After a couple years and a few thousand miles of bike commuting, I need to share my favorite hack for emergency carrying of items on a commute- the humble drawstring bag. You probably already have a few of these stuffed in a closet at home.
I keep one of these in my desk drawer at work and sometimes in my bike bag too, plus a few at home. They’re great if you may need to pick something up on the way home but don’t want a backpack both ways.
Pros:
They pack down super small and are light
Cheap/free! Often you can get them free at events and festivals. If they wear out or get lost it’s not a big deal
I bring them when I need to pick up something small on the way back from work, have an extra coat I may not need on the way home, or dropping off books at the library. They’re not the most comfy but for a few miles it’s not that bad to wear.
Anyone else have commuting items that may not be obvious but have proven their worth?
by atomicturkey27
8 Comments
I used one for a bit. Nice since it fit in my pocket but it couldn’t carry much before the weight started to dig into my shoulders. Now my commuting bike has a rear rack and a folding Green Guru pannier (an early version of this https://www.greengurugear.com/products/dutchy-22l-pannier). It folds up flat against the rear rack and I can slide documents and a tablet into it and it’s still flat but open it can take a gallon of milk and quite a bit more.
Never been a fan of drawstring bags as they’re awfully uncomfortable but I do keep a collapsible backpack that I keep in my tool pouch.
I also keep a small handkerchief, rag, or towel to wipe things down that may get dirty or wet.
See you on the other sub
Milk crate
drawstring bags come in clutch for me on bike tours. they’re handy for runs to the store or, where i find the most use, when i’m traveling on train or plane at the beginning or end of the tour to carry my personal belongings with me while everything else is packed away in the bike box
This might get me roasted on the other sub…. but I got an actual cycling musette as a hand out at a race and I use that all the time.
It folds up so small I can easily tuck it into any bag and it’s big enough for an emergency pickup on the way home. I’d imagine it’s big enough to hold the making of a salad… but we all know it’s more like a 6 pack
I have a Sea To Summit Ultra-Sil daypack. Weighs 2.5 oz, packs down really small and has a 20L capacity. I like it so much that in the winter I wear it daily to carry home my warmer clothes at the end of the day. Got one on colorway closeout for $30 about 8 years ago and it’s still holding up.
Yeah I used to always keep a collapsible backpack on my bike somewhere, even if I had panniers – just in case. Smallest one folded down was a real compact motorcycle helmet bag that packed down smaller than a soda can.