Panniers are quite popular for everything from touring to commuting. I saw a ton of people using them in Toronto and they are widely used in Montreal.
You can even see plenty of them being used in this very recent Dutch video.
Why do I use them? Plenty of reasons.
I’ve carried everything from groceries to spare clothing to camera equipment and even small camping chairs (for a local music events).
Sure, you can use a backpack, but they make your back sweaty, raise your center of gravity, and you can’t hold nearly as much weight or volume without destroying your back.
Considering this is a “utility bike”, it should offer more utility.
True but I don’t think transporting a lot of stuff is what they had in mind. I think the main purpose is portability so you can take it in public transport and maybe store it easier in your apartment.
I have never used bike bags (I have always had exclusively mountain bikes). But the first ones found at some bike store looked like they could be fitted to that bike.
It wouldn’t be hard to just make some 3d printed parts that enable that functionality anyways.
One problem is that the bag looked big enough that it would touch the wheel hub on a bike this small, which seems very undesirable.
But yeah not having a good attachment point for the bags seems like a stupid oversight even if the usage of bike bags is rare.
I think the main purpose is portability so you can take it in public transport and maybe store it easier in your apartment.
Yes, it’s a smaller bike, so it may be easier to take around. But at 40lbs, it’s not that easy to take around! LOL
As someone who owns a non-electric folding bike, I also recommend them when space or public transportation is a regular concern.
If someone is doing multimodal commuting, and the panniers are cumbersome, you can also get backpacks which convert to panniers. So on the bike, you use it as a pannier, and when you need to get on a bus or something, you can use it as a backpack.
One problem is that the bag looked big enough that it would touch the wheel hub on a bike this small, which seems very undesirable.
Not a problem at all. That bike uses 20" wheels, and my 20" folding bike easily handles panniers on the front or back without interfering at all with riding.
In fact, on these smaller bikes, the center of gravity is very low when you’ve got panniers, so it’s a far more stable ride.
I use my bikes for everything, so they need to offer utility. My vintage MTB is a utility beast!
Thanks again. I thought that big bags would compromise balance a lot but apparently not.
Is the bike in the image yours? Is it not exhausting and hard to ride it in terrain. Must be hard to get over obstacles with wheels that are so small and especially with road tires.
My mountain bike is my only bike and I rarely use it nowadays because it’s just simpler to walk 15-20 min to the train than to bother with a bike.
It got no place whatsoever to put anything except some holes where I guess I can put a water bottle holder. I have only over commuted short distances (<2,5 km one way) with it so I haven’t felt the need for it.
I will have to end this conversation since I’m only rambling on about shit.
I thought that big bags would compromise balance a lot but apparently not.
You’d think so, but they tend to make the bike more stable! The only time that panniers feel unstable, is when I’ve got 60lbs loaded in them… a little excessive, yes, but a haul is a haul 😂
My previous vintage MTB had a much smaller frame than my current one (too small for my height), so it felt squirrelly with heavy loads. Most normal loads wouldn’t cause instability, even if loaded on one side of the rack.
Is the bike in the image yours? Is it not exhausting and hard to ride it in terrain. Must be hard to get over obstacles with wheels that are so small and especially with road tires.
Yes, my bike. That photo was taken on one of my first rides out to the city - 150km+ that day. I did more off-roading than I had planned for, mostly because the route was all new to me. But on roads/trails, it’s quite easy to move all that.
It got no place whatsoever to put anything except some holes where I guess I can put a water bottle holder. I have only over commuted short distances (<2,5 km one way) with it so I haven’t felt the need for it.
In your situation, I’d see no need for “extras” on the bike, but if walking gets boring, you’ve got it ready👌
Panniers are quite popular for everything from touring to commuting. I saw a ton of people using them in Toronto and they are widely used in Montreal.
You can even see plenty of them being used in this very recent Dutch video.
Why do I use them? Plenty of reasons.
I’ve carried everything from groceries to spare clothing to camera equipment and even small camping chairs (for a local music events).
Sure, you can use a backpack, but they make your back sweaty, raise your center of gravity, and you can’t hold nearly as much weight or volume without destroying your back.
Some people use special panniers to haul large items and musical instruments.
Considering this is a “utility bike”, it should offer more utility.
True but I don’t think transporting a lot of stuff is what they had in mind. I think the main purpose is portability so you can take it in public transport and maybe store it easier in your apartment.
I have never used bike bags (I have always had exclusively mountain bikes). But the first ones found at some bike store looked like they could be fitted to that bike. It wouldn’t be hard to just make some 3d printed parts that enable that functionality anyways.
One problem is that the bag looked big enough that it would touch the wheel hub on a bike this small, which seems very undesirable.
But yeah not having a good attachment point for the bags seems like a stupid oversight even if the usage of bike bags is rare.
Yes, it’s a smaller bike, so it may be easier to take around. But at 40lbs, it’s not that easy to take around! LOL
As someone who owns a non-electric folding bike, I also recommend them when space or public transportation is a regular concern.
If someone is doing multimodal commuting, and the panniers are cumbersome, you can also get backpacks which convert to panniers. So on the bike, you use it as a pannier, and when you need to get on a bus or something, you can use it as a backpack.
Not a problem at all. That bike uses 20" wheels, and my 20" folding bike easily handles panniers on the front or back without interfering at all with riding.
In fact, on these smaller bikes, the center of gravity is very low when you’ve got panniers, so it’s a far more stable ride.
I use my bikes for everything, so they need to offer utility. My vintage MTB is a utility beast!
Thanks again. I thought that big bags would compromise balance a lot but apparently not.
Is the bike in the image yours? Is it not exhausting and hard to ride it in terrain. Must be hard to get over obstacles with wheels that are so small and especially with road tires.
My mountain bike is my only bike and I rarely use it nowadays because it’s just simpler to walk 15-20 min to the train than to bother with a bike.
It got no place whatsoever to put anything except some holes where I guess I can put a water bottle holder. I have only over commuted short distances (<2,5 km one way) with it so I haven’t felt the need for it.
I will have to end this conversation since I’m only rambling on about shit.
You’d think so, but they tend to make the bike more stable! The only time that panniers feel unstable, is when I’ve got 60lbs loaded in them… a little excessive, yes, but a haul is a haul 😂
My previous vintage MTB had a much smaller frame than my current one (too small for my height), so it felt squirrelly with heavy loads. Most normal loads wouldn’t cause instability, even if loaded on one side of the rack.
Yes, my bike. That photo was taken on one of my first rides out to the city - 150km+ that day. I did more off-roading than I had planned for, mostly because the route was all new to me. But on roads/trails, it’s quite easy to move all that.
In your situation, I’d see no need for “extras” on the bike, but if walking gets boring, you’ve got it ready👌