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Anyone have Ortlieb and Nashbar Panniers?

Old 03-16-17, 12:30 PM
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Anyone have Ortlieb and Nashbar Panniers?

I bought Nashbar for my first set. I've since added a clip to take care of the only real complaint I had, that they weren't the firmest holding on to the rack (thanks to all that helped with that!). Seems to work fine in trials, but I haven't really taken it out yet.

However, Sierra Trading Post has the Back Roller Classics for $100 (in the funky graphic designs on the side, not the preferred solid colors). I know that in pretty much every way they are better, I'm just wondering if anyone who has had both would plop down the money and just buy the Ortliebs, when they have a functional set? They do also take care of my other complaint, that the Nashbars are a solid black, I could get a more visible Orange.

Also, to anyone that has both, how much space am I really giving up in the Ortlieb to the Nashbar? I know advertised size is about 11L less per side, is that truly an accurate estimate? I have front panniers this time, not sure that this is a concern, but still curious.
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Old 03-16-17, 01:32 PM
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Originally Posted by jefnvk
I'm just wondering if anyone who has had both would plop down the money and just buy the Ortliebs, when they have a functional set?
Your answer might lie in the fact that you posed the question in the first place.

Speaking for myself, a couple decades ago, I lost a pannier that was held to the top of the rack by hooks that didn't wrap around the rail and held to the bottom by elastic bands with hooks on them. This was on a short, steep downhill going down a bluff on the Mississippi River. If you have your current bags locked down, they should be fine. If you can afford the upgrade and plan to use the bags more than occasionally, Ortliebs are a good investment. I don't think that the bottom hook arrangement on Ortlieb's current Back Rollers is nearly as flexible as the bottom hook arrangement on past models, but it should work for most racks. (My Sport Packers and Bike Packers have rails that are shaped like the outline of a football, which gives you more ways to hook onto the bottom and sides of racks. Like this https://www.rei.com/media/product/784043, rather than this https://www.ortlieb.com/wp-content/t...us_detail2.jpg).

The Ortliebs are actually larger than Nashbar's current rear bags (40L vs 37L per pair).

If you sign up for STP's email offers, they send out 25%/free shipping coupons about once a week or so, which would make these bags $75 plus tax.

Last edited by ploeg; 03-16-17 at 01:37 PM.
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Old 03-16-17, 02:18 PM
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I have a set of Ortliebs with those same QL2 hooks. The hooks are fantastic; they wrap completely around the top rail. But the pannier can still be removed easily with one hand pulling up on the carry handle. Amazing!

The Ortlieb hook system still has a couple foibles.
You have to mess with the lower hook in order to find an orientation that is most secure on your rack. But it's easy to adjust.
The upper hooks have different inserts for different rack tubing. In my case, my two bikes have a Nitto and Tubus rack respectively. This means I have to swap out the hook inserts in order to swap the bags to a different bike. And the inserts are a real pain to remove.

At $100 (or even less) for a pair, this seems like a no-brainer--if you can handle the colors/patterns on offer.
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Old 03-16-17, 02:36 PM
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Originally Posted by ploeg
The Ortliebs are actually larger than Nashbar's current rear bags (40L vs 37L per pair).

If you sign up for STP's email offers, they send out 25%/free shipping coupons about once a week or so, which would make these bags $75 plus tax.
Oops, should have mentioned I have the Nashbar waterproof roll tops, which advertise 31L each side, not the regular ones that are 37L per pair.

Thanks for the email info! Signed up for the email a bit earlier, as they were offering free shipping on first purchase, maybe I'll wait and see if anything pops up.

I can afford the investment, especially with 25% off, $75 would make it a no brainer. I could probably sell my Nashbar ones and recoup half that cost. The orange one isn't too bad of a pattern, mostly solid. I'm more letting my inner "I already have something that works" battle with my "I like to buy things I'll use when they are cheap, rather than when I absolutely need them". Wish I had a bit more time in with the old set with the new clips to see if it truly has fixed my issue, had I not already made that conversion it would have been another no-brainer.

Originally Posted by Tim_Iowa
I have a set of Ortliebs with those same QL2 hooks. The hooks are fantastic; they wrap completely around the top rail. But the pannier can still be removed easily with one hand pulling up on the carry handle. Amazing!
I know. The only reason I was even rolling this around in my head was I was playing with a set at REI the other day. It was simply amazed how easy they worked, and then I stumbled on these while looking for the Ortlieb handlebar bag STP also has cheap(er).
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Old 03-16-17, 02:46 PM
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Originally Posted by jefnvk
"I already have something that works"
But do you have four panniers already? If not, then buy these and now you do!

Personally, I run front panniers before rears for touring. The bike handles better. I only use rears if I'm adding them to fronts, or if I'm just using one rear pannier to run errands around town.
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Old 03-16-17, 02:53 PM
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I've used both Ortlieb and Nashbar. I only used the Nashbar front panniers as a trial run with front panniers. I decided I liked front panniers, but was never happy with the Nashbar mounting system. I replaced the Nashbar panniers with Ortlieb after my first long trip using them. I'd had been using the Ortlieb Backroller Classics and was really happy with them, so I stuck with Ortlieb bags for the front.

You will not find the Ortlieb Backroller Classic bags at a better price! I sent my nephew the link to STP last week, hoping he would jump on a couple pairs for him and his wife. It sounds like you are serious about touring, and Ortlieb gear is a good long-term investment.

Our daughters have the model with the new mounting system, and they had no problem mounting them. The bags only look big on the first 3 bikes; 47 cm, 50 cm, and 42 cm frames.


However, I do have to admit we are a little biased toward Ortlieb gear.

Last edited by Doug64; 03-16-17 at 03:07 PM.
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Old 03-16-17, 03:00 PM
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Originally Posted by Tim_Iowa
But do you have four panniers already? If not, then buy these and now you do!
Yes, but not four WATERPROOF ones

Originally Posted by Doug64
However, I do have to admit we are a little biased toward Ortlieb gear.
Nothing wrong with that, shows you believe in what you use! Not going to lie, I can tell the quality difference myself (playing with some Ortliebs at REI on their touring bikes), just debating whether it is enough to justify replacing something that works "well enough", a mantra I hold onto a bit too much sometimes.

Last edited by jefnvk; 03-16-17 at 03:03 PM.
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Old 03-16-17, 03:10 PM
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If you use keycode JWB4604M today, you get 25% off and free shipping over $100.

Speaking for myself, I think that the Ortliebs are plenty big. You want to balance your load, and you want it to be easy to find stuff if you need it. If you need to carry more stuff, you can strap it to the top of the rack or put it into front bags or handlebar bags.
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Old 03-16-17, 04:25 PM
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I've been using some similar Axiom waterproofers, since late last summer, and like them quite a bit. My only real complaint is, I'd like an outside pocket or 2, even if they aren't waterproof. It gets a bit annoying to unroll then reroll the top, every time you want something.
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Old 03-16-17, 04:48 PM
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Originally Posted by ploeg
If you use keycode JWB4604M today, you get 25% off and free shipping over $100.
Damn you! I mean, thank you much, you made the decision too easy

Set of Orange Ortliebs, a waterproof Blackburn handlebar bag, and an aluminum tea mug on the way!

Final kicker was the Ortlieb matched my airlines' free carryon size almost perfectly.
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Old 03-16-17, 05:17 PM
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We know the Oertliebs are from Germany, but are the Nashbar panniers American made?
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Old 03-16-17, 05:45 PM
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Originally Posted by willibrord
We know the Oertliebs are from Germany, but are the Nashbar panniers American made?
The Nashbar panniers I have are made in China.
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Old 03-16-17, 05:53 PM
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Originally Posted by ploeg
If you use keycode JWB4604M today, you get 25% off and free shipping over $100.

Speaking for myself, I think that the Ortliebs are plenty big. You want to balance your load, and you want it to be easy to find stuff if you need it. If you need to carry more stuff, you can strap it to the top of the rack or put it into front bags or handlebar bags.
TYVM. Was eyeing a pair of ortliebs for my touring/off-road build...and was cringing at prices.


Between sale...and discount....$75+S/H+Tax beats $180
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Old 03-16-17, 06:09 PM
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Ortlieb bags are worth the investment. They have a solid warranty, but you'll most likely never need to use it.
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Old 03-16-17, 06:21 PM
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Originally Posted by jefnvk
Damn you! I mean, thank you much, you made the decision too easy

Set of Orange Ortliebs, a waterproof Blackburn handlebar bag, and an aluminum tea mug on the way!

Final kicker was the Ortlieb matched my airlines' free carryon size almost perfectly.
Good call you won't regret the Ortlieb decision
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Old 03-16-17, 06:48 PM
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Originally Posted by willibrord
We know the Oertliebs are from Germany, but are the Nashbar panniers American made?
Originally Posted by Doug64
The Nashbar panniers I have are made in China.
Yeah, I have no doubt my Nashbars aren't American made. Doesn't seem to be any markings that I can see though.

Don't get me wrong, they were great for what they were, and I wouldn't have replaced them for full price Ortliebs, it was just too good to pass up!

Although, now my touring buddy (whom I directed to the deal) is now upset we have matching bags!
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Old 03-16-17, 06:50 PM
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Originally Posted by BigAura
Good call you won't regret the Ortlieb decision
Yeah, the couple minutes I played with them at REI the other day really sunk in their niceness. So smooth! Looking forward to giving them a shot!
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Old 03-16-17, 08:19 PM
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Originally Posted by jefnvk
Yeah, the couple minutes I played with them at REI the other day really sunk in their niceness. So smooth! Looking forward to giving them a shot!
Yep. And knowing that you're a get-out-there-and-tour enthusiast I think you'll enjoy their toughness.
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Old 03-16-17, 10:05 PM
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Originally Posted by BigAura
Yep. And knowing that you're a get-out-there-and-tour enthusiast I think you'll enjoy their toughness.
That's certainly the hope, although I can't quite lay claim to that yet! I'm an adventurer who is having a great time working bikes into the style of trips he already regularly embarked on, fiancee willing it continues for a long time!
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Old 03-22-17, 09:31 PM
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Just a followup, for anyone who may read this in the future: the size difference is kind of what I was expecting, rather negligible, the Nashbar is certainly not 50% bigger. I'm guessing Nashbar advertised a one roll volume...



Also, the orange design one isn't too bad looking!
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Old 03-23-17, 03:39 PM
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Looks good. I missed this thread the first time around, but I also started with some (non-waterproof) Nashbar panniers and struggled with spending all that money on Ortleibs, even though I found a good deal. I had already taken a few trips with the Nashbars and had spent plenty of time fussing with the rack connection, so when the Orteibs finally showed up, and I clicked them right into place and saw that they were on there firmly, I was already happy with my purchase.

Last year I lost all my bike gear in a fire. The very first piece of bike gear I replaced wan my Ortleib panniers. I hope you are finding yours worth the money.
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Old 03-24-17, 07:18 AM
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Ortlieb's are very well constructed. I have a set of the basic front and back rollers and have used them extensively. In particular, the front rollers I have used daily for probably the last five years on my commute to work. Other than some minor scuffing, they are as good as the day I purchased them. No holes, abrassions, etc. One small issue I have had is the prongs on the buckles break ocassionally . However, these is easily solvable by replacing the male part. If you need replacements, here are the ones to buy. 10 - 1" Duraflex Stealth Plastic Buckles. I bought them off Amazon and they are the exact replacement buckle.
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Old 03-28-17, 04:06 AM
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STP coupon code

Originally Posted by ploeg
If you use keycode JWB4604M today, you get 25% off and free shipping over $100.

Speaking for myself, I think that the Ortliebs are plenty big. You want to balance your load, and you want it to be easy to find stuff if you need it. If you need to carry more stuff, you can strap it to the top of the rack or put it into front bags or handlebar bags.
Any chance I can get one of these awesome coupon codes too
I remember STP used to bombard coupon codes every day, have they stopped doing it?
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Old 03-28-17, 10:14 AM
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I got a Close out set of Sport packers from STP, and a set of front and back rollers from The Touring Store.

These were the QL1 top hooks, Allen bolts loosened to move the hooks ..

the bottom hook on the roller bags uses knob , but to get them tight , I used a coin held in a pair of pliers.


On the coast, after crossing the country a couple bikes seen had lost mounting parts ..

so pay attention to screws coming loose.





....
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