Touring - Anyone own Lone Peak panniers?

Curious, I've done the searches, they're mentioned and I noticed one fella bought a whole set, but no one has anything (or very little) to say about 'em. The LoadedTourer Gallery only shows a few, and of course, there are no comments. I'd like to know more of what users say about them.

I have a pair of the small front ones, and toured with someone with the full set front and rear. Neither of us have anything bad to say about them. The are light, cheap, stay attached OK (on pavement, wouldn't choose these for a dirt tour, the hooks are a little shallow for really bouncy riding), are easy to get in/out of, and are reasonable durable. They have well-thought-out pockets - enough but not too much. I like the side-load on the front ones. My friend had the top-loading rears, with the expansion collar, and he was able to carry a very large amount of stuff in them.

They are much more lightly constructed than the Arkels, but that can be a good thing - they weigh about half the amount. I guess if you were going to go RTW, lots of off-road, and really beat the heck out of them, they might be a little on the flimsy side, but for 1st world touring, I would definitely buy them again.

This doesn't necessarily reflect on Lone Peak, but I really don't like bags that require rain covers.

Valygrl, thanks. That's about what I was thinking. It's nice to hear it confirmed. I have no intention of any sort of trail riding. I like the fact that they're fairly light-weight as well. And made in country.

NeezyDeezy, I considered that. I came to the conclusion that far more time will be spent riding in the sun than the rain. If covers do the trick, then that's fine with me.

I bought a full set in 'o4 4500 miles in Europe that year and the Pac Coast Hiway ride later the same year worked perfectly would buy another set

I have a set of the Sundance (small) front panniers. I have them on a build-in-progress tourer based on an a Trek 4300 MTB. The attachments lock onto my lowrider front rack and seem pretty secure(at least over 120+ miles of rough chipseal and gravel roads on my summer tour. They also served double duty to carry swimming trunks and towels on the rear rack of my son's bike this summer (5 miles of gravel road to get to the pool)

I couldn't kick about the price (on sale at either campmor or Sierra Trading) and the function seems good to me - however, I will freely admit that I don't have much experience to compare them with.

I like the fact that they have a strap to "cinch" them down and help keep the load tight and close to the axle. I was able to stuff more than I really wanted to carry in them for a two day tour.

You can see them in my avatar or in the fully loaded touring sticky post #688.

I have a complete front and rear set bought from the touringstore.com and used them on the Southern Tier. Now until next tour I use them sometimes on short overnighters or grocery shopping.
I've never had problems with them. Even in pouring monsoon rains here in NE Asia.
And yes you can put too much stuff in them!
All in all a great set of bags.

Panniers, no. But I bought a handlebar bag in 1986, and I still use it, and it still looks good. After 21 years, I wouldn't mind giving their panniers a shot.

It's hard to tell from the photo (rears anyway) but in the Fully Loaded Touring Gallery "184 Lou - Touring Utah - Waterford 1900" has Lone Peaks. Lou happens to be a close friend and long time tourer. He loves those bags and I think his wife uses Lone Peak panniers as well.

We've had a Lone Peak handlebar bag since the dawn of time and it's still going strong. A great value.

Aloyzius: Do I know you? :)


Cheers.

Thanks folks, for your replies. I definitely like what I'm hearing and seeing (thanks for telling me about the photos), I like to see them in real, on bike pictures. From what you'all have said and shown me; I'm sold. The order is in.

Good ..you won't be sorry...I've had a set of rears that have been as good as everyone has already said.

Bill J.

Aloyzius: Do I know you? :)


Cheers.

Possibly, though not likely. PM sent.

I realize this is an older topic but since my question is about Lone Peak Panniers i figured i would just add to this. So far i've only done mini tours on a vintage 10speed with small vintage REI panniers. I stepped up to Raleigh Alyeska as my new to me fully loaded tourer. Researching panniers and i seem to like the Lone Peaks for their value and aesthetics. My question is about what size to get. I'm thinking of picking up this group P400 (rear set with volume 2500 cu. in.), P100 (rear set with volume 2000 cu. in.) and H100 (handlebar bag). There is one larger rear size set but i think this setup will do me right.

Will be doing anything from weekend tours to multi week tours in the future so i would like my setup to work for both types. I'll carry my sleeping stuff (tent, bag, mat) on top of the rack. Anyone have any thoughts on the sizing? Does that sound like it will work well for me? Thanks!

I realize this is an older topic...

>70L should be more than adequate.

this guy sells them - he gives good advice and usually has competitive pricing

http://www.thetouringstore.com/index.htm

i see he sells a matched set of the luggage you describe for $332 shipped, here (lp-14)

http://www.thetouringstore.com/LONE%20PEAK/LP%20Matched%20Sets/LP%20MATCHED%20SETS%20PAGE.htm

is that a good deal?

btw - i can highly recommend the tubus cargo rack - it's a great rear rack with a 30 yr warranty!

http://www.tubus.com/en/service-a-warranty/warranty

I have a nearly identical setup to what you are planning, except I have the P099 front bags instead of the P100.
I've found these offer plenty of room for my tours. In fact, I rarely ever use my front bags.
Caveats:
1) My tours are rarely more than two weeks, and
2) Over time I've developed a keen sense of packing only what is absolutely necessary.

Thetouringstore.com is a pretty reputable supplier of gear for bike touring, and they speak very highly of Lone Peak panniers. They seem to be well-designed and reasonably light weight. Although not as waterproof as Ortlieb, how often do you ride for extended periods in the rain? If the answer is "a lot," then Ortlieb might be a better choice.

Check out this review: http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/reviews/board/message/?o=RrzKj&thread_id=127862&v=W&page=1&nested=0

It sounds like they can more than handle rough roads and 3rd world touring.

Right now, I am trying to decide between Lone Peak and another US company, Jandd.

Glad you made your decision and let us know how you like them.

I have both Lone Peak panniers (full set) and Arkel panniers (GT-54 and GT-18bp). The lone peaks have a plastic attachment system, which can be good or bad. The good is that they are much lighter than the arkel panniers. This makes them much more enjoyable for riding around town. The bad is that they are more fragile. During the last tour that my wife and I went on, they were bending considerably on the rear panniers when they were fully stuffed. While they didn't break, I wouldn't trust them on a rigorous tour. I would buy the front lone peaks and use them around town and on a tour. I would not buy the rear ones ones if I were to do it again, as I dont trust that much gear with the small plastic attachment system. I would go with a more hearty attachment system like Arkel or Ortlieb. I would also get the Arkel rain covers rather than the Lone peak ones because they surround the bags better and are quicker to put on (elastic rather than a cord drawstring).

Great info everyone, thank you! I plan to be an efficient packer so i think this setup will work well for me. I'll report back in the future.

I have both ...
Ortlieb panniers attach by plastic hooks too, and occasionally they will break.

You can buy replacements/spares.

Interesting comments on durability by a touring couple that used both Ortlieb and Lone Peak here:
http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=RrzKj&page_id=115513&v=5X

I got some from Wayne at the Touring Store, and my wife liked them enough that I got her a set. So far, the only issue is that one of the little string pulls attached to a zipper pull fell off when the plastic binder broke. Good zippers, well made (in the U.S.), great service from the Touring Store and a good price for the value. The weight is reasonable. I'm nuts about the attachment system. It's really solid, easy to get on and off.

I like waterproof covers. The only change I'd suggest is mounting a small brass grommet at the bottom of the covers, because sometimes water can puddle in them. The panniers themselves are pretty darn water resistant.

I just found the spring set from a trampoline on the road while out riding for fun. I only rode for 4 miles after we picked them all up (why, not sure other that I hate to see debris on the road). The P099 (Sundance) panniers held them just fine. 28# on a rear rack.

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/m9gVz3OAFijC3uiBsvtxfA?feat=directlink

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/vQGzfJypFhw6kTvGKeuUTA?feat=directlink

Im a big fan of Lone Peak. I'll be the first to say I don't think they are as stout as some other options out there. With that said though, they blend that fine line between being built well but not OVER built. Light enough but not too light.

I would buy another set for sure.

Also made in the USA!