Laptop/Hard Drive: Carrying In Pannier Bag?

On 04-17-2013 05:38, Michael Press wrote:
"(PeteCresswell)" wrote:
Does anybody have experience carrying a laptop computer with hard drive
in a rear-luggage-rack-mounted pannier bag?

My kneejerk reaction is that it needs tb carried in a messenger bag or
back pack to isolate it from road shock.

OTOH, it seems like there's some give when something's in a fabric
pannier bag.

Does anybody have a history of carrying a laptop in a pannier bag
without damage?

A true laptop computer satchel has an interior suspension system
that isolates the device from vertical shock. The computer
does not sit on the bottom of the satchel. The satchel must
be placed vertically in the bicycle pannier or automobile
to function properly. Hotel goons will load them flat---morons.

Most hard drives these days are nearly shockproof when powered off,
The heads are parked in a brace sort of like the arm on the old vinyl
record players.

Some laptops even have accelerometers, and if dropped, the heads will be
parked before the thing hits the ground. I doubt that would save a
running disk in a trunk or pannier, when the impact is the first thing
the accelerometer detects. But if it is powered off, it's OK anyway.

I had a basket mounting break on a curve, tossing laptop in a padded bag
onto the street. The impact scraped a hole in the corner of the bag and
scarred the corner of the laptop itself. Everything still works.

I've carried the same laptop and bag in a pannier hundreds of miles and
it still works fine.

If you want a little extra security, get an SSD.

--
Wes Groleau

Those who make peaceful revolution impossible
will make violent revolution inevitable.
— John F. Kennedy

Does anybody have a history of carrying a laptop in a pannier bag
without damage?

I found this thread searching for 'shock absorbing pannier'. I've carried two laptops on my bike; one survived and one failed.

The Dell Vostro 1520 was sturdy. For almost a year I carried it in a neoprene sleeve in an unpadded pannier clipped on the rear rack. One day a clip or shock-cord hook came loose and the pannier hit the pavement. The laptop suffered no HD problems. I glued the cracked corner of the lid shell and used it daily. For a few months I carried it in a padded, suspended-sleeve laptop backpack in a basket on top of the rack with a jacket under the pack for more bump isolation.

My Company eventually replaced it with a Dell Vostro 3560. After about one month carrying it the same way, the HD began making scraping noises, then failed to boot within a couple days. We replaced the HD and it's working fine. Judging it more fragile than to 1520, I no longer put it on top of the rack. I'm looking for a secure, bump-isolating pannier so I don't have to wear it on my back.

Apparently some HDs are sturdier, or mounted better, than others.
--
Karl

writes:

Does anybody have a history of carrying a laptop in a pannier bag
without damage?

I found this thread searching for 'shock absorbing pannier'. I've carried two laptops on my bike; one survived and one failed.

The Dell Vostro 1520 was sturdy. For almost a year I carried it in a neoprene sleeve in an unpadded pannier clipped on the rear rack. One day a clip or shock-cord hook came loose and the pannier hit the pavement. The laptop suffered no HD problems. I glued the cracked corner of the lid shell and used it daily. For a few months I carried it in a padded, suspended-sleeve laptop backpack in a basket on top of the rack with a jacket under the pack for more bump isolation.

My Company eventually replaced it with a Dell Vostro 3560. After about one month carrying it the same way, the HD began making scraping noises, then failed to boot within a couple days. We replaced the HD and it's working fine. Judging it more fragile than to 1520, I no longer put it on top of the rack. I'm looking for a secure, bump-isolating pannier so I don't have to wear it on my back.

Apparently some HDs are sturdier, or mounted better, than others.

You might find the following pdf interesting,
though not helpful to your goal:

http://www.rei.com/marketing/MIT-REI...Project.pdf‎

--
Joe Riel

THE 9400/1705E Inspiron I'm using now is near 8 years old. Never dropped it. Recording with Raven software thru a PMD620 recorder, I saw...the program goes visual..audio details disappear in 2 playings. I figured the HD was going.

And sure enough at 3AM in a hi G corner, 1705E slid off the van's doghouse onto the floor where intention was placing a pillow I forgot.

Not running, HD was broken out into looping. Replaced with an upgrade and new memory upgrades. Slowly fell 2' The 8 year old model became Dell's 'military' laptop I understand the performance level of a 1705 at 2' indicates a plastic ligh weight explodes into vinylester shrapnel from that height.

I added corner brackets on the doghouse desk. Immediately on return the expletive deleted laptop tried sliding off toward me, a no corner bracket move..

Pelican cases had none 8 years ago but offer several today. One should fit your laptop. You could add a suspension.

My regime is telling myself YOU ARE NOW CARRYING A $2000 COMPUTER.

I hold the 1705 in both hands, look at my feet, the path before me, proceed..

All motions are rehearsed. Everything double checked. But after 7 yuears, one fall.

The NYT had a lookup when I was looking for recorders. Sony's small disc recorders were obsolete to flash recorders. I wasn't 100% tuned into the transition.

The father$ writing about discs wrote that on the 3rd 0r 4th appeal from the kids for another new Sony....

On Thu, 18 Jul 2013 15:21:39 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

Does anybody have a history of carrying a laptop in a pannier bag
without damage?

I found this thread searching for 'shock absorbing pannier'. I've carried two laptops on my bike; one survived and one failed.

The Dell Vostro 1520 was sturdy. For almost a year I carried it in a neoprene sleeve in an unpadded pannier clipped on the rear rack. One day a clip or shock-cord hook came loose and the pannier hit the pavement. The laptop suffered no HD problems. I glued the cracked corner of the lid shell and used it daily. For a few months I carried it in a padded, suspended-sleeve laptop backpack in a basket on top of the rack with a jacket under the pack for more bump isolation.

My Company eventually replaced it with a Dell Vostro 3560. After about one month carrying it the same way, the HD began making scraping noises, then failed to boot within a couple days. We replaced the HD and it's working fine. Judging it more fragile than to 1520, I no longer put it on top of the rack. I'm looking for a secure, bump-isolating pannier so I don't have to wear it on my back.

Apparently some HDs are sturdier, or mounted better, than others.


All of the laptop H.D.s I've replaced are essentially mounted the same
- bolted into the structure of the computer. Whether they are all
equal as to crash damage I couldn't say but in taking several apart to
salvage the magnets they all look the same internally.

But, if crash damage is a really major consideration than a SSD (Solid
State Drive) is probably the answer. Expensive compared to H.D. but
said to be essentially crash proof.

--
Cheers,

John B.