What's in the bag?

Among all the important questions facing the cycling commuter is the one about how you are going to transport your stuff to and from work.
Over the years I've tried various different options including every rack / pannier configuration you can imagine, ruck sacks of varying sizes and even a over-the-shoulder newspaper style bag which was disastrous.
I find panniers a pain, as your bike end up out of balance.
Finding something that works for you is a matter of trial and error but I'm happy to pass on a few tips which might make it a bit easier for you.

Busy day in the office

• Leave your lock where you lock your bike: it's probably the heaviest thing you'll carry so don't take it on a tour unnecessarily, it has no interest in sightseeing.
• Travel light: only carry what you really need. Pour moi: shirt, socks, trollies, keys, wallet, phone.
• Find space for a puncture kit, pump and some tyre levers.
• Be careful with food: Yoghurts and nectarines are both a disaster waiting to happen.
• Zip it: loads of bags have zips these days which are good for keeping your stuff inside.
• Keeping dry: if you don't have an outer cover for the bag, put your stuff in a plastic bag to keep all the rain out.
• Being seen: Many people opt for those day glow HUMP things. Me no like. Get something with reflective fabric if you want, but most importantly, have decent lights on your bike.
• Smaller is always better.  The bigger your bag, the more stuff you'll carry.

So there you go, hope it was of use!