RainmanP

Newbie here, though this message may earn my my Gold Junior Member Star. Or is it the sixth one?
Anyway has anyone used one of the Arkel Utility Basket panniers. I am thinking of getting one, primarily for commuting and errand-running. I don't foresee any serious touring (like overnight) in my immediate future, so "real" panniers are probably overkill. The utility basket pannier seems big enough for what I need. Any thoughts/comments?
Regards,
Raymond

DavidARayJaxNC

Sounds good, are there any thoughts? I might be interested in one. This was 6 years ago, did they ever work for anyone?

GreenBear

I got my Arkel Utility Baskets back in 2004. I do like them very much. They hold alot.

I noticed they have redesigned them since I bought mine. They now have a cinch/buckle type arrangement to compress them which is in my opinion probably an improvement over mine, at least for general purposes.

Mine are made with a draw cord type cinching arrangement which laces up the sides, and snugs the bag against the contents. With mine you have to be careful that the excess cord is under control cord and tucked away or it may flop around and possibly get tangled in the wheel etc. This is not an issue when they are loaded up, as the slack is taken up by the fullness of the load. It's when they are empty that it becomes an issue. Its quite manageable, just requires the brains to be turned on is all. The newer version I believe would eliminate this issue.

I also have the Arkel Trunk Bag, which I love.

I have not seen any of their other Panniers etc in person, but the ones mentioned above that I have purchased are very well designed and very well made.

They are not inexpensive.

Best Wishes
Green Bear

Critterpace

I bought two so I could do my grocery shopping. I like them, although I'm not using them quite as much as I originally thought. That's due to my own laziness, not the design of the bags.

ryanparrish

I am planning on doing a week tour with two arkel UB's what I found works great is putting all your crap in a ziplock big bag and then you can pull it out of the UB with out disconnecting it. I have even hauled a small tower pc within my arkel ounce so these things do hold like a mutha

BigBlueToe

I just looked at the Arkel Utility Baskets online. My first reaction is that they're rectangular, which might cause problems with your heels hitting them. I have size 14 feet. This is a consideration for me. It might not be for you.

cruentus

Arkel redesigned their Utility Baskets for 2007. This new model has a removable internal frame to keep them square. I have the older model, and I love them. You wanna talk about solid? I once hauled a pair of Cadillac Seville brake rotors in my Arkel Utility bag with no problem. If any of you have ever worked on cars, I know you are impressed at this point.

arctos

My size 14 feet have worked well with my original Arkel Utility Basket over the last three years. Great for shopping and hauling amazing amounts of heavy stuff. Solid construction , materials and mounting hardware. The 2007 model has an improved [more adjustable ] mounting system. A friend recently bought one after seeing mine in action.