Commuting - Panniers for shopping

I have a pair of Louis Garneau Beta Stream panniers, I love them and they're great for carrying stuff, but unfortunately they seem to blow supermarket baggers' minds, and I always have to repack them because they never load them up to full capacity. I'm looking for a good square shopper-style set of panniers. They need to be somewhat waterproof, since I live in Oregon, and I'm looking to spend ~$100. I was thinking about the Typhoon panniers from Axiom: http://www.amazon.com/Axiom-Typhoon-Pannier-Yellow-Black/dp/B004DAVD9K/ref=sr_1_21?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1352720385&sr=1-21

At first I was thinking of Banjo Bros. shopping panniers, but those have those non-latching hooks on them, which are what my Biria shopping panniers have, and I'm bad enough at dodging potholes that I don't want to risk it.

There's also these: http://www.niagaracycle.com/product_info.php?products_id=800041
I could just get a pair.

How are they at standing up by themselves/in a bag carousel? Are they square enough for grocery clerks to deal with? I regularly buy half-gallons of goat milk in glass jugs, so they need to be sturdy.

Any other pannier suggestions?

Don't have any other rec's but I will say that I've had good luck with my banjo brothers grocery panniers. I really only use them for a round town errands and casual stuff (not commuting). You are right they do not lock on but I'm sure there is a way to DIY that. Mine have never fallen off and they hold a grocery bag perfectly which then extends over the top of the bag, so you can load the grocery bag pretty tall and they handle weight well. I've had them for 4 or 5 years and they are pretty much like new still. Of course as with any rec, YMMV. For the price I think they are a good value.

The Axioms look to be styled after an Ortlieb Classic Roller, which if that is the case I can tell you does NOT stand up waiting to be loaded. That being said I love my Ortliebs. As for shopping I typically hate the way baggers bag anyhow so for me I just let them do their thing into paper bags, then pack into my paniers myself and toss the paper bags into the stores recycling.

The living car free section has some tips for this, have you looked there?

I've found that if I use any of my backpacks or panniers, I always end up packing things for the ride home. It's just easier that way, even when they don't seem too puzzled by what I'm using to carry things home.

Worth every penny...

http://www.carradice.co.uk/products/type/shopper-pannier

My wife bought one of these 5 years ago and it has been used on a nearly daily basis in Portland... it still looks great.

The Axioms look to be styled after an Ortlieb Classic Roller, which if that is the case I can tell you does NOT stand up waiting to be loaded. That being said I love my Ortliebs. As for shopping I typically hate the way baggers bag anyhow so for me I just let them do their thing into paper bags, then pack into my paniers myself and toss the paper bags into the stores recycling.

I don't really understand the need for seperate grocery panniers.
Similar to Jaye, I pack groceries in a regular pannier the same way I would in a grocery bag, fold in the bag and use it for garbage at home.
It seems that as long as you have enough c.i. , any pannier would work well.
For those that use them, is there an advantage to the square, grocery bag shape? Maybe I'm missing out on something.

big ol ugly cheap garneau:

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

Worth every penny...

http://www.carradice.co.uk/products/type/shopper-pannier

My wife bought one of these 5 years ago and it has been used on a nearly daily basis in Portland... it still looks great.

Ooh, they're purdy.

big ol ugly cheap garneau:

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

I like the looks of this one too, especially the way the load would be distributed. Do you remember what it was called? I can't find it on the LG site.

For those that use them, is there an advantage to the square, grocery bag shape? Maybe I'm missing out on something.

The main advantage, for me, is that grocery baggers grok them and they fit in bag carousels. Around here, we get charged for paper bags and we get a credit (5-10 c per bag) when we bring our own reusable bags. (The city is banning plastic bags in 2013, we'll see what happens then.) Also...I really hate packing my own groceries. I'm not that good at it, I'd rather not do it myself.

While about twice what your interested in (~$100 each) I have found my Arkel Shoppers to be great for carrying groceries. I can easily fit a weeks worth of groceries (for me) into a single bag, so two should cover most folks easily.

http://www.arkel-od.com/us/all-categories/laptop-bicycle-pannier/the-shopper-foldable.html

I must say I have several arkel bags and I really do prefer their mounting system to any others I have tried.

While about twice what your interested in (~$100 each) I have found my Arkel Shoppers to be great for carrying groceries. I can easily fit a weeks worth of groceries (for me) into a single bag, so two should cover most folks easily.

http://www.arkel-od.com/us/all-categories/laptop-bicycle-pannier/the-shopper-foldable.html

I must say I have several arkel bags and I really do prefer their mounting system to any others I have tried.

Good link. Has a video on their "shopper bag" which also shows the convenience over a regular pannier.
Thanks for the info. These will go on the Christmas list. Happy shopping!

P.S. Charging for a paper bag? ouch!

While about twice what your interested in (~$100 each) I have found my Arkel Shoppers to be great for carrying groceries. I can easily fit a weeks worth of groceries (for me) into a single bag, so two should cover most folks easily.

http://www.arkel-od.com/us/all-categories/laptop-bicycle-pannier/the-shopper-foldable.html

I must say I have several arkel bags and I really do prefer their mounting system to any others I have tried.

Oooh, I like those - though with where I live (rainy PNW) I really need a flap over the top, so maybe I'll save up and go for these: http://www.arkel-od.com/us/all-categories/laptop-bicycle-pannier/utility-basket.html

I have some old Nashbar grocery bag panniers that I will gladly sell you for cheap. I bolted in an extra sheet of ABS on the rack side so they have a little more structure.

http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product_10053_10052_170997_-1___

My new panniers only cost $2.99 each... but you need an extrabike to use them.

:)

http://www.ravingbikefiend.com/bikepics/2012winterstretch%20(11).JPG

Seriously... if you can afford the Carradice (which is around $100.00 in the U.S.) it would be money well spent.

My new panniers only cost $2.99 each... but you need an extrabike to use them.

:)

http://www.ravingbikefiend.com/bikepics/2012winterstretch%20(11).JPG

Seriously... if you can afford the Carradice (which is around $100.00 in the U.S.) it would be money well spent.

Oh man, I want an Xtra bike bad and the Pugsley...I think I covet quite a few of your bikes.

While I'm saving, I'll see if I can find a Carradice dealer around here, so I can see them in person.

garneau black box pannier
I picked it up from nashbar in the spring, but dont see it listed anymore. Im sure it's purchasable through amazon or ebay. It was a little more than $2.99, I think it was around $25

Oooh, I like those - though with where I live (rainy PNW) I really need a flap over the top, so maybe I'll save up and go for these: http://www.arkel-od.com/us/all-categories/laptop-bicycle-pannier/utility-basket.html

I was undecided between the Arkel Shopper and the Arkel Utility Basket for exactly the same reason.

After thinking about it, I went with the Shopper. So the top isn't waterproof. It's not an issue with what I buy. Produce grows outdoors, so it's undamaged by a little rain. Everything else I buy comes either wrapped in plastic (no need to keep that dry) or in cans. The few times I buy something wrapped in paper or (like flour) or boxed goods (like oatmeal), I can plan ahead to shop on a dry day.

Besides, the Shoppers are foldable which makes a big difference in the closet here at home. And being able to overstuff it and have things sicking out the top has saved me extra trips too.

After 2½ years, I've not regretted the decision.

The main advantage, for me, is that grocery baggers grok them and they fit in bag carousels. Around here, we get charged for paper bags and we get a credit (5-10 c per bag) when we bring our own reusable bags. (The city is banning plastic bags in 2013, we'll see what happens then.) Also...I really hate packing my own groceries. I'm not that good at it, I'd rather not do it myself.

I have Ortlieb Roller classics. I pack my groceries in order to get a balanced load but like you I'm not very good either.. I'm actually thinking of getting a trailer so I can simply dump the grocery bags into the trailer.

Good link. Has a video on their "shopper bag" which also shows the convenience over a regular pannier.
Thanks for the info. These will go on the Christmas list. Happy shopping!

P.S. Charging for a paper bag? ouch!I take it you've never shopped at an Aldi store then- they charge for every plastic and paper bag (they also make you "rent" a shopping cart for a quarter that you get back if you put the cart where you got it from).

Back on topic, just a little over the initial budget, but the Banjo Brothers Market Panniers (http://www.banjobrothers.com/products/panniers/market-pannier/) combined with the Arkel Retrofit kit (http://www.arkel-od.com/us/all-categories/bicycle-accessories/cam-lock-hook-kit-1.html) may work. That being said, if you got the scratch for the Arkel Shoppers, you might want to consider that route. I remember a pic that tsl posted that had his Shoppers next to his old Nashbar Townies- the Shoppers were freaking huge.

I'd second the vote for the Arkel "shopper" panniers. They're more expensive than what you were looking for, but they're awesome.

- the latch system is super easy to get on and off the rack just by pulling the handle, but when it's on it's not going anywhere
- I actually like the lack of a bottom fastener as it makes it easy to get on and off quickly.
- They hold a ton of stuff, and the expandable draw-close top thing means it can store an 'excess' amount in a pinch or stuff that's taller than the pannier itself (or you can just zip those parts off if you want)
- I also love that they fold flat against the bike when not in use (or in your closet when not on the bike)

Oh man, I want an Xtra bike bad and the Pugsley...I think I covet quite a few of your bikes.

While I'm saving, I'll see if I can find a Carradice dealer around here, so I can see them in person.

I built my own extrabike and it has been such a useful machine for hauling stuff and just riding around... I am quite pleased with the new bags which were very easy to adapt to being panniers and their total capacity is rather immense but not everyone needs this much space.

:D

http://www.ravingbikefiend.com/bikepics/2012winterstretch%20(7).JPG

I can plan ahead to shop on a dry day.

LOL out here that would mean waiting about 6 months until I could buy oatmeal - "dry days" just don't happen between November-mid May. They do sell a rain cover, though. Just seems like one more thing to futz with. The main thing that drives me nuts is that futzing with my load/groceries/lock/etc. often takes longer than the actual ride to the store.

Sunlite has some welded seam rectangular bags.. dry contents..
I just put 1 of my roller Ortliebs
on the checker's belt feed, and the others stay in the cart, and get used, next
when #1 is full enough.

I also have an assortment of the Meyer store's reusable grocery bags

what's a supermarket bagger?

:roflmao2:

Oooh, I like those - though with where I live (rainy PNW) I really need a flap over the top, so maybe I'll save up and go for these: http://www.arkel-od.com/us/all-categories/laptop-bicycle-pannier/utility-basket.html

This bag has a plastic/nylon top that can be zipped in/out and will draw tie to a dime sized opening. Overall I have found them dry through the one florida rainstorm I got stuck in.

How'd we forget kitty litter panniers (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/450489-My-bucket-pannier-build?highlight=kitty+litter+pannier)? They'll keep your stuff dry and protected, but should still confuse the baggers.

Just man up and load up like this fellow.

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Just man up and load up like this fellow.

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I bet that lady plays a mean Jenga game.

what's a supermarket bagger

Ah you have always had servants to go do your shopping.

How'd we forget kitty litter panniers (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/450489-My-bucket-pannier-build?highlight=kitty+litter+pannier)? They'll keep your stuff dry and protected, but should still confuse the baggers.

I can't forget... I have one sitting in my closet right now. It's why I want to dump my old Nashbars.

I can't forget... I have one sitting in my closet right now. It's why I want to dump my old Nashbars.

Do you ever take them into the store with you when you go shopping? I bet you'd get some pretty weird looks then.

Ah you have always had servants to go do your shopping.

we bag our own groceries ... no baggers over here. along with carts that you have to put 1€ in to release, so no parking lot attendants either. i like it better than way ... but I sure was confused the first time :D

we bag our own groceries ... no baggers over here. along with carts that you have to put 1€ in to release, so no parking lot attendants either. i like it better than way ... but I sure was confused the first time :D

They have carts in Germany now? I went with an exchange student from a village near Stuttgart (sp?) to an Albertson's right after she arrived over here, and she said she'd never been in a store with carts, because everyone only bought enough food for 1-2 days, so they only needed hand baskets.

They have carts in Germany now? I went with an exchange student from a village near Stuttgart (sp?) to an Albertson's right after she arrived over here, and she said she'd never been in a store with carts, because everyone only bought enough food for 1-2 days, so they only needed hand baskets.

In the rural areas they have carts. In Stuttgart, they won't have carts. For what it's worth, I've never seen an Albertson's in the US in what would be classified as an urban area over here (like Stuttgart).

My gf or I shop every single day. That way you can save money by seeing what produce/meat/cheese/bread is on sale :D I usually don't have an idea of what I'm cooking until I walk into the market square/shop/supermarket. In Stockholm, I had 4 supermarkets including a cheap LIDL within 100m of where I lived ... that was heaven.

In the rural areas they have carts. In Stuttgart, they won't have carts. For what it's worth, I've never seen an Albertson's in the US in what would be classified as an urban area over here (like Stuttgart).

My gf or I shop every single day. That way you can save money by seeing what produce/meat/cheese/bread is on sale :D I usually don't have an idea of what I'm cooking until I walk into the market square/shop/supermarket. In Stockholm, I had 4 supermarkets including a cheap LIDL within 100m of where I lived ... that was heaven.My wife and I discovered that we tend to save a bit more by me shopping daily or every other day. Not only to take advantage of any in store promotions, but we don't waste near as much food as when we 'stocked up'.

I use baskets. Not waterproof, but it's only 0.8 miles to the store and the grocery bags keep the goods dry enough for that short of a trip. But usually, I don't go to the store when the rain is falling. Baskets are "Basil" brand, "Cardif" model and are pretty large. I know that I can carry at least six wine bottles in each basket. The baskets slip onto the rack and they have foldable handles, just like the shopping baskets in grocery stores. You can lift them off the rack and carry them into the store with you. If you want to make them waterproof, I'm sure a bit of hunting around for some type of dry bag would show up somewhere.

My wife and I discovered that we tend to save a bit more by me shopping daily or every other day. Not only to take advantage of any in store promotions, but we don't waste near as much food as when we 'stocked up'.

I agree. When I see what my parents have back in the US ... I think it's nuts.

I do stock on regional stuff though. I brought back 35lbs of potatoes, 30lbs of peppers and 30 bottles of Hungarian sparkling wine from Hungary. I try to make a monthly trip to France for certain regional cheeses/wines. I also always buys some parm and horse-based salami when in Italy.

But, for the basics, I don't like to "stock up."

Treasures from Hungary (gf holding a bag of peppers as big as her!):

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But, for the basics, I don't like to "stock up."

Perhaps it is because of growing up in Florida (Hurricanes), but I always like to keep a stocked pantry of non-perishable foods. I will shop twice a week for groceries for that week, but I could go several months without grocery runs if something like a hurricane shutdown the stores. While I have never needed to go that long, I have been in areas where it took four or five days for food to become available in the stores after a storm.

I use ortleib classic rollers when grocery shopping (and pretty much everything else). They've stunned, amused and stymied grocery clerks since I bought them last spring but they do hold quite a few groceries. Then, the clerks are amazed and say how impressed they are with my cycling to get groceries. But I've packed my own groceries each and every time because I'd rather not have bread squished at the bottom with cans of tomatoes piled on top or meat dripping on fruit. It's like grocery packing is a lost art form.

Ask for plastic at checkout, and load it yourself.

Do you ever take them into the store with you when you go shopping? I bet you'd get some pretty weird looks then.

I have and I do all the time... not just at the store. :)

I use ortleib classic rollers when grocery shopping (and pretty much everything else). They've stunned, amused and stymied grocery clerks since I bought them last spring but they do hold quite a few groceries. Then, the clerks are amazed and say how impressed they are with my cycling to get groceries. But I've packed my own groceries each and every time because I'd rather not have bread squished at the bottom with cans of tomatoes piled on top or meat dripping on fruit. It's like grocery packing is a lost art form.Pretty much. When one of the local chain stores has their '12 hour sale' about every 6 weeks on a Saturday, we go stock up then- but only the sale items, as their regular prices are a bit steep. Never fails that we unload the cart and group all of the refrigerated/frozen stuff together but doesn't end up in the bags that way.

Ask for plastic at checkout, and load it yourself.

A plastic bag ban has been passed in Eugene, and will go into effect in 2013. Besides, then I don't get my .20 for bringing my own bags, and I'm a miser.


Pretty much. When one of the local chain stores has their '12 hour sale' about every 6 weeks on a Saturday, we go stock up then- but only the sale items, as their regular prices are a bit steep. Never fails that we unload the cart and group all of the refrigerated/frozen stuff together but doesn't end up in the bags that way.

Yeah - I put one pannier on the belt, then the food that should go in that pannier...then the other pannier on the belt and the food that should go in that one. And despite me saying "I'm on a bicycle, please put everything in the bags," something (like a gallon of milk or lately a jug of Liquid Plumr) ends up just getting put in the cart outside of the bag. You'd think here in the cycling mecca that is Eugene (and even in rainy weather it's hard to find a spot at the bike racks) they'd wise up about it.

When I lived out on the coast, there was one checker in the grocery store across the highway from my apartment (too close to ride my bicycle) who was like a freakin' wizard at grocery packing. I was constantly amazed at what she could fit into my tote bags. I miss her. :(

<snip>
When I lived out on the coast, there was one checker in the grocery store across the highway from my apartment (too close to ride my bicycle) who was like a freakin' wizard at grocery packing. I was constantly amazed at what she could fit into my tote bags. I miss her. :(Think maybe she was a contender (http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2012/feb/14/nations-best-baggers-go-grocery-glory/)?

I have Nashbar Townie bags on all of my bikes (except my '87 Cannondale Criterium, and the '76 Torpado, which have no brackets for a rear rack). They fold up when not in use, detach and attach quickly, have handles to carry them into the store with, and when empty, weigh next to nothing. They hold a goodly amount of groceries.


My bikes:

82 Schwinn Sidewinder (bought new...)
94 Specialized Crossroads (bought new...)
89 Specialized Rockhopper
76 Torpado (all Campy)
87 Cannondale Criterium
63 Schwinn Varsity (I am the only owner it's ever had....)