Living Car Free - Favorite Multi-purpose Panniers

I've got a bike I'm equiping to be my around the town bike. It's primary use will be to ride with the kids on the tag-a-long but I'll also use it for quick trips to the store, commuting to work (when possible), etc.
I thought this would be a good place to ask for opinions on your favorite all-purpose bags. Something that will carry milk and other groceries as easily and safely as it will carry my laptop and other things to the office.

Thanks in advance!

I've got a bike I'm equiping to be my around the town bike. It's primary use will be to ride with the kids on the tag-a-long but I'll also use it for quick trips to the store, commuting to work (when possible), etc.
I thought this would be a good place to ask for opinions on your favorite all-purpose bags. Something that will carry milk and other groceries as easily and safely as it will carry my laptop and other things to the office.

Thanks in advance!

Will carry milk, groceries, and laptops safely.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v160/Juggler54/bicycle/ConnyandJagMay162008010.jpg

For around town, I like to use a daypack that I added pannier hooks to. It's nice to arrive at work, whip the thing off the bike, then throw it on your back. The only problem is that it's one pannier and, when grocery shopping, you might need at least 2.

You can buy panniers like this from REI, MEC and Arkel has a super-deluxe one you can purchase from their web-site.

http://www.arkel-od.com/panniers/backpack/overview.asp?fl=1&site= (http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524442619352&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302693397&bmUID=1212412074009)

But at $165, you might consider something like the MEC version
http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524442619352&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302693397&bmUID=1212412074009 (http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524442619352&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302693397&bmUID=1212412074009)

Folk's often poke fun at wire basket at the rear but they save your
stuff in a crash. :thumb:

You know, I actually really like the idea of wire baskets. I'd love to see and hear more about others favs as well.

I'm a big fan of Ortlieb panniers. They can carry a lot, they're totally waterproof, they come on and off the rack in about a second (no exaggeration here), and they have handy shoulder straps for when you're off the bike. They are very expensive, but you get what you pay for. I've had mine for over two years, and they look like hell, but work as well as they did when they were new.

BTW, I wouldn't put a laptop in panniers if I were you. If Denver has as much broken pavement as I remember (I spent well over half my life there), a ride in panniers might shake your laptop to death. When I transport my laptop, I put it in a waterproof back pack. (However, in total contradiction to what I just said, I've transported eggs in panniers countless times, and have yet to break one. I'm just not willing to take chances with the laptop.)

Will carry milk, groceries, and laptops safely.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v160/Juggler54/bicycle/ConnyandJagMay162008010.jpg

+1 After using wire baskets, I wonder why anybody would use panniers for everyday use. Wire baskets are just so incredibly convenient, strong, protecting, and maintanance free.

A good big basket will change a bicycle from a recreational device to a practical form of transportation. A big double side-saddle WALD basket like the one in Juggler2's message above will carry four bags of groceries if you stack them and use bungee cords.

If you have a big WALD basket on your bike, you will find yourself leaving your car in the driveway more often as you use your bicycle for more shopping and other errands.

Of course, you might not want to ride with baskets every day, but I have several bikes - one with the big baskets for freighting stuff. One with just one basket mounted on the rear carrier, and of course several bikes with no rear carrier. Truth be told, I use the bikes with the baskets at least as much as the non-basket bikes. There are few times in commuting that you don't need to carry something.

Want to drool at some nice baskets? Check out the WALD website: https://waldsports.com/index.cfm

We-ell... there's my whole limited carrying capacity and stairs situation *g*. The big Wald rear baskets would make a lot of bikes (not all!) shift from manageable to too heavy. (yes, I know I'm a wimp, but I'm a wimp who knows her limits) For me, panniers are very useful. It is a lot easier to carry the bike if I've taken the groceries or library books in separately.

In a more normal situation where I'd have a backup bike and not need to consider stairs all the time, I'd definitely want something like Wald's rear baskets. Sturdy, cheap and good carrying capacity are all very nice virtues. For now, my front basket is giving me the best of both worlds. For small errands, I just have my basket. For giant shopping trips, I use the basket and my panniers.

We-ell... there's my whole limited carrying capacity and stairs situation *g*. The big Wald rear baskets would make a lot of bikes (not all!) shift from manageable to too heavy. (yes, I know I'm a wimp, but I'm a wimp who knows her limits) For me, panniers are very useful. It is a lot easier to carry the bike if I've taken the groceries or library books in separately.

In a more normal situation where I'd have a backup bike and not need to consider stairs all the time, I'd definitely want something like Wald's rear baskets. Sturdy, cheap and good carrying capacity are all very nice virtues. For now, my front basket is giving me the best of both worlds. For small errands, I just have my basket. For giant shopping trips, I use the basket and my panniers.


Yes, if you are carrying the bike, you sure don't want big gangly baskets. That is a big pain and inconvenience. The baskets really aren't that heavy, but they make a bike seem heavy if you have to carry the bike, as you point out. It is like a three-year-old trying to be heavy in your arms. Don't know how they do it, but they sure do.

For a lot of folks, though, they can transport their bikes without going up and down stairs with their bike. So, baskets will work for a lot of folks - especially if you have a dedicated bike for freighting.

I bought a Arkel Utility Basket (http://arkel-od.com/panniers/utility/overview.asp?fl=1&site=) a while back. Holds a paper shopping bag with some room to spare, and there is an optional padded laptop pouch (http://arkel-od.com/panniers/utility/accessories.asp?fl=1&site=) you can get with it. I really like it.

Thanks for all your input. I got a pair of these https://waldsports.com/index.cfm/wald582rearfoldingbasket.html in black today from a guy on craigslist for $20. I belive that's what they typically run for one, new. These look like they've never been used. :-)

+1 After using wire baskets, I wonder why anybody would use panniers for everyday use. Wire baskets are just so incredibly convenient, strong, protecting, and maintanance free.




I can well imagine that wire baskets are great for many situations, but panniers are better in bad weather, which is unavoidable if you're carfree, and they're easier to remove, for example when you want to carry stuff into buildings or when you have to carry the bike itself, like I do every time I come home. I don't think I'd like to have to unload the bike every time before I brought it into the house.

Edit: should have read the rest of the posts before I posted myself. To the OP: good luck with your Wald baskets, I hope they work for you. Do they come with covers for rain, snow, etc?

do the wire basket rattle a lot? I am really curious about the Wald folding version. I have been also trying the milk crate which works great but is tough to prop the bike on one wheel when I go though the tight hallway at my apartment complex.

Ortleib by a country mile over Arkel.

Ortleib carry more, cost less, are more durable, and are waterproof.

Edit: should have read the rest of the posts before I posted myself. To the OP: good luck with your Wald baskets, I hope they work for you. Do they come with covers for rain, snow, etc?

Nope. The point of the wire baskets is that you've packaged your stuff appropriately in a bag you already own. For groceries, use a canvas or nylon grocery bag. For laptops, use the laptop bag you already own. In bad weather, a wire basket doesn't retain water or snow the way a badly designed pannier can. Since most grocery items can handle rain provided it drains off, this works well. A laptop in an appropriate bag will also do well.

Plus, not all of the US has a climate where raining for 48 hours straight is normal *g*. For places with shorter rain storms, serious waterproofing can be expensive and needless overkill. Snow just isn't as big a dampness danger.

And I think most of us use a combination of several carrying methods... not just one method all the time. I know I use my basket, my panniers, a bookbag, a cargo net and canvas tote bags depending on what I'm carrying and what I expect out of my day. If I know it is supposed to rain all day and I need to make a library run, out comes the bookbag (not waterproof, but it keeps books and other fragile stuff dry for an hour or two). Same forecast, but I'm hitting the farmer's market? I'll probably just use my basket. The swiss chard doesn't mind rain and my favorite cinnamon rolls are wrapped in plastic :D.

The Wald baskets do in fact rattle a lot, which is why I ended up getting tired of them. Not a huge deal for some.

I'm told the Wald folding baskets tend to rattle. I have no experience with them. My Wald baskets, (pictured above), do not rattle.

I am about as deaf as you can get and still not need hearing aids:p (and probably should wear them according to my wife) :D I don't notice much rattling on my Wald folding baskets, I know the front one does, we live on a gravel road. I did put a scrap of rubber tape under the bracket to quiet it down a bit.

I have several bikes, two which are set up for utility runs. The Staiger (pictured below) is the main grocery getter. I am also setting up my new Redline R530 (http://good-times.webshots.com/album/563553710uuBrvf) as a super commuter/city bike. I plan to use the Basil Karavan 2 (http://velo-orange.com/baka2pa.html) panniers on it.

Aaron:)

http://inlinethumb47.webshots.com/40814/2683444210066886751S600x600Q85.jpg

I had Walds folding wires baskets and took them off after a few weeks. They are far to heavy to leave on my bike everyday. I do EVERYTHING on my bike. I get groceries only about once a week and the wire baskets do not remove in less than 30 mins of work! The extra weight is very noticeable on my 5 -15 mile rides. I switched to Panniers because they are much much more easily removable and can carry a lot more, even in the rain! If I had a second bike that I only used for hauling, these wire baskets would make a lot more sense. My panniers weigh less than half what the wires ones weight and only take a few seconds on and off! Good luck!

My Wald baskets did not rattle, I had them on very tight and took my time mounting. Though, I have heard that they rattle with some rear racks. I suggest using zip ties to fix the rattling if it doesnt mount well on your rack.

I've been using the Wald folding baskets for a year now they don't rattle when folded. When open they are always full so there is no rattle then either. I've never ridden with them open and empty so I don't know about that. I wouldn't be without them.

I use a Bell removable for the front without some old inner tube wrapping and mini bungees it will rattle.:twitchy:

Since the invention of zip ties and mini bungees there is no reason for anything to rattle.:)

Just curious, could you use the edge of the Wald folding basket as a "rack" to hang another pannier on?

So when you need extra storage you could expand the folding basket and wall-la you have a set of dual "panniers".

I have been using the Novara 'Round Town Panniers for the last 8 car-lite years and they seem to work for me. I usually have a laptop backpack and a duffel bag for my cloths. On the rack top is my lunch box a Trek Interchange Rear Trunk Pack.

Just curious, could you use the edge of the Wald folding basket as a "rack" to hang another pannier on?

So when you need extra storage you could expand the folding basket and wall-la you have a set of dual "panniers".

I wouldn't, but I'm pretty paranoid about metal fatigue. Steel is great stuff when used properly, but it breaks if it is fatigued. Since Wald uses wire for baskets, the steel is pretty flexible and would fatigue easily. Racks tend to be made of tubing, which is less flexible and thus less prone to breaking. Fatter wire would be stronger, but even heavier.

These are *big* engineering generalizations, but they are useful as a quick and dirty guide to what the designer had in mind for a given object.

Just curious, could you use the edge of the Wald folding basket as a "rack" to hang another pannier on?

So when you need extra storage you could expand the folding basket and wall-la you have a set of dual "panniers".

I have been using the Novara 'Round Town Panniers for the last 8 car-lite years and they seem to work for me. I usually have a laptop backpack and a duffel bag for my cloths. On the rack top is my lunch box a Trek Interchange Rear Trunk Pack.

I do on occasion, but only put very light weight things in the outside pannier. I had planned on mounting a set of lowrider racks on the Staiger for the Transit pannier/basket, but have had no luck finding one that fits that particular suspension fork.

Aaron:)

Thanks for all your replies. As mentioned, I got a set of Wald folding baskets on CL. I got some rubber covered brackets for mounting and have no rattles at all. I've been riding a lot with this set up the last few days am loving it!

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f50/ummbnb/IMG_4531.jpg

Thanks for all your replies. As mentioned, I got a set of Wald folding baskets on CL. I got some rubber covered brackets for mounting and have no rattles at all. I've been riding a lot with this set up the last few days am loving it!

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f50/ummbnb/IMG_4531.jpg

That looks like a good setup. Now you need fenders.

How do you like those handlebars? They look really neat but can you get forward enough to get under a head wind? I am looking for good handlebars for touring.... Thanks!

How do you like those handlebars? They look really neat but can you get forward enough to get under a head wind? I am looking for good handlebars for touring.... Thanks!


They're really comfy and yes, you can get down pretty far - as I learned a bit ago on my way home from the grocery. I don't know that I'd use them for touring though. The consensus on them seems to be that they're great for up to about 50 miles but anything further than that, not so great.

Axiom Champlain have been great, lots of storage at a reasonable price

http://www.bikemandan.com/stuff/IMG_2250-1.JPG

These are my panniers of choice. http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524442618864&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302693397&bmUID=1212974340295

They are pricey but I also do a fair amount of touring and I've gotten my money's worth out of them. I'll use them in town from time to time as well. They are ideal for hauling loads, especially in wet weather. They also fasten securely and detach easily.