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Tell me about racks and panniers

I've got the older model of these: http://www.ortlieb.co.uk/bike/rear-panniers/bike-packer-plus.html with the mesh pockets at the front

They were about £100 when I bought them over ten years ago but so worth it - they are super lightweight (much lighter than the classic ortlieb back roller type ones) and incredibly tough - I use them for weekly supermarket shopping and other times when I need capacity and a small courier bag isn't enough - the waterproofing on the inside of the fabric has not worn away at all in all this time

All the parts that make up the rack mounting are available separately - one of the clips broke just last week, the first thing to need replacing since I bought them, and I can get just that specific bit for a reasonable price

Can't recommend enough
 
lefteri said:
I've got the older model of these: http://www.ortlieb.co.uk/bike/rear-panniers/bike-packer-plus.html with the mesh pockets at the front

They were about £100 when I bought them over ten years ago but so worth it - they are super lightweight (much lighter than the classic ortlieb back roller type ones) and incredibly tough - I use them for weekly supermarket shopping and other times when I need capacity and a small courier bag isn't enough
Click to expand...

Do you take them into the shop with you or leave them on the bike?
 
You can get panniers that have rucksack or courier bag straps that zip into the pannier when it's attached to the bike Geri

altura-morph-backpack-pannier.jpg


altura-meta-messenger-pannier.jpg
 
Yeah, I thought about those - single ones wouldn't be so difficult to lug around, but obviously they have less capacity than double.
 
Winot said:
^ this

Bought mine 15 years ago. Commute in all weathers. They have never leaked and never fallen off.
Click to expand...

They are an excellent product!

I'm on my second pair. The first pair got used just about every day and after ten, perhaps fifteen years of almost daily use they started to develop holes. My first set are still in regular use by their new owner who doesn't mind them not being completely waterproof.

I know a couple of people who brought the waterproof panniers from Lidl, or Aldi. They were okay for the money but didn't really perform well for rough touring as they kept on falling off. Both of these people now have Ortleib panniers!

Their shoulder straps make them easier for carrying off the bike - but they are not ideal. When you are not carrying much they are no problem to carry - if you have 20kg of shopping in them you don't really want to carry them on anything but the bike!
 
This is as good as an excuse as any to post a couple of pictures. Both from cycle tours - on the second picture was was technically working while cycling from Lands End to JOG - I took it when I pulled over to take a support call.

ferry.jpg


2012-09-12115217_zps99e20ebc.jpg
 
and you can fit one inside the other when empty, mine have straps that go all the way over the top and then a handle connecting them, by loosening them right up you can hang this over your shoulder until you fill them up with shopping
 
I have a set of the Aldi ones, the zip on one of the side pockets died pretty quickly, rendering that pocket little use (I'll usually shove an inner tube in it as that will wedge in nicely), but otherwise OK. I've also got a small lightweight one that drapes over the top of the pannier rack, quite thin material, can't even remember where it came from but useful when I don't want the bulk of the big panniers. The small ones fit nicely inside a small rucksack leaving room for other stuff, I used to take them with me when shopping or going to boot sales in case I needed the extra capacity.
 
Blackburn racks are worth it once bungeed a Milan missile launcher to one had to push it up hill but going down hill was fun.
Although the grown ups complained bicycles werent military.
Although a dune buggy fast attach vehicle was ,pity when it zoomed across country it buggered the missiles launcher and radios strapped to it :(
 
Update. I have a rack, and I've ordered a basket. However, I think the basket is too big and is going to look ridiculous. I also think it's going to make my bike quite difficult to manoeuvre, especially trying to get it up the stairs at work, so I've ordered an Altura Urban 20 Dryline pannier as well. I figured that if I do need to get some shopping on the way home, I can pop my rucksack inside it (if there is room).
 
Geri said:
Update. I have a rack, and I've ordered a basket. However, I think the basket is too big and is going to look ridiculous. I also think it's going to make my bike quite difficult to manoeuvre, especially trying to get it up the stairs at work,
Click to expand...
What I found was the basket meant I had to take the front wheel off to get the bike in an estate car.
I meant to suggest that you get the one with one end lower in case you had difficulty fitting it under the saddle - my saddle is set so high on my frame it's no problem - but such things are easily remedied with a hacksaw.

Please persevere with the basket - I've had one on my bike all the 27 years I've been cycling - even on the 10 speed racers I used to ride - it's so useful I'm amazed how few people have them.
(But then I had a topbox on a Lambretta. :D)
 
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I have ordered one of those, but looking at the size it seems enormous. I have difficulty enough with getting the bike around the bends in the stairs at work as it is, the wallpaper is covered in rubber marks where I hit it with the tyres!

Perhaps when it comes it will be better than I think.
 
OK, so I am not getting on very well with my pannier. I used it for three days this week and quite frankly it's a pain in the arse. I couldn't carry the bike and the pannier up the stairs at work, so I was having to make two journeys. Carrying the pannier around Tesco by it's stupid tiny handle was annoying.

Then I found a strap for it, so managed to carry both bike and pannier upstairs at the same time after that. Carrying it by the strap over my shoulder in Tesco was better although the clips for the rack kept hitting me on the backside. Every time I want to get something out I have to open the lid, then open the cord thing inside, then rummage around for whatever it is I need (purse, phone etc) as it has no external pockets. Also nowhere to put my water bottle when I take it off the bike.

It makes the bike heavy and hard to manoeuvre. It makes me wider than I am used to, so I have to be careful going through small gaps.

It is waterproof though so that is a plus point compared to my rucksack.

I will keep it as it might be useful if I need extra carrying space sometime.
 
I've just encountered my first real problem with my rear basket.
They've installed two tier racks at work and the upper rack fouls my basket when lowered, so I'll always need to use the top deck - or modify my basket - but there are several bikes with baskets using that shed.

bikerack.jpg

It hurt my upper back a bit using it for the first time this morning. :p

EDIT:-

Experimented on the way out and it seemed OK :hmm:

EDIT again :-

It turns out there are tall and short ones so you have to be careful which one you choose.
 
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I do not wish to seem dense but how the heck do they use the upper level bike racks?

I live in Worcester, I suspect we're a little behind the times here.
 
The rail slides out and down at an angle - just missing the rear of the bike below (or not).
It's rather like those grooves they add alongside steps so you can get a bike up them.

You put the front wheel on then heave the whole bike up, apply the locks and chains, then apply what you learned in manual handling to lift the whole thing horizontal - except they wouldn't let you train with anything as heavy.

What I haven't figured out yet is how at 230lbs and 6 foot 2 I squeeze into a full rack to attach the locks when I park my bike in the bottom rack as it doesn't slide out.

I think I'm going to have to make a video once the installing guys aren't around and show it to our transport / cycling bloke - as well as leaving a warning note whenever I see another bike with a rear basket.

I can't see car drivers accepting this sort of physical exertion just to park.
They had a few of these in another bike park as a demo, but no bike was ever seen parked in them.

I encountered another problem when I left for home today.
My water was warm from being tucked up close to the curved acrylic roof. :p

Very unsettling to my daily routine.
Luckily I was on leave for the two weeks it took to install them.
 
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I'm looking for some panniers now. My real problem is I have a gym bag to carry and its too big put on.
 
gentlegreen said:
Quickly detachable (and easy to carry)
Click to expand...
Yeah that would be handy....

but I'm guessing expensive.

Really I'm going to need to have waterpoofs in there all the time, I need to carry my macbook for work, then a couple of days a week, martial arts stuff (Gi, boxing gloves, feet and shin guards), this is the bulky stuff and I don't think a pannier bag will fit this in.
 
sim667 said:
Yeah that would be handy....

but I'm guessing expensive.

Really I'm going to need to have waterpoofs in there all the time, I need to carry my macbook for work, then a couple of days a week, martial arts stuff (Gi, boxing gloves, feet and shin guards), this is the bulky stuff and I don't think a pannier bag will fit this in.
Click to expand...

Go you a bike shop with all your stuff and try out a few options. This doesn’t sound like the kind of thing to do online.
 
Winot said:
Go you a bike shop with all your stuff and try out a few options. This doesn’t sound like the kind of thing to do online.
Click to expand...
I know....

but online is so much cheaper.

I'm gonna have to save up for some I think.
 
sim667 said:
Yeah that would be handy....

but I'm guessing expensive.

Really I'm going to need to have waterpoofs in there all the time, I need to carry my macbook for work, then a couple of days a week, martial arts stuff (Gi, boxing gloves, feet and shin guards), this is the bulky stuff and I don't think a pannier bag will fit this in.
Click to expand...
You want to try one of these
Vario |
They're upwards of £100 though.
 
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