Best bag/rucksack for commuting

[DuckSeason8192]

I would be very grateful for any advice on how to get from home to the office by bike (and potentially running) so that when I get there I am still presentable for a professional workplace.

I have been looking at taking my kit in using some of the following:
- Henty Wingman (this is the current favourite as they do a version suitable for running as well).
- Evoc Commuter rucksack.
- Ortlieb Vario pack.

My situation is:
- Typical work outfit is trousers, shirt and tie with odd days needing a full suit for client meetings.
- I am a bit of a fussy one and ideally don't want a shirt looking like a dish rag in the office.
- I live about 2.5 miles from the my nearest train station which takes me into London.
- I don't need to cycle when I get to London as the office is 5 minutes walk from the station.
- I will be doing the trip 3-4 times a week and all year round.
- There are free showers at work.
- I can sign up for a locker to store clothes but it costs £10 a month.
- I would like to try running to work as well as I stupidly signed up for a marathon.
- Price isn't too much of an issue as I am saving £110 a month not parking at the station.
- Don't need to worry about the bikes as I have an old MTB and an ok road bike (although I might invest in some mudguards or panniers).

[Vorpal]

I leave a couple of outfits in my locker at work and swap them on days that I don't cycle. I carry clothes with me only if I cycle everyday.

M&S have some suits and shirts that are wrinkle free. A few other companies also do wrinkle free shirts. They work great; I just roll my clothes up carefully and stick them in a plastic bag (to hold the roll in place) and put it in the bottom of my pannier. They come out the other side looking absolutely fine for professional wear. If you can get away with a golf shirt or something, they also tend to come out well, treated the same way.

[mjr]

Suit bags seem to work OK for suits, especially if I put it in the top bag of a triple pannier, but that may give you problems storing them when you park the bike. I've never found they work great for keeping shirts uncreased, so I've got a shirt-sized packing cube to try on my next trip, but other options include shirt shuttles, envelope-like garment bags (such as Bagsmart or Eagle Creek Pack-It - a bit too big for my preferred work pannier, but do-able) or there's some specialist cycling and running one where you fold the shirt around a board that slots into a holder which goes into a supplied pannier or rucksack but I forget its name now :confused:

[TrevA]

I leave jacket, shoes, towel, wash kit and trousers at work, changing the trousers once a week. I take a clean shirt and underwear in every day, as well as my lunch, snacks and sometimes a laptop. I use a rack top bag mostly or sometimes a single or 2 panniers, but then I don't have to catch the train, I just ride straight to work.

My panniers are Altura Arrans, but I also have a single Altura Fusion (no longer made) pannier, which is more waterproof. I have an Altura rack top bag with fold down pockets on the side. Carradice do something similar. I agree with rolling your clothes, as they don't crease.

[mjr]

I agree with rolling your clothes, as they don't crease.

Rolling clothes has never worked well for my shirts because I like cotton. Bundle-packing around a compression sack filled with underwear and other hard-to-wrinkle items is another approach I might try (and probably the basis of the specialist shirt transporter I mentioned), but if the packing cubes work, I think I don't mind a few gentle off-centre fold lines on a shirt as long as it's not creased to heck.

[hamster]

Seriously only 2.5 miles? Ride slower, take 5 minutes more and you won't be sweaty at all and there is no need to change. Think Dutch-style cycling.

Or have I misunderstood the question?

[DuckSeason8192]

Thanks for all the advice, plenty to think about.

I think I need to practice some folding techniques to see what works (it's amazing what you find on Youtube these days). Also I need to be a bit less fussy about creases as long as I look professional.

One challenge is this plan is based on saving money from very high car park charges. So if I have days where I leave the bike and take a load of kit in then 1 day parking costs as much as having 3 shirts dry cleaned at work. Another dynamic is I carry my laptop on every journey as I have 120 mins a day on the train and I get a lot of work done.

Seriously only 2.5 miles? Ride slower, take 5 minutes more and you won't be sweaty at all and there is no need to change. Think Dutch-style cycling.

Or have I misunderstood the question?

You haven't misunderstood as I did consider the ride slowly idea and did a few test runs but the risk of damaging suits/trousers with chain oil and the joys of the British winter led me to think that commute clothes combined with smart stuff for work is better.

My plan is also to start running as well for marathon training as I could probably squeeze a few miles in each end of the train, so that is also factoring the decision.

[mjr]

the risk of damaging suits/trousers with chain oil

I've mixed feelings on that. I don't think I've ever damaged trousers like that but I know some people who seem unable to look at a bike without putting their calf on the chain. Unless you regularly chain-stamp yourself, could you wear clips/snapwraps and fit a chain guard or case? (I prefer guards because I like to see what the chain is doing and it's slightly easier to remove the wheel.)

A good mudflap on the front mudguard also cuts down a surprising amount of junk before it reaches your feet.

and the joys of the British winter

Yes, different problem. Wool suits and water don't mix well and there's limited scope for avoiding rain if you cycle near motorists who kick up clouds of water.

It might be worth changing clothes to avoid wearing them out quickly as well. For some reason, most clothes makers don't expect suit-wearers to do much activity any more...

[hamster]

Probably I would go for a utility Dutch-style bike with enclosed chain case and long mudguards. The population of Denmark and NL don't walk around with oily right socks.
It also is less likely to attract thieves' attention when locked up at the station.

[Vorpal]

One challenge is this plan is based on saving money from very high car park charges. So if I have days where I leave the bike and take a load of kit in then 1 day parking costs as much as having 3 shirts dry cleaned at work. Another dynamic is I carry my laptop on every journey as I have 120 mins a day on the train and I get a lot of work done.

I wasn't trying to imply that you should leave the bike behind just because you need to carry stuff. I usually have a day or two per week that I need to drive for otherr reasons, and I use those days to carry stuff, so I can carry less on days that I cycle.

But when I do commute every day, and don't drive at all, what I usually do is something like...
Monday - carry full set of clothes & leave them in my locker when I go home in the afternoon(except the underwear)
Tuesday - carry a clean shirt and underwear & leave them in my locker (ecept the underwear)
Wednesday - carry clean trousers and underwear (wear them with Monday's shirt)
Thursday - wear Monday's trousers and Tuesday's shirt with clean underwear, take home anything that needs replacing
Friday - wear Wednesday's trousers with either a clean shirt, or one from the locker & clean underwear

If I shower when I get to work, I can typically get 3 wearings out of a shirt and 4 out of a pair of trousers. Undershirts can extend the wearability. I rotate the clothes in my locker accordingly, and usually have at least two outfits in there. Of course, that means not spilling coffee or lunch down my front everyday.

I take the stuff home that needs replacing on Thursday so I can go for a longish ride on Friday afternoon.

[thornie1543]

I don't know about the evo commuter bag but I had an evo rucksack and I found the zips really thin and flimsy and soon gave up when I used it as my everday rucksack,gone back to my north face which has much more hardwearing zips and wouldn't buy an evo again (of course the commuter may have more hardwearing zips,mine was meant as a mountain bike pack and maybe not and everyday stuffed with shopping kind of thing)

[Gattonero]

Get a Carradice bag: being without a backpack on your shoulders is such an improvement!

[sopsophia]

I would be very grateful for any best charging backpack for commuting advice on how to get from home to the office by bike (and potentially running) so that when I get there I am still presentable for a professional workplace.

I have been looking at taking my kit in using some of the following:
- Henty Wingman (this is the current favourite as they do a version suitable for running as well).
- Evoc Commuter rucksack.
- Ortlieb Vario pack.

My situation is:
- Typical work outfit is trousers, shirt and tie with odd days needing a full suit for client meetings.
- I am a bit of a fussy one and ideally don't want a shirt looking like a dish rag in the office.
- I live about 2.5 miles from the my nearest train station which takes me into London.
- I don't need to cycle when I get to London as the office is 5 minutes walk from the station.
- I will be doing the trip 3-4 times a week and all year round.
- There are free showers at work.
- I can sign up for a locker to store clothes but it costs £10 a month.
- I would like to try running to work as well as I stupidly signed up for a marathon.
- Price isn't too much of an issue as I am saving £110 a month not parking at the station.
- Don't need to worry about the bikes as I have an old MTB and an ok road bike (although I might invest in some mudguards or panniers).

Kopack and Mancro are my most comfortable commuter backpacks. A lightweight, multi-compartment backpack suitable for commuting, such a backpack can neatly place a laptop, notebook, folder, etc. The appearance of backpacks is also important. Their simple design and simple colors make it easy to match with any clothing.