Life post-rucksack

I hate the London weather.

It's 'showers, with sunny spells', which means I’m either blown sideways in driving rain or being baked alive in my waterproof jacket that I have to keep on in case it rains again and blinded by the sun reflecting off the puddles from the latest shower.

But despite my weather grumbles, this morning was wonderful. The wind was foul and the rain was wet, but who cares because my big red pannier carried all my stuff and I was barely aware of it. I decided to carry just one as they're so huge I don't actually need two for everyday summer stuff. In winter I may need both as cold weather is all about the accessories though.

I'll admit that when I first set off I was conscious of the weight being on one side and felt I had to compensate slightly but that lasted a matter of minutes and the trade off of leaving my rucksack at home was more than worth it. I knew the weight of the rucksack was causing excessive sweat issues but, having ridden without it, I think it was also giving me back-ache.

I'll still use it for light things and if I need to use both panniers and a bag to carry stuff but actually it looks quite smart, is fully waterproof, clips on and off the rack easily and has an optional shoulder strap to carry it around and, dare I say it, may actually be worth the retail price of just under £80. Well, maybe not.

I'll definitely be getting some stylish ones a la cyclechic.co.uk though as I've been won over completely and would quite like one that doesn't look super hideous to carry around!