Wow, thanks everybody.

More questions:

1. What is it about panniers that can cause a heal clearance problem? Is it really long panniers (lengthwise parallel to the bike); really fat panniers (stick out a lot from the bike); or really deep panniers (vertically)?

2. I heard the best way to distribute weight is to get a pannier on each side. Is it bad to get just one pannier on one side? What about getting one of those baskets that go *on top* of the rear rack - I like the look of those a lot - but is the weight then too high off the ground?

3. Can I just lash my backpack to the side pannier stays on my rear rack? How do I keep it from bouncing around and getting into the wheel? Impossible?

Thanks again...
Mariposa