datsme40

Hello all-

I'm starting to commute and looking for recommendations on panniers/bags. In searching Amazon/etc it's hard to get a sense for size/material/etc, so I thought I'd get your ideas.

I'm not looking for full touring size, but preferring something to handle the commute with:

change of clothes
lunch
laptop (occasionally)

Thanks in advance for any help

DT.

fietsbob

I like a front rack and a pair of small front panniers ..

seam welded type so the seams dont leak ..

Wanderer

I like grocery panniers, because you can put anything in them, and they fold completely flat when empty.

HDavidH

2nd on the grocery panniers. I have the "Breezer" folding aluminum framed panniers from Joe's company. Very nice. Hard working. I have used mine for 6 years now. The canvas is starting to wear a bit but still good to go.

Giant Doofus

You're taking in about the same amount of stuff as I do. I'm using Ortleib classic front rollers. These: Amazon.com: Ortlieb Front Roller Classic Bag - Pair Yellow/Black, One Size: Sports & Outdoors

They are made for a front rack, but they work well on my back rack. I usually only need to bring one of them with me, but occasionally ride with both if I have a lot of stuff to take in.

Edit: I have found them to be absolutely waterproof.

WestMass

I enjoyed the Jandd economy panniers for the last 3 years. Now I have ortliebs so I can be free of my fear of rain ruining my electronics and documents.

NOS88

I really like my Ortlieb Front Roller Classic panniers. They're smaller that the touring model, and while designed for the front, I use them in the back. They really do keep the water out, and have a wide opening top. Last, but not least, the attachment system is one of the best I've seen. It's quick and very secure.

Blue124

I have the Banjo Brother saddle bags. I carry what you want them for and have plenty of room without a lot of bulk.

dude72

i use the carradice bike bureau pannier. works really well and has a lot of space. the bad thing is the cost....

Matariki

I got a set of these for a birthday present and I really like them. They are large enough to carry any stuff I need for commuting and more. They are easy to mount and unmount (with just a bit of practice). They are saddlebags so there are no options to use just one. Price is definitely right.

DogBoy

I have used several. Here are my thoughts, ranked by my choice from favorite to least favorite:

Ortleib bike-packer plus: These are my favorite. I put my clothes on one side, lunch bag in the other, along with my toolkit, spare tube & locks. These are large, and I wouldn't carry them if I didn't have secure bike parking. When I get to the office, I leave one bag on the bike (the one with lunch/locks etc.) and take the one with my clothes along with me. It fits my shirt/pants/towel/toiletries/shoes easily with room to spare.
Pros: Easy on/off even wearing thick gloves; easy to carry; fits all my stuff easily; waterproof.
Cons: I leave one on the bike during day/not viable in non-secure bike parking. The alternative: carry two very large bags, also not desired.

Topeak MTX Trunk Bag: My second favorite bag. The attachment is easy quick and secure, the trunk itself is good for leaving on the bike and carries toiletries, spare tube/tools and locks. The panniers zip out, and give good room for most of my stuff. I can't use my usual lunch cooler with these, and I need to leave my work shoes at work when using this bag. One side is taken up with my clothing, rolled. The other side carries my towel. When I need to carry my laptop, I can leave one side closed, and use my Arkel briefcase on the other. I leave this bag on my surly troll most of the summer for when riding around with the kids. I can put all their stuff in it easily or leave it closed. It does require a topeak specific rack.
Pros: Easy on/off even with thick gloves; can be paired with laptop specific bag when needed, nothing left on the bike during the day
Cons: Requires proprietary rack, not quite large enough to carry all my junk for the day. Not waterproof without separate cover

Arkel briefcase: I only carry my laptop in this bag. It has a lot of room but is VERY large and is prone to heel-strike unless you have a long chainstay (I do). I wouldn't consider this viable as an all-purpose bag, only as a specialty bag, so this is the extent of my review.

Arkel Bug: My bug is several years old and has the old attachment system. Still, I needed something that would hold up in sub-zero temps that I could put on and off the bike easily and this did the trick. No room for lunch or shoes, and I had difficulty keeping the lock in it easily. Use as a backpack is nice, but I found I didn't use it that way much. Not waterproof, but I purchased the cover and never had trouble with water even in heavy rain or when slush was shot all over it with the cover on. I stopped using it when I got the MTX bag since it is not as convenient and I couldn't carry as much.
Pros: Solid quality in all weather
Cons: Backpack usage not that comfortable, not waterproof without cover

Nashbar Garment Bag Pannier: I hate this bag for everyday use, but when I need the jacket or must be sure there are no wrinkles in my clothes, this is the bag I use. I've never used it in rain, and while it looks to be decent enough quality, I'm not sure it would survive daily winter use. It is also huge on the bike, sticking way out the back. The mounting is confusing until you get used to it also. The biggest pro for this bag is price. If you must wear professional attire daily, this is a good bag. Beware that you need to use wire hangers, it's not big enough to handle full sized jacket hangers.

I have tried a few other bags here and there, but these are what I have used regularly for a long time now. Good luck with the search.

datsme40

Thank you all for the input. Great stuff!

I'm going with the ortlieb front roller classic bags to start.

westrid_dad

These should work out well for you. I have the Back Roller Classics that I use for commuting. One pannier carries my (larger) laptop and assorted accessories. The other pannier has my clothing and lunch. If you think you'll be commuting in the dark at any point, you may want consider the new hi-viz line from Ortlieb. I'll be checking it out when I add a front pair for some touring.

View the Front-Roller High Visibility (pair) at https://www.ortliebusa.com

physdl

For anyone using a bus for part of your commute, the Topeak is wonderful for quickly removing from the bike. It slides on/off in a second and is trivial to use, particularly with the provided shoulder strap. It still looks decent for carrying around the office and has been very rugged thus far. I have the DXP version, which holds a change of clothes, shoes, lunch, and a bunch of other items and still has room to spare. The only minor problem is that it requires the Topeak rack, but their racks are also pretty high quality, and I don't have any complaints.

Sixty Fiver

I have been using my MEC panniers for 6-7 years and they have been bulletproof but sadly, they don;t make the same model anymore.

I also have MEC touring bags, Carradice panniers, a Carradice shopper, and a number of our bikes have Carradice seat bags which would carry everything but a laptop... for that purpose I converted a laptop case into a pannier with quick release clips and have a vintage leather briefcase that is also converted to use as a pannier and it carries a ton. It also looks better on some of the vintage bikes I ride and is easy to carry because of it's handle.

fietsbob

Bike Buckets? The Bike Bucket - Bike Buckets

Sixty Fiver

We also have a few of those and some baskets.

We are a utilitarian household.

Rudz

I'm using the ibera rack and quick release trunk bag. The bag is huge. And only comes off when I want it to. It holds my locks, tubes, tools, wipes, and has a lot more room.

For panniers I went with cheap nashbar waterproof panniers, they're great and waterproof. They're giant black holes. I fit my size 13.5 boots in one side and my work stuff, sweater and lunch on the other side

brita

I bought the Vaude Camras pannier (only fits on the left side), because I wanted something nice enough to take into work. You could totally fit brown bagged lunch, a roll-up of jeans/shirts/socks, a laptop and a few other bits and pieces. Its most convenient feature is the release mechanism - it clicks into place, then you just tug on the top carrying handle to release! It comes with a waterproof cover to wrap around it and doesn't have any dangling straps (you'd do well to stuff the shoulder strap into the bag then clip it closed). The only drawback, to me, besides the one-side-only policy is that the stiff plastic backboard that supports it connecting to your bike rack is a literal pain in the butt...back...hip...wherever it bumps you as you're walking, really.

I also use a Sunlite rack pack with panniers. I've successfully transported a six pack of beer (bottles) in the main compartment (which has a plastic liner) and cans in the fold-out panniers. It's not as convenient or urbane as the Camras re: removal and it uses velco-tie downs. It's very handy as a stays-on-bike bag, though.

tarwheel 

I've got a set of Ortlieb front and rear Classic Rollers, and they are great for carrying larger loads. However, for commuting I find that they are overkill most of the time. Why carry tons of gear back and forth to work every day if you don't need to? Most of the time I carry my commute gear in a Carradice Barley seatbag, which holds all that I need 99% of the time. It has room for clothes, lunch, wallet, tools, tire repair stuff, lock, etc. One nice thing about seatbags is that they center the weight near your saddle, so they have little effect on handling and don't create much wind drag. You also can mount them on just about any bike.

WestMass

Today, in one backroller classic I carried....

3 large mugs, a 12oz french press, my lunch bag, 5 pairs of underwear, 5 pairs of socks, 5 undershirts, multitool, ipad, wallet, with room to spare!

I can't even imagine needing both unless I was touring! Or bringing my entire wardrobe home from work.

TXSS

Although it is a it late for he original poster, I will throw in a comment for anyone else looking for suggestions.

About the time this thread was created I ordered the Green Guru pannier from Amazon. The picture on Amazon didn't match the Pannier on he Green Guru website, but I ended up getting the style pictured on the Green Guru site, which is what I was hoping for. It is a good pannier so far. Plenty of space for commuting with clothes, shoes, and a jacket. However, the lower hook that connects to the rack isn't the most secure. It is a hook connected with an adjustable elastic band. This allows the bag to wobble a bit and during one ride it did manage to unhook from one of the top hangers. I'm guessing the lower elastic wasn't tight enough or came loose. I still like the bag. The stitching is good and it appears that it will last a long time. Being able to mount a blinkie on it was a feature I really wanted too. I have it on an Ibera Touring Carrier Plus rack.

the_tool_man

Perhaps my situation is uncommon, but I don't find it necessary to carry more than a change of clothes and my lunch to work. I have access to a shower and a locker, so I keep work shoes and toiletries there. If the weather is wet, I take the car. I bought the Nashbar Deluxe Rack Trunk bag, and am quite pleased:

Amazon.com: Nashbar Deluxe Rack Trunk - BLACK: Sports & Outdoors

It fits any rack, is relatively inexpensive, expandable and versatile. It is not advertised as waterproof, but with a rear fender, the water-resistant bottom seems to be enough to keep puddle splashes out. I've been caught in a thundershower on the way home, from time to time, and not had anything inside get wet.

I don't currently carry a laptop. But if I did, I'd certainly get something larger and waterproof.