Carrying a laptop

Author
Discussion

mouseymousey

Original Poster:

2,641 posts

239 months

Saturday 22nd January 2011
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Evening all

After 7 months of not being able to commute by bike I'm now about to start again. Does anyone commute with a laptop? What's the best way of carrying it, and does it shorten the life of the laptop at all?

Cheers.

Engineer1

10,486 posts

211 months

Saturday 22nd January 2011
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My vote is well padded in a laptop bag rucksack. As close to your back as possible.

Parrot of Doom

23,075 posts

236 months

Saturday 22nd January 2011
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Panniers. Laptops are heavy.

robpearson

441 posts

204 months

Sunday 23rd January 2011
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Unless the laptop is turned on it will be fine. If you must use a bag, a rucksack will be easier than a courier type bag for keeping it in one place, but might make your back sweat, as suggested, panniers are probably the future for comfort. Also check out www.slicks.cc for rucksacks with built in suit carriers and laptop pockets. depends on how smart you have to be at work, and whether you can leave clothes there to change into.

mouseymousey

Original Poster:

2,641 posts

239 months

Sunday 23rd January 2011
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Cheers guys, I'll look at panniers. Luckily I don't need to be smart at the office so clothes aren't a problem.

doodles19

2,201 posts

175 months

Monday 24th January 2011
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Parrot of Doom said:
Panniers. Laptops are heavy.
Are you serious?


I cycle to uni and back every day on my fixer, macbook pro, pad o'paper, pens, folder of lecture notes, and two d locks all in one backpack...

Parrot of Doom

23,075 posts

236 months

Monday 24th January 2011
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Good for you, now tell me you wouldn't be more comfortable riding without all that on your back.

doodles19

2,201 posts

175 months

Monday 24th January 2011
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Parrot of Doom said:
Good for you, now tell me you wouldn't be more comfortable riding without all that on your back.
I prefer it on my back tbh.

Any panniers that I leave on my bike will most definitely be stolen if I left them outside.

Plus, when its wet, I want as little water to get anywhere near my Macbookpro, so a backpack with a waterproof HUMP over the back is the perfect tool and it helps me to be seen.

I also dont especially want my laptop attached to something that I hop up and down kerbs on/hit a pothole or anything along those lines, which undoubtedly happens pretty much every journey, those sorts of jolts will not do a laptop any good what so ever.

Parrot of Doom

23,075 posts

236 months

Tuesday 25th January 2011
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I'm struggling to work out how a knock to a laptop on your back is any different than one in a pannier, but meh. I'll take the panniers any day, over having a large weight strapped to a sweaty back.

Engineer1

10,486 posts

211 months

Tuesday 25th January 2011
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Just consider which is more likely to hit the ground in an off or be subjected to crap. Also consider the weight of the laptop, in a rucksack against your back it is well protected as I haven't seen many people come straight back off their bike but sideways off is always a possibility.

okgo

38,356 posts

200 months

Tuesday 25th January 2011
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Rucksack for me, panniers look gay and I wouldn't want to have a cumbersome heavy bike, I prefer the weight on me.

Burrow01

1,829 posts

194 months

Tuesday 25th January 2011
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okgo said:
Rucksack for me, panniers look gay and I wouldn't want to have a cumbersome heavy bike, I prefer the weight on me.
So you prefer a heavy weight carried high up, that moves about as you pedal and gives you a sweaty back to the same weight carried low down and fixed to the bike?

Well, each to their own....

Furberger

719 posts

201 months

Wednesday 26th January 2011
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Depends how far you're going. If it's a short trip, say 10 minutes or so, I'd take a backpack as it's just far less faff. Rear light and everything lives in the pack. Jump off, lock up, off you go. I also find panniers a pain for aggressive climbing out of the saddle and bunnyhopping or dropping anything. Longer distances, panniers are the answer.

hullbilly

383 posts

174 months

Wednesday 26th January 2011
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robpearson said:
. Also check out www.slicks.cc for rucksacks with built in suit carriers and laptop pockets.
That is fricking awesome, shame I dont have to wear a suit to work....

doodles19

2,201 posts

175 months

Wednesday 26th January 2011
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Parrot of Doom said:
I'm struggling to work out how a knock to a laptop on your back is any different than one in a pannier, but meh. I'll take the panniers any day, over having a large weight strapped to a sweaty back.
Erm... well common sense dictates that if I'm hopping up/off a kerb on a ridged bike, that it's not going to be particularly soft. I don't want a grand and a half's worth of laptop knocking against my frame whilst executing the hop up/down.

The laptop remains safely protected in my padded backpack and a laptop sleeve by the fact that I will be standing up whilst hopping up/down said kerbs, my knees and arms will be bent soaking up any knocks and bumps.

Each to their own. But Panniers aren't for me.

ETA: for longer distances I might be tempted, just to carry the essentials, laptop still wouldn't be going near it. But my ride is only about 15/20 mins so backpack isn't a problem

Edited by doodles19 on Wednesday 26th January 14:13

Accelebrate

5,252 posts

217 months

Wednesday 26th January 2011
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I've used one of these Crumpler bags every day for a couple of years to carry a 13" MacBook or MacBook Pro (sometimes both)...



Very comfy, no issues in the rain and laptops have survived unharmed despite coming off twice.

rpguk

4,467 posts

286 months

Wednesday 26th January 2011
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To the MacBookPro crew.

Why can't you just say laptop?

Accelebrate

5,252 posts

217 months

Wednesday 26th January 2011
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Because it gives people the ability to work out the sort of weight and dimensions we're carrying compared to their own laptop... rolleyes

doodles19

2,201 posts

175 months

Wednesday 26th January 2011
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rpguk said:
To the MacBookPro crew.

Why can't you just say laptop?

Because my MacBookPro is Bad-ass?

biggrin

vx220boy

27 posts

196 months

Tuesday 1st February 2011
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I do a 15 mile commute every day using an Altura Urban pannier. It carries my laptop, A4 diary, camera, flash, change of clothes and I would strongly recommend it. On arrival I just unclip it from the bike, strap over my shoulder & it looks absolutely fine as a case.