Nashbar™ Pannier/Daypack

I am going to follow Ruby's model and start reporting the bike for each trip -- Today's trip was to run a few errands, like check on the hawk nest and get some SPD pedals from the usually nice bike guy, and stop to pick up a few groceries. SO I decided to check out this bag I got from the Jeep driving mailman today, and get the commuter out of mothballs. I was tempted to transfer the Banjo Brothers™ seat bag off my roadie onto the commuter, but it didn't look like it was going to rain so I just threw a flat kit and some tools together.

Date: 13 May 2006
Miles: 22.0
Average Speed: 11.6
May Mileage: 169.41
Weather: 101°F. Sunny.
Bike: The Bianchi Commuter



Luggage tends to get personal. It can be really difficult or it can be a lifesaver. I have a backpack/suitcase that I bought when I was first married, with my then wife, as we prepared to go to Europe. These days that bag is relegated to carting around the traveling library of guide books that go on any extended birdwatching or photo trip. Everytime I look at that bag -- or touch it, a flood of memories rushes forward. "Voulez vous douche ensemble?" A shower with a band? what? Together. A shower together? No. "No?" NO. Like that.

I decided to carry the camera with me on the bike today. The bike on the camera is a bit of a luggage problem. A bit like this one:

luggage.wav(203K) luggage.mp3(203K)
Luggage Salesman (Barry McGovern): "Have you thought much about luggage, Mr. Banks?"
Joe: "No. I never really have."
Luggage Salesman: "It's the central preoccupation of my life. You travel the world, you're away from home, perhaps away from your family, all you have to depend on is yourself, and your luggage." trunk.wav(242K) trunk.mp3(242K)
Luggage Salesman: "This is our premier steamer trunk. All handmade, only the finest materials. It's even watertight. Tight as a drum. If I had the need and the wherewithal, Mr. Banks, this would be my trunk of choice."
Joe: "I'll take four of 'em."
Luggage Salesman: "May you live to be a thousand years old, sir."

The requirements for the camera are that the bag not fall off the bike, that the bag hold the camera completely when fully assembled, and that the bag be 100% waterproof. The Nashbar bag seems to fit the bill nicely, although the bag did fall off of the bike today, the result of user error.



The back panel of the pannier removes by unzipping to reveal a pair of shoulder straps. This means that it's quite heavy, and that the bag is held to the bike by a zipper. I'll need to remember to zip it completely so that the bag doesn't move about while driving.





This shot shows the drybag insert. It is a bit difficult to get items into this bag, but it seems that is a price that gets paid for having the safety of a dry bag. All the dangly straps make me nervous -- and I may have to add some velcro strips to the end of all the straps to allow me to wrap them up.

My appetite has finally come back after my century last week. I ate one of these. In it's entirety.