Commuting - Redneck panniers -- pics

I have a set of panniers from Nashbar but I've been wanting more room for days when I need to bring shoes, clothes, towel, food..the ones I have just aren't big enough. I also wanted something that was waterproof, light, easily detachable from the rack, and cheap.

Well...a visit to Walmart and the hardware store, and $14 later, here's what I came up with.


http://www.secondhandsix.com/temp/neckpanniers_001.JPG
http://www.secondhandsix.com/temp/neckpanniers_002.JPG
http://www.secondhandsix.com/temp/neckpanniers_003.JPG
http://www.secondhandsix.com/temp/neckpanniers_004.JPG

I bought these in the storage bin section at Walmart; they're light, have a locking lid, a handle, and most importantly, they're $4 apiece. I made a couple of brackets out of sheet metal bent around 1/4" rod, fastened them through the bin with small machine screws and big washers.

Tried it out...fooey. Hit my heels on 'em and they wanted to flip off on bumps. My daughters were amused. I moved the rear bracket to transfer them rearward and angle them to clear my heels, and decided I needed a way to fasten them underneath. Scratching my mullet, I notice the old tube I gave up on patching again sitting on the bench. A couple more screws, a hook around the tube..now they attach to the bottom of the rack. Voila!..or Heckyea, whatever a true redneck would say.

Oh, I also put some reflective tape on the backs; ya don't wanna get hit in the Tupperware, after all.

P.S.: I don't really have a mullet. It'd be a skullet these days, and I have to draw the line somewhere.

- great idea! but honestly, i bought one of those plastic bins for my truck and it seems that the top doesn't stay on very well? if yours are tight, great!

- thanks for the inspiration... i'm going to recycle my cat's Fresh Step Scoopable 24lb bins for panniers on my beater comfort bike for flea market day!

:-)

I am so making that for my project SS, flat bar , shopping bike! Thanx for the idea. It looks sweet. :)

The matching barcode labels left and right were a professional and quality finishing touch. :) :)

Kendallf,

Is that a windsor tourist? I've been considering one of those? How's the ride, etc? Recommendations?

Congrats on the panniers - they look to be pretty useful. Sorry for going off topic here, but please don't support the evil Walmart empire. I know they have great prices, but there is a "cost" for their bargains. http://walmartwatch.com And whatever you do, don't buy a bike there. They have a class action suit against them by people who bought their crap bikes that weren't assembled properly that failed and caused injuries. Today on my way home from my morning ride I went past a Walmart and noticed about a half dozen kids bikes hanging on a rack outside exposed to the elements. Can't imagine that does them any good getting snowed and rained on.

Kendallf,

Is that a windsor tourist? I've been considering one of those? How's the ride, etc? Recommendations?

It's a Windsor Leeds..pretty much the cheapest steel road bike that was available new when I was looking for my commuter rig. :) I don't know if they're making this specific model now; mine was a leftover at a local shop that's affiliated with http://www.bikesdirect.com. If I remember correctly, it was just over $200, with Sora 7 speed and cheap Alex wheels. I don't think you'll find a complete bike with STI shifting cheaper. I put some better components on it when I was building my tandem, and used the wheels and Sora stuff on the tandem.

I am very happy with the bike's ride, fit, and durability; its' downside is weight. With the rack, it comes in at 29 lbs! I recently raced it in a criterium (rack, lights and all..I did take the tool bag off..) and decided that I have to build something lighter to race with. So, I'm building my first custom frame soon and retiring the Windsor to commuter duty. I have about 4000 miles on it in the last year, in all sorts of weather, and I hope to get many more in.

Here's lifting a 'Redneck Corona' (Miller Highlife w/slice o'lime) to your 'redneck panniers'...one of the more clever and funny innovations I've seen in 20 odd years of cycle commuting. Seems a front rig would be in the offing, maybe?

Brilliant! I've been toying with a similar idea off-and-on for awhile. Tomorrow, it's off to the hardware store and Storables, Inc.! I saw alot of this type of improvisation in Europe where people use a bike like a pickup truck (without the Confederate Battle Flag). Stand-by for yet another iteration on the T-830 Battlebike. :D

Great idea, Kendall. :)

Let us know how long they hold up and what kind of load you carry.

I'd be afraid the plastic would tear.

Other solutions: http://www.bicycletouring101.com/BikeDIYPanniers.htm

I guess the 'Oyster bucket panniers' are now made commercially?!??
http://www.cobbworks.com/

Let us know how long they hold up and what kind of load you carry.

I'd be afraid the plastic would tear. . . .




The change I would make here woud be to put a strip of some sort from hanger bolt to hanger bolt and make sure to rivet/bolt the strip between the two hangers also. It would tend to spread the hanger stress so as not to tear the plastic. Wood or plastic would work, though some light weight metal would do also.

You might be a redneck if you built your own panniers (and mounted them on a 29 pound bike).

I was in a bike store the other day asking about messenger bags and panniers. I pronounce it "panyer". The bike store dude answered refering to them with a french pronunciation "pan-yeah". I felt a little like the country bumpkin. Well just now, I looked it up at dictionary.com. I was right. Hah! Bike store dude, take your fancy French sounding pretentious verbage and stuff it in a plastic tub. :D

Shucks! Feller cain't even pro-nounce all 'em faincie furrin' soundin' names. Sounds lak one o' them uppity coffee shops....brevattoter...caimpinoler...ahh, fergit it! Gimme them thar buckets! :)

I love it! I have always been annoyed at the floppiness of the fabric open-top sidebags, which yours won't suffer from. Plus, they're naturally waterproof, and easy to wash the road grime off of! Finally, I've never found a sidebag with the rack mounting hardware in the proper places, and your DIY version lets you put the mounting points whereever you want. I'm also going to make my own as soon as I get the parts.

That is one of the funniest things I've seen - cool!!

but come on....the 2 words "redneck" and "pannier" really can't even be in the same sentence. No go back and take a picture of them full of PBR and pork rinds.

Like the solution but I have a couple of suggestions.
First add a flat metal strip inside the box connecting both hangers. This will greatly increase the strength of the hangers. You can even attach the plastic to the metal strip with a couple more screws and washers for better streangth. Flat Aluminum bar stock should be light but provide some strength.
Second properly sized bungy cords work pretty effectively to keep the lids on. A coworker has a large tub on the back of his trike. He uses a bungy to keep the lid on and sealed. Without the bungy the lid flies off when the tub warps under load.

Craig

Congrats on the panniers - they look to be pretty useful. Sorry for going off topic here, but please don't support the evil Walmart empire. I know they have great prices, but there is a "cost" for their bargains.

Went to Wally-World twice this weekend. Great deal on some faux UnderArmour Cold Gear. Some Sno-Seal to give my Brooks saddles a little rubbin. Some new wool socks. Some Space-Saver bags for packing the clothes. Some more Lite-Sticks for emergency lighting. Boxes of granola bars for my post commute pick-me-up. Even picked up a couple 26" tubes.

And donated my change to the WalMArt World-Wide Domination project.

And I used the plastic bags this morning underneath my booties.

Glad to see someone thinks like me! I added a plastic storage thingie to the top of my rear rack a few months ago, sort of as a waterproof 'trunk'.

What happened to me:
Theft - left a frame pump in there and someone took it.
Eventually vibrations from the road (part of my commute is cobblestone) cracked the plastic in a number of spots. I had to take it off to be safe.

BUT, since then I bolted a tool box to the top of my rear rack, it works great, and can also LOCK. I'll post pics later.

Kaplah!

Went to Wally-World twice this weekend. Great deal on some faux UnderArmour Cold Gear. Some Sno-Seal to give my Brooks saddles a little rubbin. Some new wool socks. Some Space-Saver bags for packing the clothes. Some more Lite-Sticks for emergency lighting. Boxes of granola bars for my post commute pick-me-up. Even picked up a couple 26" tubes.

And donated my change to the WalMArt World-Wide Domination project.

And I used the plastic bags this morning underneath my booties.


:)

Great idea and execution.

My only reluctance to do the same thing has already been voiced somewhat.

I have recently purchased a couple of larger storage containers for home storage, and it was difficult to find two without some sort of cracking etc (it was right after Christmas). If they are easy enough to break that some don't even get out of the store, I think they are too brittle for panniers, but have considered the litter buckets mentioned above since they seem a little less brittle.

I like the idea of a bar between the two mounting hooks, but if you don't want to do that, the largest possible washers would probably be helpful too.

I hope they continue to work for you!

I used 1" fender washers inside to support the mounting tabs. I considered a full length strip, but figured that if I was loading them heavily enough to need it, they'd warp and crack elsewhere. I did crack one mounting hole slightly when drilling them; we'll see how they hold up. If I need to upgrade, the kitty litter containers are a great idea; they're super sturdy and I already use some in the garage for storage.

I know you can't use "redneck" and "panniers" together, but "box ta stor chew, moon pies, and RC Cola" wouldn't fit in the subject line.

I rode in to work this morning with the panniers. I apparently didn't snap the right side one on fully, and after about a mile, I heard a squeaking noise and looked to find it half off and rubbing the tire. It rubbed a small hole in the plastic, but hey, that's what duct tape's for.

They worked fine otherwise, and I brought in my clothes, some groceries, and the latest "Bicycling" magazine. My co-workers tell me they don't want to see my underwear through the clear plastic sides, and I should line them with something. In the redneck spirit, somebody suggested copies of "Juggs" magazine but then somebody else referred to our harrassment policy.. :fight: :D

I know you can't use "redneck" and "panniers" together, but "box ta stor chew, moon pies, and RC Cola" wouldn't fit in the subject line.
:roflmao: moon pies rule

That is an effort worthy of a Junkyard Wars trophy.

IMHO a true redneck would bolt on army surplus ammo cans. You can't beat them for durability and they're waterproof too, at least before you bore holes in them. Too bad about the weight though.

"Our champagne and caviar will be RC Cola and a moon pie!" - from Lifestyles of the Not so Rich and Famous

Good looking commuter. Hardly a redneck ride. To be a true rednec ride, you need the old stolen milk crate bolted to a cheap rack on a DUI 10 speed with the bars turned up w/ water proofing coming in the form of a sac du garbage'. Complete the ensemble with a beat up trucker hat, flannel shirtjack with pack of american spirits int eh front pocket, and old boots!

brilliant!

I've got the old "found" milkcrate on my machine but this is a tempting little set up if it's durable. I wonder how that plastic is when the temp goes below 10F? But all in all how can you go wrong? It's genius. All you need now is a gun rack and a "Yeah, it's got a hemi." bumper sticker and you're all set.

Friend of mine did that with a couple half round small trash cans. His wife covered them with cloth and made some lids for them. They worked quite well. The half round shape make them "aero."

I used them on a long trip down Baja over 20 years ago for front bags. They held up really well.

I did basically the same thing to my bike, but I bolted them directly to the rack. One cold morning when I was climbing off the bike, my foot hit the farside box and basically shattered it. So be careful when it gets cold.

A good hardware store probably has a stainless steal version of those hooks (for the rack rail) for a buck a piece. That is what I bought for the job.

Went to Wally-World twice this weekend. Great deal on some faux UnderArmour Cold Gear. Some Sno-Seal to give my Brooks saddles a little rubbin. Some new wool socks. Some Space-Saver bags for packing the clothes. Some more Lite-Sticks for emergency lighting. Boxes of granola bars for my post commute pick-me-up. Even picked up a couple 26" tubes.

And donated my change to the WalMArt World-Wide Domination project.

And I used the plastic bags this morning underneath my booties.

While saving money is cool, it's unfortunate that you don't realize the hidden costs involved which you pay, I pay, everybody pays. I don't understand how someone who learns about how Sprawlmart operates , how it treats its employees, the communities they are in, their competition, and their vendors, can feel good about shopping there.

http://www.alternet.org/story/33294

Wal-Mart's defenders argue that the chain saves lower-income workers billions through its low prices. This is undeniably true, but it's not a virtue unique to Wal-Mart. The entire sector of discount retailers -- from Target to Costco to Best Buy to Home Depot -- does much the same thing. Meanwhile, Wal-Mart's critics tend to focus on the company's low wages and paltry benefits, or its effect on small towns, or its reliance on outsourcing. But these, too, are by and large sins of the entire discount retail sector. So why pick on Wal-Mart?

The answer is that Wal-Mart really is different. In terms of annual revenue, Wal-Mart is nearly four times the size of The Home Depot, the country's second largest retailer, and almost twice the size of Target, Costco, and Sears (which includes Kmart) combined. That means the company exerts pressure on the entire sector to imitate its methods -- including its treatment of workers. That would be less worrisome if Wal-Mart's record didn't stand out within the sector. But there are strong indications that, when it comes to how it treats its employees, Wal-Mart really is worse than the rest. The company finds itself in trouble because, since the death of Sam Walton 14 years ago, something ugly has happened to the way it does business.

Yeah nice one! I had been investigating the same thing for some time and posted a thread which links to other threads and pages that give a lot of info on this option. I forget the name of the thread though. In my opinion this is excellent for touring. You won't have to worry about the waterproofness of your 'proper panniers', they help you look like you are not worth ripping off, and you have some stools/little tables at your campsite to boot. I might opt for non see through ones though but not sure.

Also the Arkel pannier system would make for an even nice attachment but it would set you back $ 25.

Oh and yes i agree fully, Wal Mart Sucks!

Spend 6 Dollars at a cool store instead of 4 at Wal Mart , that won't kill you will it (and it won't slowly kill some nameless employee elsewhere either..)

Why pay more at a "cool" store that is non-union and relies on PT workers to avoid benefits costs for the same POS plastic thing made by the same nameless worker?

The PBR, pork rinds and rebel flag decals would be a nice touch.

What Are you talking about?! Wal Mart is renowned for it's anti union practices, terrible working conditions/pay etc etc.

Sorry for the Hi Jack people but i don't suffer ignorance lightly.

Here is just a tiny snippets from the plethora of info about why Wal Mart is horrid (if you want to read about their 1000 other transgressions just google):

---------
So let me summarize and get this straight here. On any given day I can go to my local Wal Mart and buy a box of bullets, a pack of smokes, a movie full of swearing with either some killing or ****ing in it and a video game that has a lot of killing in it... but I can't pick up an unedited Eminem CD? What's up with that? Do I even need to get into the recent censoring of books? Both America the Book by the people from the Daily Show on Comedy Central and George Carlin's new book When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops? were pulled from the shelves of Wal Mart across the US because they were found to be objectionable. In fact with Carlin's book they stated that they didn't believe that the people that shop at their stores would be interested in that type of material... but they can still purchase it online. I guess that means that in order to please these bible belt folks down there, we're pulling the book out of all of our stores, but you can buy it online if you would like to because we will always take the almighty dollar.

I did basically the same thing to my bike, but I bolted them directly to the rack. One cold morning when I was climbing off the bike, my foot hit the farside box and basically shattered it. So be careful when it gets cold.
+1
I used some similar containers for a rack pack and a battery container for my homebrew lighting system; both shattered from impacts in the cold. try the heavier food service containers that have the benefit of being designed to withstand freezer temperatures and the added benefit of being free if you look through restaurants' trash.

Yeah good tip. Do they come in a lot of (slim) sizes these containers at restaurants?

I saw this site a few weeks ago and was going to try it but your setup looks better,


http://www.bike-recumbent.com/hardshell_trunk.shtml

What i do like about the set up you link to is that the buckets are industrial grade and somewhat aero. They should last ages and be stronger.

IMHO a true redneck would bolt on army surplus ammo cans.


Holy crap...I have some of those! :eek: Time for a little project!

Ya cud take the bike on yer next fishin' trip. Them buckets would hold all the fish ya cud cetch.

Be sur to add the REBEL flag. :)

That is the best way to wash your clothes too

Fill up panniers with water+soap. Put clothes in it. Ride to work . Empty panniers and put clear water and put clothes back in. Ride home , rinse in shower, get them on the clothesline or dryier

While saving money is cool, it's unfortunate that you don't realize the hidden costs involved which you pay, I pay, everybody pays. I don't understand

On the other hand, it's none of your business where he shops. The thread was about home made cargo boxes, not your soapbox. Now go sit on a tennis ball machine.

The clear plastic does shatter a lot easier than the opaque. I work at a Canadian tire store that also sells a lot of other stuff. We have to be extra careful with the clear totes because they shatter really easy in winter. The blue rubbermaid ones seem to take the most abuse. And thanks for the idea, I might make myself a trunk box out of one.

While saving money is cool, it's unfortunate that you don't realize the hidden costs involved which you pay, I pay, everybody pays. I don't understand how someone who learns about how Sprawlmart operates , how it treats its employees, the communities they are in, their competition, and their vendors, can feel good about shopping there.


Well the 10% discount my wife (full time pharmacy) gets helps.

what is up with all of you walmart wackos? it is a store people!!!! they have better prices, so I shop there every chance I get. Stop trying to push your BS on everyone! you can find bad things about any company... bottom line is I just don't give a dam. I am going to go to where ever the price is right! You can spend your money at more expensive stores for the same things... I would prefer to use that extra money to provide for my family!!!!

as far as the whole bad to employees thing... BULL****! you can find people who will cry about their employer in any business!!!! As a former walmart employee myself, I will agree that they can treat the employee just as bad as any other business!

get a hobby... ride your bike... try to find something better to do with your time than push the BS!

Mike

i really like the pannier design... i don't think I could trust those containers though... just seems like they could catastrophicly break with even a little weight... of course that could cause the contents to either get in your wheels and make you crash, or spill into the road making a car crash... maybe if you built some kind of internal metal frame for support... it would't take much.

Mike

what is up with all of you walmart wackos?

Ever see the movie PCU? They're what we call "Cause-heads".

Well...a visit to Walmart and the hardware store, and $14 later, here's what I came up with. --- Thanks for the pictures of your great idea. Be aware that I read (on one of the many bike realted web sites) that reflective strips are more visible when oriented vertically. Some optical reason.

Those panniers look great - a lot classier than mine- I have cat litter containers with lids that I use. I got the idea from someone else on this forum I think.

Four bucks a piece? Those are as about red neck as a porche! Do the same thing with kitty litter bins, that's red neck! ;)