Pannier Shoulder Bag

With a pair of cheap carabiners and a strap scavenged from an old duffel bag, you can comfortably carry a bike pannier over your shoulder. Pass the pannier’s handle strap through the carabiners to prevent the bag from dropping if the carabiners are jostled off the rack hooks. (I find this isn’t much of an issue, but parkour commuters may want something more secure.)

When it’s time to mount the bag on your bike rack, slip the carabiners off the hooks and loop the shoulder strap under the cover flap to keep it clear of your wheel. This setup is specific to the panniers I’ve got, of course, but I’m sure you can work out something similar with any model.

Do the hooks or rigid irregularities on the back of the pannier make it uncomfortable to carry? No; unlike a backpack, a shoulder bag hangs pretty loose, so nothing digs into your back or side. Of course, this is just intended as a convenience, so if you’re concerned with ergonomics you should look for a pack expressly designed for the purpose.

Posted on Thursday, March 11th, 2010. Tags: bike.