Utility Cycling - Pannier(s) for Groceries

I already use a backpack, but I can only carry so much in it. I only buy for myself, and I don't mind a couple trips per week. I just need more space. I don't tour either. Budget isn't much of an issue as I'm working full-time now and car-free. It's hard to say how much space I need. Sometimes I get a huge watermelon. Then, there's no room for anything else, lol. I don't get watermelons much anymore. I intend on getting a gallon of milk and a couple dozen eggs with a pack meat or so for each trip. If running low, I'll get some fruits, veggies, cheese or whatever. I eat a lot probably enough for two people. The Kroger grocery store is less than 2 miles away, and the the majority of the route residential houses. I buy stuff in glass, so I rather not have a basket with stuff falling out. Would too much weight on one side of the bike be too awkward, or should I get two panniers?

Suggestions?

For groceries, etc., etc., I like Wald double rear wire baskets better than anything else. Some newer ones can be folded together.

I intend on getting a gallon of milk and a couple dozen eggs with a pack meat or so for each trip. If running low, I'll get some fruits, veggies, cheese or whatever. I eat a lot probably enough for two people. The Kroger grocery store is less than 2 miles away, and the the majority of the route residential houses. I buy stuff in glass, so I rather not have a basket with stuff falling out. Would too much weight on one side of the bike be too awkward, or should I get two panniers?
Not really a problem just using a single pannier. My last trip to the grocery store had me carrying a gallon of milk, 2L of soda, loaf of bread and a few smaller items in a single pannier. But I bring both panniers if I'm planning on buying more stuff. I usually use my Nashbar waterproof panniers but I bought them mainly for touring and they're not really ideal for grocery shopping where I don't need the waterproofness (don't do my shopping on rainy days) or the secure closure. Plenty of shopping panniers available.

I have some REI shopping panniers that I got on a good clearance. Not a current model anymore, but Performance and Nashbar have a similar one that is frequently on sale. About the size of a paper grocery sack, so they work nicely. Put the panniers in your cart and when they are full, you know it's time to head for the register.

I've come across this nifty link: http://bicycletouringpro.com/blog/bicycle-panniers/
It's not an exhaustive list, but I'll just look through them when I get the time.

Now I'm leaning toward a double pannier. I was just wondering what pros/cons the attached/detached pannier systems serve for those that tried them? I noticed some have locking mechanisms, too. I'm just a bit paranoid about theft.

If you are worried about theft, then the baskets are a better choice. But, I never leave my panniers on my bike when I go somewhere. Either I leave them at home or they come into the store with me. Like mentioned above, I bring them in so I know when I need to stop buying food. I also don't care for baskets. I like soft sided panniers because the can deform to your load.

I almost always use 2 or 4 panniers. There are a couple of reasons for this. I can't stand when things aren't symetrical. That's why I never wore a watch. I know that's stupid, but that is the way I am. I have carried things using one pannier, but I'd rather have the weight balanced. Also, if the items are heavy, like a couple of gallons of liquied, I would rather that weight be spread out between the two panniers. Why stress the material when more than you have to?

Back when I used my bike as a grocery getter I bought some really nice panniers off ebay for cheap. That extra space was enough.

I use these.
http://www.amazon.com/Avenir-Metro-2-0-Shopping-Pannier/dp/B00165Q8ZO
Very rugged and versatile. had them for several years, no sign of wear and tear.

http://i47.tinypic.com/azjmg4.jpg

http://i50.tinypic.com/zwm0lh.jpg

12 pack fits nicely, and they don't rattle and clatter like the wire baskets do. Fully collapsible.

if money is not an issue.... go with the Arktel utility basket .....

I used plastic crate/baskets (NOT milk crates) I found dumpster diving on a bike, zip tied to the rack and frame, and the grocery 'recycle/no plastic' cloth bags fit inside. Practical, low investment, fun project.

if money is not an issue.... go with the Arktel utility basket .....


I second this. I have two of them, they are fantastic. I've never actually owned panniers with lots of pockets, and I'm not sure I really care to. I use mine for daily use, commuting to work, gym, getting groceries, etc. Having a big bag to just toss things in is pretty nice. They have zipper closures, a built in rain-fly (only covers the top, so not suitable for hours in heavy downpours, though I've never had them get wet inside), two elastic pouches on the front and back, a top pocket good for things you want close at hand, etc.

I just take my panniers off the bike. put them on the check out counter,
and the person at the register loads them , and gives a .05$ credit for not using a bag .

ORegon coast .. wet often .. I use the touring Ortlieb roller set.
so stuff stays dry and no water in the bottom of the bag when empty, either ..

I use kitty litter bucket panniers. It works decent. I wish they were angled for more foot clearance so in the end the weight is higher than I like. I also have some ortlieb shopping panniers at the REI scratch and dent, but those things are stupid expensive if you are paying retail. They are nice though. I usually ride with the kitty litter buckets because I can put a 12 pack between them on top of the rack and it is very secure.

I eat a lot, consequently I buy a lot of groceries and I usually use my Axiom Champlains. They're huge, fairly well-made, and relatively cheap. With two, you can fit a gallon of milk on one side, a watermelon on the other, and still have room left over for other stuff. If one gets full it still has side pockets and built-in bungee cords to hold other things.

I use the grocery bag panniers from Performance. Each one contains a shoulder strap which makes it easy to carry them into the store and into the house.

It is easy to find cloth shopping bags that fit baskets, so they are easy to remove & shop with , or acrry inside the home.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mCMeEduEvo
For me, it's Coroplast TM Corrugated Plastic Panniers. Nothing else will do.

http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q119/hotbike/IMG_0902.jpg
Here is the general pattern, marked out on the Coroplast Board.
http://s134.photobucket.com/albums/q119/hotbike/?action=view&current=IMG_0896.jpg
Go to this page of my album, and click "NEXT" to see the step by step instructions.

I use a pair of Arkel Shoppers, http://www.arkel-od.com/us/all-categories/laptop-bicycle-pannier/the-shopper-foldable.html

They work great, are easy to carry into the store, and have the best mounting system I have encountered. Two of them can easily carry a weeks worth of groceries for me.

I used Wald double baskets for a while, even had them mounted up front too. In the end, I've gone with racks and rollup Panniers. They are lighter and fruit doesn't get as banged up in them. I have this vivid image locked in my memory, "I was cruising down a nice grade and came to a new section of "repaired" road. It was actually a substantial dip. Coming out of it, the groceries in the Wald baskets got airborn! :eek: " Fortunatley everything stayed in place, but it was a startling moment....Shorthly there after, I switched to panniers and have never looked back.

I use a pair of SunLite Grocery Getters. Since I bought them, I've almost stopped using my backpack entirely. I'm like you. Living alone. The capacity is just right. I no longer get hassled by the grocery store security guards. Definitely, get a pair, that way you can balance your load.

Although I have an old pair of Nashbar Townies, I typically walk to the store. I used to use the bike, but the store is being remodeled and the best place to park the bike is currently unaccessible.

There are two ways that you can go shopping with these bags- take them with you inside and fill them up until their full (and pray that the cashier/sacker puts stuff back in the same order or you'll be doing some repacking) or leave them on the bike and drop the contents inside. The first method can be a PITA depending on the mounting hardware... which leads to employing the second method of hoping for the best.

Had a chance to use a Burley Travoy for a week, and it is the perfect grocery getter. Awesome part is that you can use it as your shopping cart in the store, wheel it on out, hook it up to your bike, and roll away. Very functional little trailer.

I'd like to start shopping with my bike, but I've been wondering what people do about frozen food. I'm about 5 miles away from the grocery store and at my current pace I definitely need some cooling for the food.
Currently I can use my kids' trailer when they're sleeping, but it's not really ideal for groceries. It catches the wind a lot and it's meant to seat kids, not hold groceries. So while I could put a small cooler on the seat, I'm looking for a better long term solution.

Panniers don't seem to be made plastic lined on the inside to hold ice or ice packs and the resulting condensation, or are they? I think I'd prefer the pannier route rather than baskets, though I don't even have a rack yet. But what do people put in their panniers to insulate the frozen stuff?

I've seen a few insulated panniers. Can't remember the brands off the top of my head, but if I do I'll post back here. Another option is to get something like the insulated Mountainsmith cube and drop that inside of a pannier.

Don't know how much frozen goods you buy at a time, but you have a couple of options. First, quite a few rack trunk bags have an insulated main compartment. Frozen veggies and smaller frozen dairy wouldn't have a problem in one of those, but things like frozen pizza or family/party sized Stouffer's products ain't gonna fit. Option 2 is to check and see if your grocer has those reuseable insulated bags for sale- usually located near the frozen food section. I know Wal-Mart has them, my primary store doesn't.

A possible third option would be to use a waterproof backpack. The Banjo Brothers would make a good perishable goods hauler. If there is condensation (which there probably will be) and you still need the backpack after your grocery run, simply remove the waterproof liner so that it can dry while you use the shell pack.

Great ideas, thanks. Our frozen stuff is mostly vegetables and other small odds and ends, we don't buy frozen pizza. Other things like cheese or meat that aren't frozen but I'd like to keep cool could just go on top. Forgive the newbie question, but a trunk bag sits on top of the rack right? That sounds like a great option except then I wouldn't be able to bungee a case of rice milk on top the rack. I could take the kids' trailer for that run when needed I guess. How big do insulated trunk bags get? The bigger, the more often I could replace driving.

A month ago I ordered my first set, M-Wave (http://www.amazon.com/M-Wave-Double-Tripper-Bicycle-Pannier/dp/B001NGD4UI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1350257373&sr=8-1&keywords=m-wave+pannier) from Amazon. They are cheap, but they don't seem cheap. I use them almost daily and have no complaints so far. They are fairly large, you'd have no problem fitting a gallon of milk and more in each side. And, they are easy to take on and off if you want to just take them in the store with you. I totally recommend them if you don't want to spend a lot of money on your first set of panniers.

I'm wrestling with the frozen food question also. The insulated bags (dollar store) stop popping open at the top if some external bag is carrying the weight, and the idea of having reflective silver on both sides outweighs the dork factor of having dollar store bags visible on either side, so some sort of mesh-and-strap outer pannier seems called for. In fact I came here to get an idea for supporting the bottom of the bag. Hotbike's cut-your-own solid-sided plastic panniers look NICE though, I'm tempted to copy that altogether. In related news, when did nylon webbing by the yard get that expensive? Sheesh! I'll make fabric straps instead and I HATE turning fabric tubes!

I'm wrestling with the frozen food question also. The insulated bags (dollar store) stop popping open at the top if some external bag is carrying the weight, and the idea of having reflective silver on both sides outweighs the dork factor of having dollar store bags visible on either side, so some sort of mesh-and-strap outer pannier seems called for. In fact I came here to get an idea for supporting the bottom of the bag. Hotbike's cut-your-own solid-sided plastic panniers look NICE though, I'm tempted to copy that altogether. In related news, when did nylon webbing by the yard get that expensive? Sheesh! I'll make fabric straps instead and I HATE turning fabric tubes!

I live in north Texas, and 100 degree temperatures are fairly common in the Summer. Never the less, I have never had an issue with the plain Arkel panniers I posted earlier. I pack all of the frozen goods together (to create maximum thermal mass) in the bottom of the bag and place other items on top to provide insulation. This works fine for a three mile return trip (15-20 minutes) for me, even in the summer.

I use a monster set of Basil Karavan II canvas panniers from the NL, 47 liters total capacity. I can haul a weeks groceries for 4 adults no problem. They are waterproof, or appear to be. I have seen some other sets from Basil made out of a material like truck tarps. Those are available from Clever Cycles in Portland. I also have a "beer bike" that uses Wald baskets front and rear. It can haul around 3 cases of bottled beer or a case of beer and enough munchies for Monday Night Football.

Aaron :)

I use Ortlieb back roller plus panniers for all of my cycling needs. They have a nice volume, a carrying strap are waterproof and are removed from the bike easily. As far as frozen food goes I bought a $10 insulated bag and line the pannier with it or strap it to my rack.

http://i1140.photobucket.com/albums/n573/mattheisb/townie.jpg

It's not the $300 vintage leather pannier that I really want, but it's big, it was free, and gets the job done...

I ended up using my convertible backpack/pannier on one side of my rack and a spare backpack I forgot I still had that I just put on my back. I've been doing this twice a week for groceries the past month, and it works pretty good. Mounting the opposite side of the pannier I find to be a lot easier. I place my backpack on the bottom of the shopping cart, and no one stops me. I really don't buy anything frozen except liver, and I haven't had a problem with that.

I recently got two of the Arkel "Shopper" panniers and they're great. Their quick-clip system works like a charm and really locks the back onto the rack, and I like that they don't have any bottom fasteners so they are super-quick to clip on and off. They are pretty darned big, but fold nice and flat (with little velcro straps to keep them that way untill you need to store stuff in them). The tops aren't the most intuitive things in the world (like a pull-tab sack that you can also zip off completely), but it's a versatile solution if nothing else.

Here is what I have. Center basket holds a cooler for cold stuff.

http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o716/bud16415/WindsorTourist1_zpse61efa9d.jpg

Man, there are some nice solutions here. Once you've maxed out the back end, you can also make a sort of decaleur to hold an additional backback in front of your handlebars. In my tinkering moods, I've made a couple of these of differing sizes from 1/4" and 3/8" stock. Four feet of rod stock is a better length to work with than three.
281158
This one is made from a 3" length of aluminum rod stock, with a piece of vinyl tubing over it to make non-scratching where it meets the handle bar and stem. I just tie the ends of the backpack straps around the head tube to hold it in place as it sits on the prongs. A piece of heavy cardboard or that plastic they make yard signs out of on the bottom of the pack makes it solid and non-saggy. The whole thing comes off in seconds and is secure enough unless you're bouncing around over technical single track on the way home from Safeway.

Just chiming in here as another fan of the Wald folding racks. They hold the groceries pretty well. Yes, if they were deeper they would be better; however, they fold nicely for loading on the bus.