...and do you have any recommendations for style, brand, etc.? How about a good, online resource for them? Thanks

Panyay. Jannd makes a good pannier as does Arkel.

Being Canadian, I pronounce it PAN-EE-EH, with a big emphasis on the EH, eh! Seriously, I use a Delta rack and Pannier, and they work very well. Much more sturdy than other models. Attaches to the seat post.

depends on how much gear you want to carry and what type of weather. my office mate (who commutes 2-3 days a week by bike and tours) used ortlieb classic rollers, which are waterproof (to the point that you can fill them up with water and carry it if you really wanted to) that he got for touring, he uses the front bags (smaller) hung on his rear rack. i'm looking at going that way, but only because i want to start touring soon. for specifically commuting only they might be a bit much. if you are interested check out thetouringstore.com, wayne is a great guy and can answer most questions quickly by email

I have a Jandd Grocery Pannier for my Delta rack and it works great. Fits even better than the Delta brand.

bags

Translate "panniers"/bread baskets from French to English:
ala motorcycling: saddle bags
cycling: rack bags.

Everytime I see the word panniers, I get an image of a young teen with a pink bike and long streamers, a big wicker basket on the handlebars with several plastic flowers sticking way out of the basket.

Jeez, that's really panny, eh?

Or there's the ig'nent American pronunce-eation PAN-EE-ERS

I use Carradice Super-C front panniers for my rear rack and love them. The rear Super-Cs are way too big for my everyday needs.

Thanks for the pink bike with streamers and wicker basket with flowers memory. Although my basket was a plastic wicker -look weave, which matched the flowers better.

Or even better: PAN-EE-UHS

I have a single Novara (REI) rear on a Blackburn Mountain rack. I only have one pannier because, with the wisdom of Solomon, my ex and I each took one in the divorce. I use this setup on every bike - the mountain rack is fine on the road bikes. I don't think the pannier is waterproof but mildly resistant - I just wrap the contents in a garbage bag if it looks like rain or I take the bus.

Best,
e.

I live in America and follow Webster's 11th on matters of pronunciation.

Webster's gives two possible pronunciations for the singular pannier:

Pan-yur or Pan-EAR

The French pronunciation gets no airtime in Webster's.

I would be interested to know what a Canadian English dictionary recommends. It can get unpredictable: I have relatives in Ontario who pronounce both "couch" and "sofa" as "Chesterfield."

As far as pannier style:
A heel cutout prevents catching your heel and allows more forward mounting.
A zip closure cannot be over-filled in an emergency and zips are always a point of failure.
A roll-top is very secure but slower for grabbing stuff.
A flap-top can be over-filled and is quick for grabbing waterproofs.
Mounting systems include old-fashioned hook-and-elastic which are fiddly to use and can bounce off over a big bump. Modern quick-release locking systems are much better.
The material should be quite stiff and tough. Flappy panniers are harder to use and may catch in the spokes. As mentioned the only waterproof material is welded polyester (used in Ortleib bags). Canvas is still quite good. Better quality Cordura works but cheaper nylon will wear out.
You need good stiffening in the back and base, but this need not be heavy. Corrugated plastic is ideal.
Some people like loads of compartments. Others like one main bag with a side pocket.

My fav design is by Carradice.

Isn't that the Indian cheese? (paneer, yum!)

I pronounce it like "PAN-yer", despite being a French-speaker.

Canadian dictionaries tend to follow the British. The Oxford dictionary pronounces it:

Brit. /'paniƏ/
---------
Again Oxford Dictionary gives the etymology:

1954 Jrnl. Canadian Linguistic Assoc. I. I. 16 Chesterfield seems to be in general use throughout Canada, though the usual American sofa is also known and used. Almost everywhere in the United States chesterfields are cigarettes and nothing more.

panier is a french word for baskets thet are hung on either side of a donkey for carrying provisions and is pronouced PAN-EE-EH. With 2 N's it is an english word (Pan-yur or Pan-EAR) for the same thing & also for bicycles and motorbikes. The french word for a bicycle pannier is sacoche, pronounced SACK-OSH.

My touring bike had a Headland Rambler Expedition rack. This evening, I will install a Delta Disc Rack on my mountain bike.

Either way, I have a rapidly-aging set of REI front panniers that I use on the racks. Big enough to handle all of the crap I take to work and the occasional groceries. For the heavy-lift configuration, I whip out the Nashbar grocery-bag panniers and a backpack.

I pronounce it "bike bag".

Seriously, tho, there are lots of good ones available. Personally, out of the ones I've evaluated I like Arkel the best... they're not the cheapest, but are very well designed and the quality is excellent. At present I've got the Briefcase and Bug, and have nothing but good to say about either. I've also got a pair of Utility Baskets on they way.

Hey Landstander

I was looking at replacing my trek pannier with the Arkel Bug.

How is it in rain ? Would i need to get the rain cover if my commute is an hour, or do you think it would hold out the water enough in that time?

Also, does it mount/dismount quickly for you to throw over a shoulder if you need to stop at a store on way home ?

Sorry for all the questions, your the only person whos ever said they had one. How bout writting a mini review

You also say you have a set of the utility baskets on the way. Are you replacing the bug with them?

Since you brought it up,

1. is the heel cutout for non touring bikes but will work with any bike with heel cutout

2. Heavy touring is obvious: a. front panniers, b. rear panniers, c. rack panniers and maybe handlebar bags for those who carry along the kitchen sink.

But what if doing super light, max 1200cubic inches, or light, max 2400 cubic inches.

Do you use:
[ ] front bag only
[ ] rear bag only
[ ] rack bag only
[ ] hard shell aero bags?
[ ] stuff all the goodies inside a tailwind fairing

Which option gives you the best handling and most aero results?

Main Entry: pan·nier
Variant(s): also pan·ier /'pan-y&r, 'pa-nE-&r/
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English panier, from Middle French, from Latin panarium, from panis bread -- more at FOOD
1 : a large container: as a : a basket often carried on the back of an animal or the shoulders of a person b : one of a pair of packs or baskets hung over the rear wheel of a vehicle (as a bicycle)
2 a : one of a pair of hoops formerly used to expand women's skirts at the sides b : an overskirt draped at the sides of a skirt for an effect of fullness

I've always pronounced it "pan-yers".

Used Arkel T42 on a tour that included off-road and considerable rain. I also had a ortleib handlebar bag. The Arkel are pretty, exquisitely made and have compartments that are very handy. They also leak like fiends. If you put the rain covers on (extra cost but you must have them), they are reasonably waterproof but the accessibilty goes down. If you don't want to pay for rain covers then buy something else or drill a hole in them to let the water out. The ortleib bag looks ugly as hell until after three days of toad strangling rains when the only dry thing you own is what was stored within....then ortleib looks positively beautiful. I really used the net storage on the outside of the Arkel (also included on the rain covers). I would never buy bags without that kind of storage....good place for booties, wind shirt, litter and so on.....also useful to dry laundry in dry conditions. I also used a dry sack sold for canoe purposes...it sure was dry but it was really heavy.

It's fairly water resistent, and I've ridden with it twice in light rain without incident (about 20-30 minutes each time). I suspect it would handle an hour of light-to-moderate rain fine, but haven't made any effort to verify this. I can report, however, that the rain cover does an excellent job of keeping everything dry... even during long periods of heavy rain. It also folds nice and flat, so I just keep mine in the inside sleeve so I won't forget it.

After the first few times, I'd say it's taking me less than 10 seconds to mount/unmount the bag from my rack. The shoulder straps are hidden away by velcro flaps, so they're also quite easy to access.

Nah, the utility baskets will be primarily for grocery shopping. Since they're top-loading, and can accomodate a full size grocery bag without major squashage, they just seem better suited to that purpose. For the commute to work, on the other hand, I think the bug will prove to superior.