srestrepo

Hello all.
Just purchased a new bike that I plan to use for commuting. 2016 gt grade sora. I've been riding it to and from work, home and school.

I have fenders on the way for the bike but now I would like a rack and panniers to transport my clothing and other atuff. I use a top loading backpack currently and I'm not enjoying how sweaty my back gets as well as the unpacking and repacking of my clothes shoes and toiletries.

Does anyone have any recommendations for panniers that may be top loading with a wide opening or panniers like some of the Arkel models (T-28 specifically) that are side or front loading that open up completely?

Also a rack recommendation for my bike would be awesome as well.

Thanks

Papa Tom

I'm not sure what you mean by "open up completely," but my rack/bag combo is the Topeak MTX DXP with the Topeak Explorer Rack.

Bag: https://www.topeak.com/global/en/pro...x-trunkbag-dxp

Rack (Non-Disc Brake Version) : https://www.topeak.com/global/en/pro...orer-(non-disc)

The rack has a unique track with a quick-release mechanism that grabs the bag and snaps it in place for a secure ride. When you arrive at your destination, you just slide the bag right off and take it to your office or other work area.

The bag can be used as a top-loading trunk bag, but its coolest feature is that it has two fold-out panniers that can be used to carry your clothing.

This is not the best MADE bag out there, and it isn't totally water-proof, but I find it's the most convenient for me, mostly a fair weather commuter. Expect to see HUNDREDS of different recommendations after mine...

srestrepo

Hey thanks for the recommendation. I've looked at that rack and trunk setup and I thought it was pretty cool. I'll have to look again. But, how long have you had it? And How is it holding up to your use (how often do you commute and whatnot)

When I meant it open up all the way, I was looking at these panniers. https://www.arkel-od.com/en/t-28-lit...-panniers.html

Basically I get to work, hop off my bike, take pannier off of rack walk in and lay the pannier down on a bench and open it so if it's laying down, I can see my clothes, shoes, toiletries, etc. as opposed to digging through and pulling stuff out from the bottom to get at it or like if my baby wipes are at the bottom of the bag I gotta dig all the stuff out before I can see it...

I hope that explanation made more sense.

2 Piece

I like my Axiom panniers and rack. They are top opening and top loaders. I prefer the top opening/ loading panniers for commuting and utility riding. My wife and I have had them for 6+ years without any problems. I have also had some Ortlieb rollers and they were very nice and I am sure they would last a long time, however, they were a good bit heavier, and they just seemed to be a bit much for commuting and utility cycling. If I were going on a world tour I would probably get another pair of Ortliebs. I also have a pair of Louis Garneau panniers and they are side (suitcase style) loading. I do not like them for commuting but they do work well for small 4-5 day touring activities.
I personally do not like the "trunk" style panniers that have the smaller pannier bags that fold down. They set to high on the bicycle and can effect the "top heavy balance" of the bicycle. Proper panniers will hold more than the trunk style panniers and they hold the weight lower and help stabilize the bicycle. All of my panniers have shoulder straps so I can carry them with me if I need to.
The Ortliebs are probably the best built, and rain resistant, but they are also heavier. The Axiom's are probably second best but they are a good bit lighter, not as rain resistant, I put my things that could be damaged by rain inside water resistant plastic bags. This will keep those items safe from water, help me organize my panniers and keeps my overall weight down. The Louis Garneau panniers come with a built in rain cover and they have been effective the few times I have had to use them.
Hope that helps! Its always fun to shop for bicycle items!

danmyersmn

you can pick up a heck of a deal on some Ortlieb Backrollers and an Ortlieb branded Tubus rack here: Ortlieb average savings of 48% at Sierra Trading Post

noglider 

I've seen a lot of people saying that they wish they had bought Ortlieb panniers in the first place. So I bought a pair, the least expensive available at the time. I've been using them for a two or three years now. I made the right choice. They are holding up well, and they work well. I do not wish I had bought a fancier model. These have only one compartment, but I make that work for me, using lightweight bags inside to separate stuff. The roll top keeps water out absolutely. The mounting and dismounting system is brilliant.

srestrepo

do you find yourself pulling these off the bike daily or is this more of a permanently attached and you take the contents, leave the pannier kind of set up?

i'm thinking if i find an ortlieb with a shoulder strap for a good price (like the sierra trading post sale mentioned above) i'll end up going with that.

follow up question is, are all racks created equal or are there characteristics of a good rack versus a not so good one for commuting that i should look for?

again, thanks for all the suggestions.

noglider 

Yes, I remove my panniers every night at home. I'm using a front rack, which makes packing the bags tricky while on the bike. I don't lock my bike up outside, and if I did, I would certainly bring the bags with me. The removal method involves just lifting with the handle, so they come off instantly. If you align everything properly, and if there is enough weight in the bag, the method of installing it is by dropping it onto the rack, so it's about as quick as removal.

I don't know much about racks. They have new rear racks which hold panniers very far back, and that prevents your heels from scraping the bags, and that's a nice thing. This is a problem only on some bikes and with some bags and some feet, so you may be best off rack shopping at your local bike shop.

pdlamb

The Ortlieb bags have a nice handle; as Tom notes, you pick them up off the rack and carry them. I use one for daily commute (holds clothes in one bag, belt, and pocket contents in a zip-lock), and the second of the pair to carry shoes in/out on Monday/Friday.

There are some racks that have reinforcements (?) under the top bars. These look like flashing, except they're thicker and sturdier. Avoid those if possible, because they'll limit the panniers or rack bags you can easily use with them.

Papa Tom

Looks like the Ortlieb faction has won again! They look like really good bags, but srestrepo, I assume you are young and broke if you are in school. Can you afford them?

I never liked the one-compartment aspect of Ortliebs. I prefer several compartments in my bag, which is why I will plug the Topeak system once again. i know I'm gonna lose, though...

srestrepo

Hey Papa Tom, my story is as follows if you're interested. I worked for an insurance company and when my wife got pregnant and we couldn't afford life on a single customer service income, we sacrificed our savings so I could get my license and be a full time truck driver. We used those three years that I worked as a driver as another sacrifice - giving up our family time for income - so that we could afford for my wife to stay home with the kids and get her masters degree and begin her career. Now we're in the stages of, I'm back at the insurance company because my wife is doing well but it's my turn to get my degree and continue our forward progress. I maintain [as much as I can) both a full time insurance job, part time truck driver, take three full courses at a local commuting college and make time for my hobbies, after I make time for my wife and kids. I'm 31 and grateful as can be for where I am in life.

Life is very busy for us but luckily I'm fortunate enough to be able to afford to choose the things that I like, within reason. I tend to do lots of research and reviewing.

For what it's worth, Nogliders posts have always been helpful both on my own questions and in other threads he's posted in which piqued my interest but you papa Tom make a convincing argument for the topeak stuff although, I think you might get edged out by axiom or ortlieb panniers...

I'm in the market for a rack too and will look to see if I can source some of those racks that place the panniers further back. I have size 12 feet and this bike doesn't have super long chain stays.

Papa Tom

Yes, noglider is one of the people I trust, too. I did not mean to offend you in any way with my "school = broke" comment. I just thought you might be a 19-20-year-old college student with a job at Chipotle and here we were suggesting that you spend a week's salary on top-of-the-line panniers.

As a bike commuter and occasional bike tourist, I've been tempted by the folks here at Bike Forums in the past to look at Ortliebs. Several times, I went to a bike shop to check them out and, yes, they are made very well, but NO, they do not serve my purpose for carrying the types of items I need to carry back and forth to work. If I were touring for weeks at a time and just needed to stuff a whole bunch of clothes into a bag to keep them clean and dry, the Ortliebs might make more sense. But I need compartments for my phone, my mp3 player, my wallet, my railroad bike pass, my house keys, my office keys, my work shirt, and all sorts of stuff. I'd go CRAZY having to fish around a giant Ortlieb every time I needed to grab one of those quickly.

The construction of the Topeak bag is a little shabby. Its zippers are not of the highest quality, and the material used to make the fold-out panniers is a little thin. But the configuration of the entire system is perfect for my commute - and maybe yours. I would just avoid trying to find "the best" bag and rack and focus more on finding "the right" bag and rack for your own specific needs.

Archwhorides 

I've commuted with the Ortlieb Large Office pannier for four years, everyday year-around in Boston. Roller-top, water-proof in any deluge, bomber construction, with pockets for laptop, papers, business cards, pens, keys, you name it. (The penalty is a heavier weight, but I weigh 255...). I've used this with a Tubus Fly rack in stainless steel and the setup has survived everything, including some nasty collisions.

Papa Tom

Actually, that looks pretty cool. I've never seen or heard of that model. But where do you pack your clothing so it doesn't get all scrunched up?

InTheRain

I've been commuting with a tubus cargo rack and ortlieb panniers for 9+ years now. Excellent products. I have my original rack and panniers. I looked at some ortlieb panniers earlier this week. They seem to have a lot more models and selection than when I bought mine. I don't know exactly what is available... but as for the quality of ortlieb and tubus products... A+++.

gregjones

Be aware that Axiom sells racks that do not work with their own bags. The Journey Adjustable rear rack will not pair with their Seymour panniers. I found out the hard/expensive way.

All racks the same?? Of the half dozen racks that I used, I found out that there is Tubus, Jandd and the rest. The only reason that I'm not using a rear Jandd Expedition rack now is that I have a 26" bike and the Tubus Cargo Evo is available for 26" vs 700cc and carries the load lower. I still have the Jandd in the closet....just in case. Jandd did have some sales samples available on their site in the clearance section for about $70, regular price is just under $120.

RubeRad

+1 I have NEVER heard anybody say they regret paying the price of Ortliebs. If I ever upgrade from my kittier, it will be Ortlieb, and that will last the rest of my life. I would think that both of those, however, would involve digging around the bottom to get things out.

pdlamb

All those are the kinds of things I put into a "pocket contents" ziplock bag. It's rarely a problem finding that. I'd go crazy trying to remember which zipper had my house keys, which one had my wallet, etc. How many zippers can you go through before a ringing phone goes to voice mail?

Actually, I might make an exception for the railroad pass and put it in the inner pocket -- if I had a railroad to ride.

Kapusta

Since you are looking at Arkel, I just want to say that I've been using two of their bags for the past 7 or so years (the Shopper, and Metro), and they are awesome. Very high quality, thoughtfully designed for their intended purposes, and the attachment system (which I think may be similar to Ortlieb) is ridiculously easy to use and robust. It works pretty much like what has been described in this thread for Ortlieb. Install and remove one handed. And you don't need to use a strap on the bottom of these to secure them. One of mine came with a bungee hook for the bottom but I took it off. You just don't need it.

Another feature they both have is that when you have them off the bike and are carrying them like a shoulder bag, there is a flap that easily secures over the mounting brackets so they don't poke you in the side or get caught on things.

Not trying to knock the Ortliebs, just want to let you know that the Arkels are rock solid as well, and have an equally convenient attachment system.

Archwhorides 

The large center compartment is where clothes go, here is a picture of the bag interior from somewhere on the WWW:

noglider 

Hey, I did not mean to imply in any way that if you don't get what I like, you'll be ruining your life. If you look at the Ortlieb and decide it's not for you, who am I to say? If you find something that suits you well, then great. I'm jes' sayin', Ortliebs aren't overpriced according to their customers. This kind of thing really is a small deal in the big picture of life. Buy what you need and like.

I think these are things that might be worth paying the premium that comes with handling things in a shop and listening to any advice the salesperson offers. You can buy in more confidence and get something that's right for you.

alan s 

I use Ortleib roller panniers for touring and Topeak DXP for commuting. I usually don't carry enough to fill a single pannier for commuting, and the Topeak is flexible in capacity, plus much less windage than a pannier. I like to ride fast commuting, and my route is usually windy. You can get a rain cover for the Topeak bag, whereas the Ortleib bags are waterproof. Either way is fine, but I really like the Topeak design. And as far as durability is concerned, I've been using both for years without any problems. The Topeak get more use than the Ortleibs, and it is holding up fine.

NormanF

Basil Cote D'Azure panniers. I use them for grocery hauling.

Well-made from a respected Dutch manufacturer. Less pricey than the German-made Ortliebs with plenty of room.

Papa Tom

Neat, ArchWhoRides.

That bag, if it had fold-out panniers, would probably work for me.

I am happy with the Topeaks, but from now on, I will be a little more open-minded when someone mentions Ortliebs for commuting.

john_mct

I killed an ortlieb pannier on a two month coast to coast US trip...maybe I didn't baby them enough but from what I read they shouldn't need to be babied. One of the clips broke removing the bag early in the trip and I was forced to strap the bag to the rack but the resulting rattling unscrewed one of the bottom screws which then allowed the bag to flop around a lot. Finally just gorilla taped horizontally around the whole bag to the rack. One low speed crash put a hole in the bottom rendering it non-waterproof... Returned for full refund to REI at the end of the trip...

Not saying they're crap but I surely wouldn't expect a lifetime out of them unless all your roads are smooth as glass and you never crash...