wrote in message
ups.com...
Kovie wrote:
But right now I'm more interested in something that I can do serious
day
hikes with, and commute 5-15 miles each way with laptop, some books,
and a
change of clothes and shoes.

Put a rear rack on your bicycle and get some panniers. Four P-clips,
top of seatstays and bottom of seatstays will hold a rack very securely
if your bike does not have braze on mounts. Obviously don't try to go
loaded touring using a rear rack mounted with P-clips but for anything
less, it will work just fine.

Use the water bottle cages for fluid on commutes and anything up to 100
miles. You can stop and get more fluid on rides. And supplement the
water bottles with a regular Camelbak if you want more fluid. No need
to carry excess stuff on your back.


Not sure how the rack and panniers will help with hikes. Is there a device
that will allow me to carry the whole rig on my back while hiking? ;-)

Seriously, if carrying more than a couple of pounds on one's back is such a
bad idea, why are hydration backpacks selling so well? Surely Camelbak isn't
in business to lose money. I didn't intend for this thread to be about the
pros and cons of hydration backpacks, but since you got into that...

Most of the time, I ride my road bike on 30-70 mile day rides, in which I
only carry water bottles, a couple of energy bars or gel, essential tools,
spare tube, etc., all of which I can easily carry in a small seatbag, jersey
pockers, and bottle cages. Putting a rear rack on it would be pointless for
such rides, add unnecessary excess weight, and, er, take away from the
aesthetics (ok, ok, call me vain, but I like the clean look of my Ti road
bike).

Since I don't intend to commute by bike daily, and then for relatively short
distances, and don't want to keep installing/uninstalling a rack and
panniers, is it that big a deal to ride with a full hydration backpack for
5-10 miles 2-3 times a week? I see lots of people doing it, and have read
many online reviews by people who loves these packs, so it can't be as bad
as you make it sound. Realizing that raising one's center of gravity is
never a good thing, aren't these things designed to overcome the effects of
that in part, if strapped down?

--
Kovie
zen