Touring - tubus vs. nice....ortlieb vs.super C

howdy-
i'm in the process of deciding which rack/pannier setup to go with on my cross-check. i've somewhat boiled it down to the tubus cargo or the surly nice rack, and the ortlieb bikepacker or the carradice super C panniers.

i like the nice rack, but it's heavier than the tubus. the tubus also has a rock solid rep. any have either mounted on a cross-check? any heel clearance issues?

for the panniers i like the idea of the carradice super Cs. they only weigh about 100g more than the ortliebs and hold 54 litres vs. the ortlieb's 40.

does anyone have experience with any combination of the above? what's worked and what hasn't?

thanks

The Tubus Logo fits a bike pretty much the same as the Cargo, but sets the panniers a bit further back to address the heal clearance issue. The panniers also mount a bit lower, helping (marginally) in stability and the Logo has a more useful platform than the Cargo. Of course it weighs a little bit more too, but nothing like the Nice rack.

The Tubus Logo fits a bike pretty much the same as the Cargo, but sets the panniers a bit further back to address the heal clearance issue. The panniers also mount a bit lower, helping (marginally) in stability and the Logo has a more useful platform than the Cargo. Of course it weighs a little bit more too, but nothing like the Nice rack.

+1 also get the 26" sized rack. will fit either 26" or 700C and keep weight lower.

Ortlieb Based on personal experience only are great panniers. Don't have and have never used the others mentioned.

I have the super c front panniers. They are most excellent.

I have a tubus cargo on my lht and a nice rear rack on my mtn bike. I don't really see any contest between the 2, the cargo is more elegant, half the weight, same or greater capacity (not that I approach either's capacity) and anywhere from less to much less expensive.

I had one carradice bag and didn't really like it, very flappy lot of loose ends and rattling. And not too fond of the clamp mechanism either. Don't know how any of those things vary across their model lines.

I haven't used the Super Cs, but I have four Ortlieb rollers, and they're incredibly waterproof.

The Tubus racks are very nice and strong enough for most loads you would want to cycle with.
I have a Cargo one of my bikes, 3 Tara and 1 Ergo on the family fleet.

I use Super C panniers front and rear, they are made of a heavyweight cotton duck and have proved waterproof for me in the British climate. The material can get wet, but nothing seems to get through.
I changed the clips for Arkel Cam-Hooks and find them fast and easy to use whilst kind to the rack paint.

I use Tubus Cargo and Tara with Orlieb Packers on my touring bike and they are rock solid.

Also have a Tubus Vega on my LD bike and am highly satified.

Strength, stability and weight = $$$$'s

thanks for the responses, fellas. i'm sold on the tubus cargo. the packers seem like they might fit the bill a little better than the carradice and a bit less money, but the jury is still out. i'm just trying to iron all of this out so i can adhere to the "buy once, cry once" philosophy.

How much stuff do you need to pack? Are you camping? Is waterproof-ness important?

How much stuff do you need to pack? Are you camping? Is waterproof-ness important?

for now i'm thinking enough gear for a weekend camping trip. i'm new to bike camping/touring so i would start out with overnights and weekends before trying to tackle anything longer. i'm not new to backpacking, so i don't think i'm entirely in the dark.

as far as waterproof, i can line it with a kitchen trash bag and roll the top as you would a dry bag and achieve the same result, correct? maybe i'm missing some positive aspect of having a waterproof pannier.

I've used the Tubus Logo on my Travelers Check and I liked it a lot. No clearance issues at all, light weight, and pretty darn adjustable.

Ortliebs are great, especially the packer pluses. However, I'm leaning more towards natural fiber bags of late. Carradice bags are quickly replacing my panniers.

Oh, also, I have used the Surly Nice Racks and they are definitely heavier than the Tubus. Never had a problem with either, but if you want a wider rack to strap things to, go for the Nice Racks. Otherwise save some wieght and a little money on the Tubus.

Carradice is great, so is ortlieb

I have them both, they are both great bags. I prefer the carradice for aesthetic reasons, plus the choice of materials. they are both very waterproof, dont worry about that. You really cant go wrong, but if you buy the carradice, look at SJS cycles in the UK. they will be MUCH cheaper than any us retailer carrying british items. They ship to the US, and are very reliable.

As far as racks go: No question at all- Tubus. The Surly racks are pigs....

I have a rear Tubus Logo and Surly rack up front. The Tubus is better made but I wanted a platform in front. I don't see any reason to choose Surly over Tubus for the rear rack.

as far as waterproof, i can line it with a kitchen trash bag and roll the top as you would a dry bag and achieve the same result, correct? maybe i'm missing some positive aspect of having a waterproof pannier.

Does rain deter you from touring? If it doesn't, you'll want either waterproof panniers or rain covers. It sucks when you have to dress in wet clothing at the end of the day, and it's nice to have a safe place to keep papers (cue sheets, receitps, journal, train schedules, etc).

If you're going to go the route of lining the inside, I'd suggest getting large ziploc bags. They're inexpensive, and easy to reseal. You can also use waterproof camping stuff sacks if you want something more permenant.

for now i'm thinking enough gear for a weekend camping trip. i'm new to bike camping/touring so i would start out with overnights and weekends before trying to tackle anything longer. i'm not new to backpacking, so i don't think i'm entirely in the dark.

as far as waterproof, i can line it with a kitchen trash bag and roll the top as you would a dry bag and achieve the same result, correct? maybe i'm missing some positive aspect of having a waterproof pannier.

It appears you are set on a rear set of panniers only. My suggestion for that bike would be to put on a front rack (low rider or platform) with smaller panniers and a rear rack with no panniers or something like the Jandd small saddle bag panniers. The reason for this is that the Crosscheck is a cyclocross bike with relatively short chainstays and a rearwheel weight bias compared to a long chainstayed touring bike that is designed for carrying rear mounted loads.
If it's just weekend riding you aren't carrying much and don't need huge panniers, and if you were looking to load up the bike to it's capacity getting some weight down on the front wheel becomes more important for balanced handling. Riding up a steep hill or flying down a steep one with all your weight on the rear wheel is less than ideal.

You can go either way with waterproofness, but if you're in really wet conditions it's nice not to have to double bag everything.

I'm going to put in a vote for these, the may look cheesy, small and the attachment archaic compared to Ortleib but if you aren't packing lots of stuff and have possible heel strike issues these could be just the ticket. I toured for nearly a month with bags this size.

I got a pair and they work just fine. If you aren't carrying a six pack they can hold all the gear you'd need for a weekend.

http://www.jandd.com/detail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=FSBP

I bought my Super C panniers in 1996 and have used one of them pretty much every day since. I occasionally switch them to even out the wear. They have taken a few spills and are showing some wear at the corners. I have repaired them using the Carradice patch kit which seems to work OK.
I have no problems with the mounting system, they are quiet and secure in use.
In really wet cold conditions, Ortleibs are probably better. In warm, damp places where mildew is likely to be an issue, Super C may work better.
I think the "modern" version of the Super C is larger than mine and possibly to big for everyday use.

the super C being too big is a concern. most of their use will be for errand and grocery runs. if the touring bug catches a front rack would definitely be in the works, but for now a rear rack and panniers would suffice. i may add a small rando style rack and front bag as well, which would help even out the weight distribution.

the reason I push for front load distribution and small bags is to retain as much fun handling that the bike is capable of. Sure putting weight on the front wheel slows steering down but big rear bags with a pile of loose gear kinda wastes what's good about the bike. I've got a CrossCheck and am putting on one of these :

http://velo-orange.com/cofrra.html

I wish Blackburn still made their front rack.