I gave my girlfriend my old Performance rack trunk a few months ago. She's liked it, but it'll soon be too small to hold all her stuff. She's starting grad school and will have to carry around a bunch of books and binders both on and off the bike.

I was thinking of getting her the Nashbar Backpack/Pannier hybrid.

On the other hand, I don't think she'd like having all that much weight off-balance on one side of the bike.

What about the Nashbar daytrekker panniers? Are they big enough for books and binders? I like that they can be pulled off the bike and carried around as one unit.

Any other recommendations? There doesn't seem to be a lot of variation in commuting-oriented panniers, having looked at a few online stores... A pair of panniers that can be removed from the bike as one unit would be really nice, as would a shoulder strap.

I've used the big nashbar waterproof panniers for quite a while now with a great deal of success. Plenty of room for all the books and completely waterproof too. Got them on sale for something crazy like $35. No real signs of wear yet either and I use one every time I ride.

Check out the links below. It basically boils down to Nashbar Backpack bad, Arkel Bug good.

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...shbar+backpack
https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...shbar+backpack
https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...shbar+backpack

I use the Jandd Commuter (I think that's the right name) and I really like it. I use only one so it does create a minor imbalance, but I never notice. The bag is nice since with the rain cover zipped inside the bag looks like and can be carried like a soft side briefcase. It has a shoulder strap and regular handles. It will also carry a remarkable amount of stuff.

I like Detours Transit bags. Relatively cheap at $60 and they seem to be well built. I don't know how waterproof they are since, here in dry Colorado, I haven't had much chance to check them for leaks

The Nashbar pannier/backpack seems like a good idea, but it will just end up getting wet and dirty and she won't want to shoulder it. Plus, it's gigantic.

What I do since I take a business type messenger bag to/from work each day is put it in one of my panniers. I know, bag within a bag, but I don't want to shoulder it to work. Also in this main compartment is my rain jacket and a pump. The other pannier holds my clothes all carefully rolled up and placed in an Eagle Creek Pack-It Sac which is in itself highly water resistant if I needed it. This pannier also holds my Nissan thermos/mug, and lunch and sometimes a u-lock.

The panniers I have currently are the REI Novara Keystone. They are overpriced at $134, but I found last year's blue/black ones on sale for $62 so I snagged them. They are plenty large for anything I put in them and room for much more. Durability seems fine so far (only a few months), but the nylon fabric is pretty thin. My wife has the Performance Trans-It Epics which we got for less than $40 last year. The fabric on these seems better and they hold lots of stuff too. We have had no problems with either and commute virtually every day.

Whichever ones you get, I have one suggestion. Get the type like we have that have a flap that clips over the main compartment, not a zipper. The zippers really stress when the bags are full.

If your GF needs panniers for a heavy load of books then look for ones with:
Tough material
Quick-release, locking clips (not hook and elastic)
Good stiffening material on side and base.
Flap cover, not zips.
An external pocket
Some reflective material.
Very few panniers are waterproof and they are all made from welded polyester, NOT stiched nylon.

You can also consider using some kind of basket for stowing a more traditional shoulder bag.

Thanks everybody! Those Nashbar rear waterproof panniers sound ideal if they ever get more in stock I will take the advice and stay away from the backpack/pannier, and look for tough construction.

I have the Nashbar Daytrekkers. They're cheap, but reasonably well-made. One thing to note, though, is that they are SMALL. Really, there's enough room for lunch and snacks in one pannier and tools plus t-shirt, socks and shorts in the other.


They work well for me, but I have the luxury of stowing my suits/shirts/ties/toiletries in my office and showering down the hall. They definately are not appropriate for any type of touring (hence their name) or even grocery runs, for that matter. If I had to do it again, I would've gotten a larger set of panniers and used them for commuting plus the aforementioned grocery runs and tours...

Dan

I have the Arkel Bug. Expensive, but worth it for everyday use. Using 1 pannier doesn't mess with balance at all while riding, only sometimes when pushing the bike.

Has anybody used the 40 Liter Waterproof Panniers (= 2440 cubic inches) from St John St Cycles in Britain?

Only 16 pounds for a pair!!! Comes out to less than US$40 shipped. Seems like an awesome deal, wondering if anyone can recommend them...

The Nashbar Waterproof panniers are a good value when they're on sale--I have the small and large ones for commuting and they do the job (they are actually waterproof!).

There are 3 negatives to these bags, however:

1) You're going to have heel strike on those large bags if you have a shortish rack. I have a touring bike with long chainstays and size 10 feet and they scraped. Finally bought a Jandd rack and I'm happy.

2) The internal panel is flimsy and the large bags will bend into your spokes if your rack doesn't have pannier "sweepback" supports.

3) The velco "locking" tabs to prevent the bag from flying off the rack don't inspire confidence.

(But what do expect for $35/$45?)

PS--I bought some Axiom Champlain and La Salle panniers for an upcoming tour and couldn't be happier. Very well made for the price. They snap together and even come with shoulder straps.
https://www.axiomgear.com/bags_panniers/lasalle.php

I often use the Arkel Utility basket for groceries. The heavy offset load is not a problem when riding and only occasionally a problem when walking the bike.
The Arkel Bug looks like a nice commuter back pack. I use a messanger bag on my commute but if I had to haul heavy loads and carry it around campus the Bug Is what I'd use.

Craig

I use Carradice Super-C panniers, and love them. Took them on a tour of the California coast last winter when we had a serious of four sever storms. They are cotton duck, so are very sturdy, and I just waterproof them once a year, using the same stuff you would use for an oilskin jacket. So far I have had nothing inside get wet, and I ride in fairly wet environments. They are also not all that heavy and carry a good amount.

Work well with most rack combinations, and fit very snug with the Tubus rack I have.

Why not the "Hook and Elastic"?
Works great for me... I have a set of 11 year old Kirtland Panniers that have been great, never came off or come loose. They lock in place with a plastic lever. Hook over the rack, and the elastic hook below to the bottom of the rack. I have even seen riders with nothing but the top hooks for commuting. Europe comes to mind for comutes like that.

I use the Topeak MTX rack/trunk combo with stuffed/zipped paniers. I love it. the trunck has the quick track for easy installation and the panniers fold up and are zipped out of the way when not in use.

So far, I love it!!

I've been using this very bag (along with a few other Jandd's bags) for about five years now and they are great. Def another recommendation here for Jandd, the price is worth it. Check out their sale items on their website (www.jandd.com) and you can sometimes find a screamin deal on some really good gear.

I have used the same Kirkland panniers since '84... I have done a lot of repair and some mods, but I loved them... They are really reaching the limit of their life now (can you say patches on patches) Are these folks still around? What about Blackburn? I tried googling and found nothing except comments... no links to manufactures.

Arkel T-42 w/ shoulder strap.

WOW...having a hard time letting go huh? HA HA HA
No they are not around anymore, not sure about Blackburn, I still have one of their Trainers, the wheel with the Magnet.
I have been looking to get my hands on one of these Bugs from Arkel, there is one up North, I might travel up to see if it will work on my bike with my big FEET!

Here is what my Kirtlands look like: https://www.bikeforums.net/attachment...chmentid=34771

I'll have to take a pic. The nice thing about the Kirtlands was all the smaller outside pockets. A lot of smaller panniers today are one large pocket. Even the T-42 from Arkel is basically a single large pocket with some other larger pockets. (The T-54 however looks quite ingenious and very well tour designed).

For commuting, the Kirtlands with a bunch of smaller outside pockets and one large pocket were like pants... I would keep regular items in the pockets for ease of use. The current trend (which is great for touring) is to close everything in onto the main pocket. This style works well for pack once, then unpack at the end of the day kind of traveling. IE, touring.

However, this type of design is rather inconvenient for daily commuting where one makes stops at different places, and needs to access locks, keys, wallet, loose change, cell phone, id cards, gate or garage remotes, etc. Small outside pockets work well for this, just as pants pockets or purses hold small groups of items for daily use.

I want a set of commuter panniers that is like a students backpack... lots of easy access pockets for daily organized use.

Anybody have any recommendations for this?