Touring - Performance Bike Panniers

I just bought a pair of Performance Epic Transit Panniers from Performance Bike. They will primarily be used in commuting, but I plan to start doing some light touring. These seem sturdy and well made, and I couldn't beat the price. Should these do OK for my currently modest needs? I know some have mentioned other Performance bags favorably. Has anyone used these?
Thanks,
Raymond

Rainman,
IMHO they should work just fine. They are descent quality and well made.

I just bought a pair of Performance Epic Transit Panniers from Performance Bike. They will primarily be used in commuting, but I plan to start doing some light touring. These seem sturdy and well made, and I couldn't beat the price. Should these do OK for my currently modest needs? I know some have mentioned other Performance bags favorably. Has anyone used these?
Thanks,
Raymond


So, how have they worked out for you? I just ordered a full set last night.

How do those hook onto the rack? I'm also looking for some larger panniers that will work for grocery shopping and a week long tour. What is the major difference between these and say others that cost more than twice as much?

I have a pair of rears I purchased about ten years ago. I don't use them often but have no reason to believe they are not of quality.

You can spend more but I doubt you'll stop putting things in plastic bags. They may not last as long as the true high end stuff, but it seems you would have to beat the crap out of them to render them useless.

I just bought a pair of Performance Epic Transit Panniers from Performance Bike. They will primarily be used in commuting, but I plan to start doing some light touring. These seem sturdy and well made, and I couldn't beat the price. Should these do OK for my currently modest needs? I know some have mentioned other Performance bags favorably. Has anyone used these?
Thanks,
Raymond

Please post a picture or two if you don't mind. I was considering the Performance panniers because of the sale price but couldn't tell if I really liked the silver color or not. Can they be purchased in solid black?

Thanks

I did 8-10 multi-thousand mile trips with my Performance panniers.
They did just fine. If, after 5 or 6 years, a seam starts to give on one, wash it and take it to an upholstery shop to resew. Likewise for a zipper. If a zipper gives out during a trip a few safety pines will work until you get back. They are perfect for your current needs.

John

My original posts were from a couple of years ago. After about a year of daily commuting use, 22 miles round trip, the stiffener failed. The bolt pulled right through. Upon exam the stiffener turned out to be low quality corrugated plastic like those white post office tubs you see. Sturdy enough for some applications, but not what I consider sturdy enough for the platform of a pannier. The panniers were also not designed to be repaired. I would gladly have disassembled them and replaced the stiffener with something more appropriate, but it was not possible. When I tried drilling the rivets out, fabric and stiffener started melting.

I contacted Performance to ask if there was any way to have them repaired. To their credit, they said send them back for a full refund, even after over a year of use and repair attempts. Performance does have good customer service.

Sturdy enough for some applications, but not what I consider sturdy enough for the platform of a pannier.

That is what I needed to hear. I'm scratching them off my potential pannier list right now!

Thanks!

FWIW, I am very happy with my Arkel Utility Basket pannier. I would consider their products. I also have a pair of Ortlieb Mini-Biker Lite waterproof panniers which work very well. I think most of the better know brands are probably good, Lone Peak, Jandd, etc.