Commuting - What to look for and what to avoid in panniers??

Hello guys,

I think the subject lines pretty much says it all. I´ve commuted in my bike but I´ve always used backpacks and such, however I want to try the rack and panniers setup but I don´t have any experience on that department. Any word of advice in what to get and what to avoid is HIGHLY appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

Ricardo;)

It kind of depends on what you are going to carry. I take my laptop home every night along with my clothes and other work related stuff. I have a Jandd commuter pannier on one side and a grocery pannier on the other, works good for me. Commuter pannier for the laptop and work stuff and grocery pannier can carry whatever I need to take with me or bring home from the store.

I recently converted from backpack myself. At first I used some huge panniers (1400 cubic inches each) but found them to be a bit too unwieldy for my cargo: work clothes, purse and a few supplemental items. I was always digging into the depths of the bag, blindly, and they were a complete pain to remove and carry with me indoors.

Then I started just lashing my backpack to my rack with bungees. That worked, but the backpack would get filthy.

Finally I switched to the Nashbar Deluxe rack trunk, which is much easier to take off the bike and carry around indoors (but smallish). I prefer it vastly to the other solutions. For groceries or larger loads, I'll still use the panniers but they're too gynormous for my personal bike-to-work use.

Panniers....

Ok i got 2 lines of thought on this. You can get a great rack, and then add arkel or ortlieb panniers. You'll have a setup that will outlast your bike but drain your wallet. Quality is awesome.

Or you can get one of the system's. Like a Trek Interchange setup, or the topeak one. Bith systems have panniers and trunk bags that install/remove in seconds. Convienient and will last at least a few years.

As far as what to avoid -- be careful to make sure you have ample room to mount a pannier without hitting your heel on it. Short chainstays + big feet = problems. IMHO, you should also avoid manufacturers that don't give a good guarantee. I buy my bags from Arkel (www.panniers.com) because of the quality and the guarantee. I have a Trek rack on one bike and just ordered an Old Man Mountain for my new bike. There are lots of threads about racks and panniers here that you can find by searching. Other than that, it's all about your preferences. Don't get waterproof if you don't need it because they do a great of job of holding moisture in as well as keeping it out. As a convert from a backpack to letting the bike carry the bags myself, I think you'll really appreciate the difference it makes.

Make sure that you have enough heel clearence; ie the pannier has heel cutouts or is small enough.

Also look at the mounting system. You want something which "locks" on to the rack, not just a simple hook. With a simple hook your panniers can fall off on bumpy roads. I have had this happen in heavy traffic. It's no fun. Both Arkel and Ortleib have locking hook systems.

I have both Arkel and Ortleib panniers and find the Ortleib to be a MUCH better pannier for commuting. They are waterproof, road grime and dirt don't seem to stick to them, the mounting system is MUCH easier and quicker to use than Arkel (this is good if you have to mount and unmount your panniers several times a day as I do), and Ortleibs' are much easier and more comfortable to carry around with you.

I'm going to disagree with jimmuter on waterproof panniers. For commuting they are wonderful. It rains a lot here in Riga, as it does in Bogota, and I have had no problems with moisture inside my Ortleib pannier. With an Arkel Bug and a rain cover I had problems with the back of the pannier getting very wet and dirty in heavy rain.

Yup Arkel and Ortlieb both good... More to fuel the debate:

I have an Arkel Commuter that I prefer over the Ortlieb Back Rollers for commuting. I MUCH prefer the quick access of the big zipper opening. I find the roll-top closure of the Ortliebs to be annoying. Of course, if commuting in the rain is an issue, Ortliebs are the way.

I don't think you can say definitively which brand is more comfrotable to carry around. Each model is different. The only Orlieb I've tried is the Back Roller, but I find both the Arkel Commuter and Bug to be nicer to carry off the bike.

The Arkel's mounting system is solid, but I prefer the Ortliebs here - it's much quicker. Consider, though, it takes, maybe 2 seconds to mount instead of 4, so it's not that big a deal. Still, I like the Ortliebs better for this.

Worth noting - Deuter uses the Ortlieb QL1 mounting system for their Panniers. I just picked up a set from Sierra Trading Post for $77. http://www.sierratradingpost.com/product.aspx?baseno=82631

Deuter (German company) is better known for it's backpacking gear. Good stuff. The Rack Pack panniers are basic, well made bags - similar design to Performance brand panniers, and are equal to or better made. And of course, it has the Ortlieb mounting system. Good bargain.

For the rack a Blackburn or copy is pretty good. "System" racks tend to be heavier and more complex then needed.
Arkel, Ortleib, Vaude, Carradice are all highly recommended makes.
Look for:
Quick release locking mounts, not hook and elastic.
Lightweight stiffening in back and base.
Tough, hardwearing, stiff material.
Heel cutout.
Your other choices are between:
Single main compartment: Many sub-divided compartments.
Zippers/ rolltops/ flaps. Flaps can be overloaded for grocery runs.
External pockets.
Carry handles and shoulder strap mounting rings.

Many commuters use a single pannier, they do not unbalance the bike.

Here is a what not to do: I bought a one piece pannier set when I switched from a backpack. I love it much more than the backpack. I don't get anywhere near as sweaty and hot when riding.

However: I have found the one piece pannier set to have some draw backs

1. It covers up the top of the rack so that when I overload them there are few attatchment points available to secure the overload to the top of the rack.

2. The cardboard backing seems to be a little weak, I have to be very careful how I load each side or I end up with pannier in spokes, which is an unpleasant sound when in traffic.

3. Contrary to what other posters have said, I'd rather have an oversized pannier than an undersized one. When I go grocery shopping on the way home, I invariable end up tying stuff all over the bike. The next pannier will be huge!

4. Mine is waterproof from the top down, but somehow the seams at the bottom leak and I always have a puddle in them after a hard rain. Not to bad as I never rely on waterproof whatever anyway.

5. The loops on the back that were advertised as (light attatchments) where to smooth and allowed my favorite blinky to escape.

I have both Arkel and Ortleib panniers and find the Ortleib to be a MUCH better pannier for commuting. They are waterproof, road grime and dirt don't seem to stick to them, the mounting system is MUCH easier and quicker to use than Arkel (this is good if you have to mount and unmount your panniers several times a day as I do), and Ortleibs' are much easier and more comfortable to carry around with you.

I'm going to disagree with jimmuter on waterproof panniers. For commuting they are wonderful. It rains a lot here in Riga, as it does in Bogota, and I have had no problems with moisture inside my Ortleib pannier. With an Arkel Bug and a rain cover I had problems with the back of the pannier getting very wet and dirty in heavy rain.

We don't disagree completely. I told the OP to not get waterproof if they didn't need it. Ortleib makes a great pannier, but if you need to open it up when it's raining, you will get water inside and it will stay until you make an effort to clean it out. Mildew anyone? It won't escape from the bag on its own. When my Arkel's have gotten wet, they've dried on their own and held up just fine. That being said, I wouldn't use them for a long ride in heavy rain. In that case, waterproof is the way to go.

I haven't seen an Ortleib yet that was easier to carry around then the Arkel Bug though, so I will disagree with you there. I also don't like the one compartment Ortleibs because the thing I need when I open it is always at the bottom. It does serve the purpose if you ride in the rain a lot and you don't open it up until you are under cover.

I was given some Trek panniers about 3 years ago. They have served pretty well, but may be nearing the end of their life. The elastic in the built-in rain covers that I loved has worn out. They are bright yellow and kept things inside relatively dry, but some water would get in through the seams towards the inside. Now I don't use the covers as the would just be flapping in the breeze. They have a nice, secure system for attaching to the rack that is quick. Never had one fall off.

However, one of the cords for securing the panniers broke. Still servicable, though. When riding in the rain -- like today -- I use grocery bags on the inside to keep things dry.

Lots of people seem to love their Arkels. Will need to look at those for my next purchase...

Skunks

My wife got me something a little different for Christmas, which I love to use for my commutes. It's a lockable bike trunk: http://www.otivia.com/cargocache.htm. It's got a lot of room, is waterproof, and I can leave my helmet, gloves, etc. in it when I park my bike. It also still leaves room for panniers if you've got a ton of stuff.

It rains a lot here and I love my ortleib panniers. No mildew issues and my clothes are always dry when I get to work.

I have a 20mi RT commute and tried a messenger bag, but a single pannier simply works better and is more comfortable in the heat. For my usual commute where I carry a shirt, socks, undies, lunch, windbreaker, etc I find the Lone Peak p-099 pannier to be ideal. Capacity is 750 cu in. and it is panel loading (zippered all around). The mounting system is very secure but mounts/unmounts in literally 4 seconds.

Most important commuter pannier features I've found are ease of mounting, panel loading, and slim enough to not protrude and get caught when lane splitting. Panel loading is nice because I can leave stuff in the pannier when I'm in my office, but still access it conveniently like an attache case.

I usually leave shoes and pants at work, but occassionally when I must also carry the usual stuff plus shoes and pants I'll resort to an old Kangaroo Bags pannier of 1250 cu in. It carries well on the bike but uses straps/velcro to attach which is less convenient to work with.

Has anyone used anything by Banjo Brothers?

http://www.banjobrothers.com/products/01110.php

I just picked up a waterproof pannier for my wife for mothers day and it was $30 at my LBS. Seemed really great quality for the money, though I haven't had a chance to scope it out in detail yet.

Figure what you need to carry then get two bags, each one just big enough. Some winter mornings I am wearing cold weather gear and rain gear. In the warm and dry afternoon I need a second bag to carry the gear home. Add in the days you carry work cloths and equipment to/from work. You do not need high end bags for commuting. It is not the TransAmerica Trail afterall.

Has anyone used anything by Banjo Brothers?

http://www.banjobrothers.com/products/01110.php

I just picked up a waterproof pannier for my wife for mothers day and it was $30 at my LBS. Seemed really great quality for the money, though I haven't had a chance to scope it out in detail yet.

I've heard nothing but good things about Banjo Brothers gear in general. The Hiawatha Cyclery in Minneapolis is stocking several items from them, so I've seen a few of their things, but I didn't really look super close since I wasn't buying them. They appear to have good materials and construction and the bang/buck ratio is pretty sweet compared to some of the alternatives.

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I bought an Arkel Bug pannier/backpack a few weeks ago (from the H.C. (http://www.hiawathacyclery.com)) and I'm in love with it. It's perfect for holding a change of clothes, tool, pump, and a few other random things for my commute, but it also converts to a pretty comfortable backpack in seconds and has that compression-strap helmet carrier that also works great for holding a sweatshirt or other stuff. I bought the yellow rain cover too, which does an excellent job of keeping everything dry.

The only two cons I have found so far are that the showercap-style rain fly doesn't cover the entire back of the bag, so if there is a stiff gusty crosswind, some water from the wheel can splatter on the middle of the back of the bag. There's no risk of the contents getting wet, since there are about 4 layers of fabric and the plastic plate between the vulnerable patch and the inside of the bag, but I may have to brush the back off before I unvelcro the straps and toss it on my back.

The mounting hardware Arkel uses is awesome compared to some of the alternatives out there (cheap sheet metal hooks, wimpy velcro/eastic loops, etc.) but it is a bit sharp. I disassembled the aluminum parts on my bag and filed/sanded the sharp edges down to have a slight chamfer. The rotating latch also benefited from having the backsides of the edges filed a little rounder to deburr and make it easier to latch into place with two fingers. If you look at one up close and feel the edges of the hardware, you'll probably see what I mean. Definitely not a big problem, but a perfectionist like myself may feel obligated to break out the file and sandpaper.

Oh yeah: Also don't carry steel barstock home from the hardware store in one of the mesh bottle pockets on the outside of the bag without padding the end of the barstock with something. After about five miles, the sharp edge combined with the bike's rocking/bumping motion just might saw it's way through the mesh pocket's bottom. :cry: :o Oh well; I'll stitch the little gap back together and it will become merely cosmetic. Stupid me...