DAE switch from a backpack to a rear rack and never go back?
For two years I hauled my laptop and lunch in a messenger bag, and by the time I got to school in Riverside my back was soaked every single morning. Last spring I put a cheap rack and a $30 pannier on my commuter and it changed the whole ride, no more sweaty stripe down my shirt and my shoulders stopped aching. The only downside is the bike feels a little heavier on the climbs, and I still haven't figured out the best way to carry a coffee. Anyone got a pannier setup that holds a thermos without tipping?