what do you carry to work?

[karlbonator]

Hi my names karl and im an industrial design student at university
im designing a commuter bike like many more before me

but i need to find out what items people carry to work or study.
whats in your bags? ie computer, books, clothes, food.

the more info the merrier.
and also if you have any ideas for a commuter bike, what do you want to see in a commuter bike would be gladly taken on board

[rhancock]

Deuter Laptop Pannier (http://www.deuterusa.com/products/productDetail.php?packID=essentialBike&sub=bike&tert=bike): Laptop, A4 notebook, up to 50 pages printed notes, scientific calculator, lunch, umbrella, pencil case, wallet, mobile, Ipod, keys.
Tioga pannier: Shoes (Size 11 Doc Martens!), pants, shirt, underwear, socks, towel, toiletries.

If I could have anything, the one thing that would make me most happy, would be to be able to pull panniers on and off the bike with a flick of the wrist. The Deuter quick release is close: http://www.deuterusa.com/img/systems/quickLock.gif. If I cycle to work, then to uni, then stop at the post office, and the chemist on the way home, I getting fed up with taking bags on and off. Maybe a lockable box on the rack would work? Like you get on motorbikes: http://www.motorcycletopbox.com.au/online_shop/top-boxes_6/

[rkelsen]

In my backpack: clothes, shoes, deodorant, brush, towel, keys, wallet, watch, mobile, pass card.
Attached to bike: toolkit, pump, water bottle, lights, odometer.

[webman]

2 x Pannier with Jumper, Lock, pack of AA and AAA batteries for lights, 3 x Hex keys, Reversible Screwdriver, Laptop Bag with laptop, 4 x USB, 3G Modem, Power cable, USB cable, pen, Rear Light, Front Light, bike computer, rain jacket (disposable) plus my usual bag with keys, GPS, wallet, torch, swiss army knife, tape measure and cash (sometimes, and not enough, can you fix this?).

I think that is about all... makes for a pretty heavy load though... I'm trying to lessen the weight a little, but can't quite find anything that I can remove without potentially causing a hassle... I should add a water bottle, but I rarely have one... Sometimes I'll only have a single pannier attached (does that pose a problem with all the weight on one side?) to try and reduce a little weight....

The thing that annoys me most is I can't carry the pannier as a backpack, so if I use both, I am left carrying one in each hand. I'd prefer a way to lock the stuff to the bike, but I suppose that will result in a heavier 'box'...

[kiso]

All my stuff fits in one pannier: Change of clothes, wallet, keys, phone, security pass, reading glasses, lunch, bike lock. I keep heavy/bulky stuff at work: shoes, sports towel, soap, deodorant.

I bought my bike with commuting in mind. It's a flat bar hybrid with 700C wheels. Strong wheels, puncture-resistant tyres, lots of lugs for rack, mudguards etc. Added lights (2 headlights, 2 tail lights), rack and panniers.
Wishlist: mudguards, dynamo hub and brighter headlights.

[Aushiker]

G'day

Clothes and bike gear (tubes etc) go in my pannier on Sir Lancelot. Sometimes food, sometimes work papers, sometimes a laptop.

Andrew

[mikesbytes]

Hi, are you in Sydney? I'm a hardcore all weather commute and I often carry an obscene amount of stuff in and on my bag. It would be good for me to show you what I carry and how I carry it.

[Fletcher]

At the moment I'm commuting in fair weather, and fairly new to the scene. I'm resisting fitting a rack & panniers.

In underseat bag:
spare tube
multi tool
rag
spare batteries for lights

In backpack/messenger bag:
another spare tube
pump
lock
food
some spare clothes (leave work shoes, towell, toileteries and some clothes at work)
windproof/spray jacket

[not4resale]

Hi, are you in Sydney? I'm a hardcore all weather commute and I often carry an obscene amount of stuff in and on my bag. It would be good for me to show you what I carry and how I carry it.

hey mike i'm pretty green and would love to find out better ways to rack up etc. I recently had my first rain ride and boy was it crap... not the actual ride (i ride a moto when it rains so don't really care about getting wet) but cleaning the bastard afterwards!!! and now my bloody brakes feel funny when i squeeze them.

Damn i hate being a n00b!

PM me if ur keen to meet up, I don't mind trekking out your ways, I know the roads and cycling paths up that way pretty well.

[gdt]

Underseat: tube, multitool, tire levers and patches. The pouch doubles as mounting for the 10cm rear reflector.
Elsewhere on bike: minipump, hospital patient tag afixing my name, address and n.o.k to the bike.
On bidon brackets (4): two water bottles, water-bottle sized container with nylon rain/wind jacket, water-bottle sized container with keys, money, phone.
Jersey pockets: food (cheese+crackers, banana), tissues.
One very serious set of lights (Ayup), one small backup set of lights (Knog frog). Bell. Various 3M reflective strips. Basic cycle computer. Bar-end mirror.
I park behind my desk, so I don't carry a lock. I've got a draw of cycling odds and sods at work (sunscreen, etc).

In hot weather, drop the rain jacket for more water, put keys, etc in ziplock bag in pocket for more water. It has been pointed out to me before that this is roughly double the water which might be required for less long, hot and exposed routes.

Five days of clothes are at work. I use a commercial laundromat a block away to wash and iron them across the weekend and I pick them up on Monday. This saves a lot of stuffing about and drops most of the need for backpack or pannier.

I use a alloy frame road bike with all-Ultegra, compact cranks, SPD clips, low end wheels. This specification of bike is doomed by the cheaper carbon frames coming onto the market, but it's a good fit for 80-120Km per workday. I'd very much like it if the frame had come with pannier mounting screw holes. Then i wouldn't be stuffing odds and sods (such as bills to pay at lunchtime) into my pockets. I wear cheapish glarefoil sunnies, nicks, gloves and a non-logo jersey.

[itsaghostcar]

On bike: front and rear lights, bell
Saddle wedge: spare tube, tyre levers and little spare LED lights
Messenger bag: pump, multi tool, patch kit, coil lock for quick shopping trips, work clothes, towel, shower gel, deo, book(s) for lunchtime reading
At home: race blade type fenders and waterproof jacket for when the weather turns for the worse
At work: rain jacket for when the weather turns for the worse during the day

[thirtytwospokes]

On the bike

Mini-pump or frame pump
Water bottle
Lights
Bell

Seat bag (only on roadies, not on SS or soggy commuter)

Spare tube
Tyre levers
Multi-tool
Glueless patches

Jersey pocket

House keys

Messenger bag

Phone
Stuff sack with wallet, coins, office keys, memory stick, earphones, bluetooth headset, spare batteries for lights
Multi-tool
Tyre levers
2 more spare tubes (one for 700x23/25, one for 700x28/32)
15mm stubby spanner (for axle nuts on SS)
CO2 inflator
Sunscreen
Deodorant
Wet-wipes
Shirt & underwear (suit, belt & shoes stay at work)
Wind vest (if not being worn)
Arm warmers (if not being worn)
Mini u-lock
Small rag
Emergency muesli bar

In pannier (if being used on soggy commuter)

Messenger bag

[itsaghostcar]

In pannier (if being used on soggy commuter)

Messenger bag

LMAO - I used to do the same when I was using rack and panniers - Backpack into the pannier. Pannier (which was duct taped together where the stitching had come undone) was then left on the bike