Commuting - tennis racquet inside pannier?

I need to figure out how to carry my tennis racquet and assorted tennis gear safely on my Bianchi Volpe. I've got a Blackburn Expedition 1 rack. I want to buy a single pannier that can close witha tennis racquet handle sticking out the top if possible.

I would also use this pannier for the everyday commute and for knocking around town on errands. I like the Arkel utility basket (at www.bicyclebags.com) but I wonder if anyone knows if this pannier would work with the tennis racquet onboard?

Anyone have suggestions on how to transport tennis racquet inside pannier? Preferred panniers?

Thanks.

That would be no problem for my Carradice bag. The canvas material is expecially good at resisting abrasion from hard and sharp objects.

I quite often carry badminton and squash rackets in my Carradice and Karrimor panniers.

Flash,
I own an Arkel Utility Basket Pannier and love it! It is great for daily commuting, able to carry enough clothes for a week. Basically, just a great big bag designed to haul plenty of stuff. Great for commuting and errands. I assure you that a tennis racket would easily fit with the handle sticking out slightly. The "neck" extends several inches above the top of the bag allowing expansion for oversized loads and closes with a bungee cord drawstring. There is a flap with plastic quick release buckle closure to further secure the load when the neck is not extended. The external compression lacing quickly snugs up to keep the load from shifting around. Arkel's suspension system gets the bag on and off literally in seconds, like 3 seconds! The heavy cordura fabric is extremely tough. The fabric itself is waterproof, but the seams are not sealed and the bag is not considered waterproof. I keep some plastic bags in the bottom in case I need to protect anything. You can also get rain covers from Arkel.

My only complaint about the UBP is that they only come for use on the left side! I would love to have a second for the right side sometime.

I also have a Carradice SQR "Slim" that I use on light days. Because it attaches to a quick release mount on the seatpost I can use it even on days when I want to take my road bike rather than my fully loaded commuter. A tennis racket and gear would probably fit in this bag with the handle sticking out to the rear though I'm not sure if there would be room for shoes in addition to everything else. The UBP will swallow all of it with room to spare.
Regards,
Raymond

Originally posted by RainmanP
Flash,
I own an Arkel Utility Basket Pannier and love it! ...

My only complaint about the UBP is that they only come for use on the left side! I would love to have a second for the right side sometime. .....



I have never seen the Utility Basket except on the web, but I have seen the Samurai (XM-40, I think), which are their "mountain-bike panniers", and these would work well for commuting, shopping, tennis, etc. The price is twice, but you get two panniers.

One question to Raymond:
Have you tried the Utility Basket Pannier on the right? I know it would hook on OK and I know you wouldn't have the reflective bands showing, but would the shape fit OK or would your heels hit the pannier?

Regards,

Michel,
I did try it on the right. The suspension on the UBP is set at an angle to tilt the bottom of the pannier back in order to provide as much heel clearance as possible. Hanging it on the right throws the bottom of the bag forward. The bag itself is symmetrical so I guess one could relocate the suspension and make the bag usable on the right side. Hmm.

By the way, the Samurai looks like a very good bag, but it works a little differently from a normal pannier. The Samurai is basically a two part system. A separate waterproof inner bag and an outer shell of plastic that wraps around the inner bag like an envelope; the four corners fold in to surround and protect the inner bag. I would definitely call Arkel and talk to Serge about whether the setup is such that a tennis racket handle could stick out the top somehow. The entire racket definitely would not fit inside since the Samurai is a medium size pannier.
FWIW,
Raymond