Does anyone have any suggestions for carrying an M6 and two or three lenses when bicycle touring? Are panniers available that are especially well-suited for carrying camera gear? I would like to leave a photo backpack as a last option.

Rides range from "around town" to to "off-road."

Thank you.

-Nick

-- Nicholas Wybolt (nwybolt@earthlink.net), October 22, 2001

Answers

When I rode bicycles, I always put my camera gear into a bag mounted between the handlbar drops (road touring bicycle, not off-road). I made a padded insert from sleeping pad foam to protect it. A body and two/three lenses is the maximum I'd carry, many times just a body and lens is more than enough.

-- Godfrey (ramarren@bayarea.net), October 22, 2001.

I agree with Godfrey. You're much more likely to use your camera if you can whip it out (otherwise, what's the point of the weight/risk?). From panniers I would find that difficult.

Jandd makes a handlebar bag system that works well for me- for road riding. There is a plastic bracket that attaches quickly to the handlebar, to which 3 sizes of bags clip securely. There are no elastic lines to the wheel nor the U-shaped bracket found in the old fashioned handlebar bags (talk about safety hazard!).

I have the mid-size bag, which is perfect for an M6 + 35mm. I could fit a 90E 2.8, or a couple other smaller lenses- but I don't want to complicate things. With just one camera and lens, there's plenty of space for filters, film, even a small flash.

I like the system- the bag comes off quickly which, with a thin strap, is a great shoulder bag. You can also take the bracket off too, for your other bike(s), and it's relatively compact. The bag has a map container too.

In the largest sized bag you could build padding using foam or something and I'm quite sure it'd fit a body with 3 lenses and a sandwich.

Regarding the vibration from off-road riding , I posted a similar question. I'm still in the search for a good fanny back (as well as for city walking, lightly loaded hiking), as I don't think the handlebar bag will be very stable with so much vibration. Eagle Creek makes a padded bag that doubles easily as a small shoulder bag. I think I saw this one at a href="http://www.rei.com">REI recently. It's quite padded, and doesn't look like a camera bag.

-- Tse-Sung (tsesung@yahoo.com), October 22, 2001.

I carry a Rollie 35 in a waist [fanny] pack. That way, when I encounter a patch of rough road, I can raise myself off the seat thus lessening the shock transmitted to the camera. However, in the event of a crash, it is not a good thing to have anything sharp or hard fastened to your body. A handlebar bag, well padded, is probably the best solution. BTW, bicycle touring or day tripping is a wonderful way to "find" photographs. John

-- John Myers (mymacv@aol.com), October 22, 2001.

I carry my camera always in my backpack, regardless of cycling, hiking or climbing. Using a backpack adds another shock absorber - as well as using a small, tight extra bag like the medium-sized lense add-on from Tamrac. A Leica M including a 35 or 50 fits in perfectly as well as an additional film can or two. They fit nicely into the side-pockets of my backpack. I do never take more than one lens on bike tours, so that's enough for me. But larger bags may also be stored that way. Thoughtful packing is a must as the camera is quite heavy and has to be easy accessable ! I would never put my equipment in any bag attached to my bike - this is the least dampened place to put a camera and also the most risky one (Thieves, stones, falling bikes, crashs, ...).

Kai

-- Kai Blanke (Kai.Blanke@iname.com), October 22, 2001.

John Myers : "... I carry a Rollei 35 ..."

Yup, same here ... if I'm not going to want two lenses, a Rollei 35S with its superb Sonnar 40/2.8 is more than enough, half the size and weight of a Leica M with 35/2 ASPH.

I never had any problems with the handlebar bag and padding affecting any of my cameras, I am always leery of carrying anything other than soft stuff in a belt bag on bicycle or motorcycle.

-- Godfrey (ramarren@bayarea.net), October 22, 2001.

I regularly carry an M6TTL with 2 lenses in a NORTH FACE climber's lumbar/fanny pack when riding my off-road bike. One lens is on the M, the other in Domke padded wrap. It takes only seconds to pull the camera from the pack, so the camera actually gets pulled out and used. The important characterisitics of the pack are that it is padded on the lumbar area so it is easy on your back, and has side and vertical compression straps that allow you to cinch up the load to prevent the gear from flopping around inside. NORTH FACE makes two versions of this pack, one larger and one smaller. I have both, but use the smaller size exclusively with the M. I use the larger one to carry medium format gear, and it worked very well for that. Other companies make similar packs in a variety of sizes, so it should be easy to find something that will work well for you.

-- Jack Flesher (jbflesher@msn.com), October 22, 2001.

Whenever I carry a camera while bike riding it's either in an ERC swung around back and zipped under my jacket, or in a small Lowe Alpine fanny pack which has padding against my body but otherwise isn't structured. Bike riding is one place where the ERC actually serves a purpose and the only time I ever use one. Either the leather type or the Zing neoprene type. I recently got a used Minilux and it has replaced my Rollei 35S as my favorite pocket camera. Although it's larger, the eye-level metering and AF (sometimes used but many times not)are nice perks.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), October 22, 2001.

The only camera I've used successfully from a moving bicycle is an autofocus Canon with 28-135IS lens.

-- Bill Mitchell (bmitch@home.com), October 22, 2001.

Good question -- my answer: I now use without exception (after a lot of try-outs) my Lowepro "Orion Mini". This is a waist bag or hip bag which for me is perfect. Especially on bike, but also on walk. M6TTL (including Leica Neoprene strap and the M6 half-case) with one lens on (pointing down), and one extra lens each to the left and to the right, which still allows for 2-4-6 films, notebook and pen and extra batteries. I drive my mountain bike everyday to work and back and on saturday and sunday (if everything works out well at home) all day. Never had any trouble yet. If stolen etc, I would replace immediately with same.

-- Michael Kastner (kastner@zedat.fu-berlin.de), October 22, 2001.

P.S. That's all I need and all I want. It's not too big. The top is zippered and opens to hang out forward. It is also not very expensive.

-- Michael Kastner (kastner@zedat.fu-berlin.de), October 22, 2001.

For touring I would probably go with a front handlebar bag. Get a Domke two-compartment insert and pad around it with say a raincoat. For just riding around, centuries etc... I've put a Rollei 35se or IIIf with 50/3.5 in my rear jersey pocket. An M6 is probably a bit bulky for fitting in a pocket, and you wouldn't want to take a tumble with it back there.

I regularly bike commute 2-3 days a week and use a Timbuk2 bike courier bag to carry my spare clothes/lunch/spare tire etc... Often I'll throw an M in also in a Domke single-compartment insert if I want to do some shooting at lunch. I prefer the bike courier bag over a small backpack or fanny-pack, and it would work well for riding around town.

-- Tom Finnegan (tomf@piengr.com), October 22, 2001.

Takes me back to the 60's, when I took pictures of race-rowing along the Amstel river in Holland. In the style of "Look Ma no Hands' on my 3 speed bike and my M2 with a 90/4 Elmar. Had to be quick with focusing etc, could get a full frame of 9 (crew + coxswain) as they came speeding along an inside bend close to the bike path- which was crowded with cycling supporters!

-- Hans Berkhout (berkhout@cadvision.com), October 22, 2001.

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions and experiences. Since I have a handlebar bag and an Osprey lumbar pack, I'm going to experiment with fitting one of my extra Domke padded inserts into each before investing in yet another bag / case.

Thanks again.

-Nick

-- Nicholas Wybolt (nwybolt@earthlink.net), October 23, 2001.