Commuter bike setup: panniers, trunk bag, milk crate?

[annie]

Just a trunk bag for me, but it gets pretty stuffed sometimes. I'm thinking of moving up to the trunk bag with the small panniers off the sides. But I never carry groceries......... just my clothes. If I need to carry a lot of stuff, I put the BOB on, but that's overkill most of the time.

annie

[Duck on Wheels]

A few years back, when I lived in sunny California for a year, I bike-commuted and bike-shopped. Used double panniers on the back, which was usually enough for the grocery shopping for just myself and (then) teenage son if I shopped a couple times a week. I also have a backpack, which I used for lightweight but bulky "overflow".

[nuthatch]

I use one of those cheapie saddlebag style panniers that has two side connected with a piece of fabric on the top. It's filled to the brim on both sides with clothes, shoes, lunch, spare jackets, etc., etc. in the winter. But in the summer, I can get away with a trunk bag because summer clothes pack so small. Back in the student days, I did use a milk crate and then a wicker basket on the rear rack. Bad for balance but great for access!

[newfsmith]

I've tried messenger bags, rack trunks, back packs, lumbar packs, cat carriers, a plastic tool box, and single or double panniers. I like the panniers best. In the summer I can bring home a dozen ears of corn in one and still have room for the rest of my junk in the other.

[CyclaSutra]

OK,

So I ordered the best of both worlds, I hope. I used the REI refund AND the 20 percent member discount and got the Topeak MTX Trunk Bag with expandable side panniers, AND the rack that it's supposed to just slide right onto and click into place. See the bag below...

http://www.rei.com/product/47802472.htm

I did NOT buy the optional metal brackety doodads that help hold the expanded panniers out from the spokes. I figure the rack should do that. And I can order them later if I need them.

The problem with being out in the middle of nowhere with exactly two decent bike shops in town is that they never stock all the cool stuff and you have to mail order everything and can't be sure that it will fit. I am a tad worried about my heels striking the panniers when they're expanded, because it's a pretty small (15.5-inch) frame, but I will just have to worry about that when the setup arrives.

I have, admittedly, been a returnaphobe, but if this doesn't work you'd better believe I'll be sending it back! Caligirl, your hubby's setup sounds really good, but I want to be a _tad_ more streamlined than always having two bulky panniers. Expandable seemed to be the way to go for me.

Wish me luck!