Commuting - Pannier Recommendations Wanted

I have, I think, everything I need to start commuting (lights, decent route, etc), except cargo capacity. I've read many of the discusstions here on pannier recommendations, but I still don't know what I need. I don't want a backpack, and I prefer something to mount to a rear rack vs a front rack. I need to carry the following:

- A change of clothes, including shoes.
- Towel, soap & deodorant
- Misc office items. PDA, pen & pencil, ID badge.

Those are the necessities. I would also like to hear recommendations for handling adverse weather gear, including rain and cold. I'm not sure I want huge bags capable of carrying everything. Possibly an additional trunk bag with foul weather gear when needed. I would also like to be able to make grocery runs (2-3 items, including a gallon of milk) on the way home. I can't find anything that seems to satisfy all these requirements.

Thanks.

I know it's probably not what you had in mind, but seriously consider a pair of folding baskets. I find them much more flexible than panniers. For my commuting I carry a backpack in one basket. It's easy to pop it out and take with me to the office, and it gives me more room for groceries (many times I've filled up both baskets with groceries and put the backpack on my back for the remainder of the trip home). The backpack is small enough to fit nicely in the basket, and contains raingear, a plastic bag of clean clothes, and assorted tools & other small, useful items (pocket knife, flashlight, cell phone etc).

Sverre

I know it's probably not what you had in mind, but seriously consider a pair of folding baskets.
Sverre

Something like this?

Nashbar Townie Basket (http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=&subcategory=&brand=&sku=8641&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=)

Thanks.

Forget the panniers. Get a Carradice saddlebag or a Rivendell Baggins bag. You can get whatever size you need.

www.wallbike.com
www.rivbike.com
www.harriscyclery.com

you could probably get away with a rack trunk bag. I bought one from performance for $25 and carried everything you mentioned to work except the shoes, but you could probably strap those on top with the bungies that come with the bag. The one I have is over 900 cubic inches when fully expanded. oh, and I also carry my multi-tool, a spare tube, patch kit, pump and a U-Lock in there.

linkage: performance rack trunk (http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=17077&subcategory_ID=2312) it's $35 now, but it's a pretty good bag.

The trunk carries everything i needed, except a laptop. So I bought some panniers from nashbar. they were on sale for $25 when I bought them and so far I really like them. The buckels seem like they're made of some pretty cheap brittle plastic, but I think they're not bad for $25 (minus 10% with a coupon someone posted in hotdeals forum). I can't really compare them to anything else because they're the first panniers I've ever bought. I figured for $25 I could see if I like them, and if I didn't, i'd have a better idea of what I needed in a pannier. I was surprised when I got them, I thought they'd be bigger....but they still carry everything I need and I have plenty of room for more. Also the bike seems to handle a little better with the panniers, even though i have more weight in them than I did in the trunk, I think it's because the panniers carry the weight lower than the trunk.

Linkage: nashbar panniers (http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=66&subcategory=1004&brand=&sku=6796&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=) they're $30 now, but i think they're the cheapest panniers you'll find.

I can't comment on rain and such, since I'm only on day 2 of the panniers....plus it doesn't rain too much here...

i bought a pannier from Nashbar that converts to a backpack and I think it works great. I can put my shoes and clothes in the bag and still have a little room left over.

I carry a similar amount of gear and these Axiom panniers are working out very well:

http://aebike.com/site/page.cfm?Affiliate=1&PageID=30&SKU=BG6629

Nice size, not too bulky....

I've been using Jannd mini-mountain bags for a year now. They aren't huge, just big enough to carry a grocery bag in each, if needed. I carry my rain pants and jacket, u-lock and cable, pump, a change of clothes, newspaper, lunch and whatever other odds and ends I need that day at work. They're water resistant but to ensure kepping things dry I throw stuff in a garbage bag when it's really wet. The bags are very high quality and bomb proof.

Something like this?

Nashbar Townie Basket (http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=&subcategory=&brand=&sku=8641&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=)

Thanks.

No, what I am using is this:

http://shop.store.yahoo.com/sportsbay/hdfolbasset.html

i think these are neat.


http://www.cobbworks.com/

I love my Carridice Bike Bureau, which I bought from www.wallbike.com. And it's versatile-- click off, add shoulder strap, and voila! everything comes along with, which is great when you have to park outside at a rack. It doesn't rain much here, so I'm not sure how it does in foul weather, though.

I have, I think, everything I need to start commuting (lights, decent route, etc), except cargo capacity. I've read many of the discusstions here on pannier recommendations, but I still don't know what I need. I don't want a backpack, and I prefer something to mount to a rear rack vs a front rack. I need to carry the following:

- A change of clothes, including shoes.
- Towel, soap & deodorant
- Misc office items. PDA, pen & pencil, ID badge.

Those are the necessities. I would also like to hear recommendations for handling adverse weather gear, including rain and cold. I'm not sure I want huge bags capable of carrying everything. Possibly an additional trunk bag with foul weather gear when needed. I would also like to be able to make grocery runs (2-3 items, including a gallon of milk) on the way home. I can't find anything that seems to satisfy all these requirements.

Thanks.

Check out E-bay,mate. I bought a set of panniers including
the rack for $15.00 recently. The panniers were little used
and gave my bike "used" look that thieves hate.

I use both the Arkel briefcase pannier and carry my laptop, a cycling mag, computer book, complete change of clothes including shoes, a spare tube and multi-tool. On the other side of my rack I carry the Arkel utility bag which holds a coffee thermos, my lunch, and whatever else I might have a long. They're more expensive than most but I *love* them. I can't say that enough. I LOVE them. The briefcase comes off the bag, the clips hide behind a velcro flap and I can carry it to meetings without anyone even asking about it.

Things to consider:
mounting system: a quick-release clip-on system like Ortleib or Carradice is essential. Dont get one which has a hook-on-elastic chord, these take longer to fit and removal, and are a 1970's throwback.
Material. Waterproof, welded polyester and sewn cotton canvas are hardwearing and effective in rain. Heavier grades of cordura work OK. Lighter grades wear at corners, loose their water resistance and flappy material does not work well esp when empty.
Stiffening. On the back and bottom. It doesnt need to be heavy. My Carradice uses corrugated plastic and is lighter than most "high tech" moulded plastic stiffeners.
Compartments. I dont like lots, just a main bag and an external pocket.
Capacity. With good heavy material, an large pannier is no problem. My 25l model (the Super-C) is half-empty most of the time so I always have room for a few groceries or library books.
Extensions: A flap cover and an extension collar allows you to overload the pannier, eg with loaves of bread or packs of toilet tissue. Zip-closure bags have no extension and are damaged by overloading.
You can carry just a single pannier with no problems, or 2 for a shopping load.
The stuff that lives in my bag most of the year inc a repair kit and water-resistant pants (lightweight pertex).

i've got two different sets of panniers from Arkel (http://www.arkel-od.com/text_index.html) , and like them a lot.

Samurai: basically a drybag with a tough plastic outer shell that wraps burrito style.
Utility Basket: the all-arounder; each on can hold at least a bag of groceries.

If I had to choose one, I'd take the utility baskets. They expand to hold a mountain of stuff, but they have compression straps and bungies so that they don't flap around if they're not full. They're tough, and the mounting brackets are adjustable so that you can configure them to any rack.

They're a bit pricey, but they do have a lifetime guarantee (not that it's all that likely that you'd have to use it).

Another vote for Carradice here. I use the Nelson Longflap saddlebag and carry shoes and clothes. I leave the tolietries at work, actually I usually leave the shoes at work too. I've got tons of extra room, but a gallon of milk would be streaching it :D I really like not having the extra bulk of rack and panniers and if I want to take it off for a weekend ride it's only 3 buckles.

The treated duck cotton is very waterproof. I've been out for almost a couple of hours in hard rain and everything on the inside was totally dry ... very impressive

Thanks everyone for the replies. I do have a couple of questions about the replies. Regarding the Nashbar panniers, how difficult are they to install & remove? About the Arkel utility basket, does it collapse when empty? Or does it keep it's full shape? If it collapses, how small does it get?

Thanks.

Billy

Regarding the Nashbar panniers, how difficult are they to install & remove?

Not bad, hooks on top with a velcro attachment to keep them from bouncing off, and a bungee hook at the bottom.

They also have snaps so you can snap them together when off the bike, i guess it makes them easier to carry.....or that's the idea anyway, i don't snap them together though....

Thanks everyone for the replies. I do have a couple of questions about the replies. Regarding the Nashbar panniers, how difficult are they to install & remove? About the Arkel utility basket, does it collapse when empty? Or does it keep it's full shape? If it collapses, how small does it get?

Thanks.

Billy

The Arkel utility basket is a soft-sided pannier, not an actual basket. With the compression webbing and the straps, it can fold and compress down pretty small and fairly flat when it's empty. I often ride to work with one partially filled one and one empty one so that I can fill up the second one with groceries and beer on the way home from work.

As a frame of reference for it's size and toughness, I once carried home 24 cans of Guinness in one side and 24 cans of Wexford in the other side, with room on top for 6 steaks, 2 pounds of potato salad, 2 pounds of cole slaw, and a 2 liter bottle of Coke. I probably could have carried a bit more, but there was no need. (and yes...it was an excellent cookout...and no, i didn't drink all of it myself)

Of course, you can also just remove it if you're going to ride both ways empty.

And, for off the bike, it's got a pair of decently strong d-rings for the attachment of a shoulder strap (Arkel sells one separately, but anything with clips will work).

I have had my Jannd panniers for several years.
One of the things to consider is how long the cheap stuff
will last.

I have had good luck with my Jandd mountaineer panniers. Use them for carrying all my commuting stuff and have used them on a couple of tours. What I like about them is that on my Blackburn racks, there is almost no rattling.

Thanks everyone for the tips. I agree that cheap stuff is usually cheap for a reason, but also, many times the cheap stuff is still perfectly adequate if the usage isn't too severe. I don't know if my commute will be severe enough to need the "good stuff". 10 miles each way on a mtb. I really like the idea of the Arkel briefcase and utility basket, but that combo would run >$200. The Nashbar panniers are $30. I can try them out and, for only $30, hopefully get a better idea of what works for me & what doesn't. If the Nashbar panniers don't work out, I'll have good reason to upgrade.

I purchased from "G.I. Joes" a pair of saddle bags for $25. The brand name is "Diamondback". They would carry everything you listed - plus.
What Do I know? I'm a newbie.

I'm very happy with my new setup. Topeak rack and Topeak MTX trunk bag with expandable panniers. The push button bag release is great beyond words.

This time of the year I carry my lunch, dry socks and a shirt in the trunk with room to spare. When I need to carry more clothes I use the panniers. Do yourself a favor and check these out before you buy something else!

I like my Jandd panniers. They have survived through numerous snow and rain storms. They also convert to briefcases. They are pricey, though ($95 each when not on sale). Here is the link: http://www.jandd.com/detail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=FCBP Consider these if you decide to upgrade.

Also, you may want to get a pair of shoes to leave at the office. That will save you a bunch of weight every day.

I really like a Ortlieb handlebar bag on the front and Tubus rack, with Ortlieb panniers or pannier/office bag (when I have to carry my notebook and lot of papers) in the back. I like the balance. It is very good, but expensive. If I were just commuting, I'd give Carradice Saddle Bag a shot, because it places the weight right under the saddle, which is a good spot, but it is not so good to carry a galon of milk on top of the other commuting payload. Some folks, including myself, believe that having all the weight on the back is not a very good idea, especially climbing hills.

I'd reccommend a set of Arkel T-42.

Not the greatest, but good enough for me, REI house brand. Cheap, but not really tuff, but good for touring. Mine front and rear get loaded up when I tour, and so far they have logged at least 1000 mile touring, and 2x-3x that many miles running laundry and groceries.About 5 years old and still in pretty good shape.

another vote for arkel's... hubby did a lot of research before buying panniers and decided arkel made the best!

we got him the two rear side panniers and the trunk.. he can carry a lot in them!

I know it's probably not what you had in mind, but seriously consider a pair of folding baskets. I find them much more flexible than panniers. For my commuting I carry a backpack in one basket. It's easy to pop it out and take with me to the office, and it gives me more room for groceries (many times I've filled up both baskets with groceries and put the backpack on my back for the remainder of the trip home). The backpack is small enough to fit nicely in the basket, and contains raingear, a plastic bag of clean clothes, and assorted tools & other small, useful items (pocket knife, flashlight, cell phone etc).

Sverre

Where did you get your folding baskets?

bicycling this month digs the breezer grocery bag panniers.

I used a backpack for years, and never really had enough room for a good grocery run. So I bought a Jannd grocery bag (very tough and durable) for $40. I now put my backpack full of clothes in the Jannd, and on my way home stop at the grocery store for provisions. Throwing the backpack on my shoulders while using the Jannd for groceries, I have plenty of room. If I need more room, I simply use the empty backpack and the grocery bag. (I've haven't had to yet.)

Cheers

With Ortlieb, you never have to worry about the contents of your bag getting wet, if you don't need to open them in transit. They are perfect for commuting, but not so good for touring. Mine are big, light, and and snap on and off of the rack easily. I don't have to worry about how many groceries I decide to buy at the store. It's never been a problem. I only use my other panniers with pockets, occasionally, when I will want to access various small items as needed on a ride.