seconds more to remove the whole rack for when I'm not carrying anything..
If I remember rightly the capacity is about 12 litres / 9kg, so I can get a change of clothes and some lunch in there.
The only thing to watch for, as someone else mentioned, is that these racks aren't a good idea with carbon posts.

forget panniers, and rack top bags, get a Carradice (or similar) saddle bag if you're not carrying much.

http://www.carradice.co.uk/index.php?page_id=category&category_id=13

I use this seatpost mounted jobbie which uses a quick release bracket -

http://www.carradice.co.uk/index.php?page_id=product&under=range&url=sqr...

Takes my work shoes/shirt/undies inside easily, and in the side pockets I keep wet weather gear and tools/spare tube with some space left over. Can't recommend it enough, I used to be a died in the wool pannierist - this is lighter, you can access it while on the move, and does the same job.

Did I mention that Carradice is MADE IN GREAT BRITAIN?! Something that deserves to be shouted about in this day and age of far east manufacturing.

Other than the fact that the stuff inside rattles when I'm riding, I've not had any problems with my Topeak Trunk DX pack - clips on and off fine, not fallen off - but remember you'll need to Topeak DX rack to be compatible - so factor in some extra cost if you don't have this already. I have SuperTourist racks on a cross and hybrid bikes (the rim and disk brake models of rack differ - I have one of each). The racks are sturdy and are lasting well - some paint worn off but no breakages - and I can have the Ortliebs on the side and the the Topeak Trunk on top at the same time. For the Topeak Trunk DXP when stowed, the panniers are in a side zipped part which you can stow items in - when folded down the pannier extensions are big enough to take a laptop (in a sleeve). When unzipping, anything you had stowed in there and forgotten about will, however, fall out - e.g. coins, keys ... Topeak do a separate extra waterproof cover for the pack too, which I got on ebay and it keeps water out.

Off the bike, if you carry the Topeak one on its shoulder strap its doesn't sit very well and the clips can be a bit "jaggy" ... but you get a similar issue lugging panniers over the shoulder - the clips stick out and stick into you.

I have a Topeak bag and found that the clip that holds the bag on (on mine its a big yellow button) became a loose and eventually it let go during a ride and left my bag on a roundabout (I managed to retrieve it). I now use a conventional pannier

I usually use panniers - the Ortlieb ones are pricey but superbly waterfproof and big capacity - you can unclip them and sling over shoulder easy too. I normally just use one of them. One warning though - they are like sails in the wind and they slow you down.

Now I also have and use a racktop bag sometimes. It is a Topeak Trunk pack that slots onto their rack. Forget exact model name, think its EXP, but it can carry all I need for a days work (rolled up t-shirt, lunch, phone, spare tube, pump, repair kit) in that (and it is easier to organise stuff in than my panniers - where I just tip everything in) - the "P" in the model name indicates it expanding side panniers if i have extra shopping to carry. That's maybe worth a look. Negative on this one is that it is compatible with the Topeak Super Tourist DX rack, so you'd need to get one of those for the slot on/slot off to work. It also blocks the seat post off so if you use a seat mounted light / camera, you need to move it elsewhere (rear of rack). I like this one for leisure rides at weekend.

I took my Cannondale (R700) road bike round the Pyrennees with a Carradice saddle bag and an Ortlieb bar bag… worked a dream. Carradice have a quick-release frame that attaches to the seat post, so you don't have to fiddle with strapping (and unstrapping) the bag to the saddle (or even finding a saddle with 'old school' bag loops).
The only thing I'd suggest caution with is if you have a carbon seat post or carbon frame, I wonder whether the strains of a loaded saddle bag may cause trouble - the Cannondale is all aluminium and didn't have any problems.

I never got on with panniers. I have a carradice now (pendle) and doubt I'll ever use my panniers (or rack) again.

I rarely wear rucksacks on bikes, I hate the sweaty back you get with them, about 20 years ago I bought an Ortlieb messenger bag that is still going strong and if I really need to lug a decent amount of luggage I'll use that. I still get a bit of sweat on the straps and lower back, but nothing like the full back I get with a rucksack.

Perhaps something that takes in the best of both worlds? I have a rack top bag that has smallish panniers built in. When you need the extra space they fold down the sides. Think it's made by Topeak. Good quality too.

Rack and panniers. You won't regret it. Much nicer than a sweaty backpack.

I use a pannier all the time. Altura Fuse - which claims to be waterproof but isn't. (what is?) Wrapping my change of clothes in a carrier bag inside the pannier helps as mysteriously, if water gets in on the way to work, you can guarantee there will be a huge wet patch just around the crotch of my trousers - not a good look!

Altura do a rack top bag with handy drop down pannier pockets. I had one for yonks 'til it wore out. It was ideal for trips in town, easily removable to carry round with shoulder strap and put back on bike and load up shopping. You get to know by experience how much shopping you will be able to carry. One drawback is it is not waterproof and a heavy shower could penetrate, I think I've just talked myself into getting another!

+1 for Panniers. Got a pair of Ortleib Roller Classics and they are the biz.

I have a rack and a pair of Carradice A4 panniers - see road.cc review http://road.cc/content/review/94677-carradice-super-c-a4-pannier - although most of the time I just use the one (non-drive side). Great piece of kit, and I can't recommend it enough. I keep trying to go back to using a messenger bag (cos it looks cooler, innit?) but never quite manage it because a pannier is just so much better. Why ride the bike and not use the bike to carry your stuff?

I can't recommend a rack and pannier enough. It's so much nicer than using a rucksack. I ride just with one pannier, it's enough space and I don't suffer from any balance or space problems.

I bought an Altura rack-top bag. Used it twice. It's nice enough but since I couldn't fit as much in it as I had expected I went back to using a rucksack.

One of the welds on the rack broke sometime after (it had not carried more than ~1.5kg while I used it but was s/h) so I took it off.

If anyone wants the bag drop me a note, it's like new. IIRC it looks like the Transit:
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/altura-arran-transit-rack-bag/

A lot depends on what you are planning to carry, but I'd say panniers all the way.

Plenty of space for the unplanned trip on the way home or to stuff a jersey or raincoat in without having to faff about rolling it ultratight to fit into a small space.

Make sure you buy seperable ones where you can use just one, and not the el-cheapo all-in-one wardrobe sized ones from the likes of Argos.

Unless you buy Ortleib or manage to find the Aldi rip offs, buy some rubble sacks or rucksack liners to use as inner bags to keep everything dry for that commute when it's chucking it down..

'I would not be that bothered with panniers, for trips in town I have always found them a pain, they seem to catch on everything '

This has *never* happened to me. Panniers fo' sure.

I use a pannier most of the time. if you're going to work and back and planning to take it inside then it's the most versatile solution, i find. you can stick a bunch of shopping in there too. i have a carradice saddle bag too which i'd use in preference if i was doing a long ride and i knew what i was carrying. but panniers allow you to shift stuff you didn't allow for a lot easier.

If you have the money I would go for a Carradice saddle bag.

Other than that I would not be that bothered with panniers, for trips in town I have always found them a pain, they seem to catch on everything and you are constantly having to remove them if you need to leave the bike unattended.

I prefer a day sack as it lets me mix in tow paths on the route, you can cyclo-cross carry the bike easily and you don't have panniers to catch on anti motorbike kissing gates.

Panniers all the way and stacks of choice out there (in comparison to rack bags which are pretty limited in their capacity). They don't slow you down either and you avoid the rucksack sweaty back. In support of rack/saddle bags, I did spy a Carradice bag the other day. Quite smart and a bit 'retro', but probably not cheap.

Bit of an odd questions... but panniers are just easier? Get the ones you can just clip out and walk off with to yer desk.