New Panniers/misadventure
 

I posted this in the how was your commute today thread, but I was wondering if anyone had ever gotten a pannier tangled up in their spokes and how to avoid doing it again? Any tips?

I bought new panniers this weekend. Today was my first ride in this week. I can put all my uniforms in them and my lunch and still have room. I loved them the entire way in and about 3 miles back. I was getting into the 3rd turn lane and suddenly stopped. I mean my back wheel locked up. Of course it was my drive side pannier turn back up between the tire and rack. I picked up the bike and carried it accross 3 or 4 lanes of traffic. I planned to remove the rack, get the pannier out while I waited for a ride. However the tool was in the bag and I was starting to get po'd. So I pushed the bike backward and the bag popped out. Wow too easy. So I gave the wheel a spin. Looked perfect to me. The Blackburn rack was busted, I have had it for 4 or 5 years. I couldnt find any busted spokes. So I thought I would ride a little bit, next thing I knew I had rode back to the Y near my home where I was suppose to meet someone, and my ride had only taken 5 minutes more than usual. I took it out to my favorite shop, they checked it out tightened a coupld of spokes and pronounced it ready to ride. He said the rack has a lifetime warranty and gave me another one, I have alread changed out my old one and will take it back to the shop tomrrow. I have the panniers back on and they do not look like they could get back into the spokes but I lack confidence at this point. BUt man, it could have been so much worse. The rack and the wheel did not cost me a dime, then panniers are scuffed up but look fine. The wrench chagned my brakes while we were shooting the bull. Damn good bike shop by the way. 21 bucks and new brakes.

To avoid this you need a rack with three "legs" where one sticks way to the back, so that it covers your wheel and you need panniers with hard backing or internal frame. That's it.

Bad rack:

http://topeak.com/products/Racks/Exp...larRack_spring

Good rack:

http://topeak.com/products/Racks/Sup...bularRack_disc

Yep

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...ap-woooooooonk

What Adam said. My problem is that when I am out of the seat and accelerating, I swing back and forth. On my V rack, without a full length stiff backing in the pannier or rails on the back of the rack to prevent it, my bag swung into the spokes. I think I have fixed it by putting a stiff panel on the inside of the pannier so the bag can't swing in. Best way is the panniers with a rail in the back or S curve if you can't solve it otherwise.

Gene

Here is a picture of my Tubus Cargo rack...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...x/IMGP3806.jpg

Works great! Made out of steel. No issues whatsoever...

No fender? :eek: :D

Do they make any of those racks as a clamp on to the seat. My bike does not have eyelets?

Been using a Blackburn rack for well over 20 years... and indeed this is my biggest complaint with them... they don't "go back" far enough. I've worked around it as the darn racks are bomb proof otherwise.

I even reinforced my old panniers with an aluminum plate inside years ago (made the things near bomb proof themselves by doing that, as I bolted the hooks into the Al plate).

My son just gave me some new panniers ("the old one's look tired Dad") for my birthday... opps plastic flexy material inside... but they are bigger panniers, with a nice reflective stripe, so I'll keep 'em, rework 'em and maybe get a new rack. The old panniers were wearing out, and the zippers were failing.

I've come to the conclusion that hooks should be bolted (not riveted) to an internal metal (not plastic) backing, zippers should not be load bearing (should close the bag, but not be part of the support), and springs vice bungees are the best simple "hook" means of attachment.

P-clips. Something like this.

Most reasonably priced panniers will have plastic backing. I'm also thinking about reinforcing mine with some aluminum: plates under bolts and some strips to add stiffness along the top edge.

Are these the same http://www.nashbar.com/webapp/wcs/st...0052_143675_-1

Looks like it, except that mine came with some extra rubber strips that actually came in handy, since the clips by themselves were a bit big. However, if I didn't have the rubber strips, I probably would have used hockey tape to build up the diameter of the seat stays.

Would an old tube work for this. I have many of these laying around.

Probably.

I've got that first rack and haven't had any problems yet, even with my panniers mounted as far back as they'll go. The thing is, though, their backs are clean and rigid, they're not very big to begin with, and they stay pretty secure, at least as long as I don't hit any huge bumps.

*edit* Here's my panniers (for now, anyway) -- Trek Basic panniers:
http://store.trekbikes.com/jump.jsp?...th=1%2C2%2C187

Topeak makes side pieces that bolt onto their seatpost-mounted beam racks. I don't have any pics of mine (yup, I've got a regular rack on my commuter and a beam rack for my MTB), but it works pretty well.

[mother/safety nanny mode on]
Stop pedaling like that! You'll break your neck, put an eye out and catch pneumonia! ;)

But really, it's just wasted motion. It's fine for BMX, but mostly unnecessary anywhere else. Plus, you might fling your panniers into your spokes... :D

I've got that first rack and haven't had any problems yet, even with my panniers mounted as far back as they'll go. The thing is, though, their backs are clean and rigid, they're not very big to begin with, and they stay pretty secure, at least as long as I don't hit any huge bumps.[/QUOTE]

I've got the top rack and the Nashbar ATB panniers. Never had a problem with the panniers going into the spokes, they fit on the rack pretty tight.

Same here. Topeak Explorer rack with Trek Interchange panniers. No issues.

I think it's about the pannier mounting and how rigid the pannier back is where it mounts.

Or it is OK for Tour de France. ;)

Seriously, when I have to slow down to cross a street and there is a large rise on the other side, I am out of the seat.

Here is the rack and panniers I have:

http://www.bontrager.com/model/07726

http://www.bontrager.com/model/00327

Don't know that I'd recommend them.

I stand up, too, but I'm really working on not waving around so much. Panniers are a good training aid, so to speak. ;)

Thanks for the tips everybody. I stayed up late working on my bike and overslept yesterday so I had to drive the jeep. Today I rode in. I put the new Blackburn rack on, slid the bags just far enough back so my heels dont hit. I dont see how it could possibly happen again. My Bontranger bags have a hard plastic backing in them. If I am still thinking (worrying) about it next week I will buy a Bontranger or that tubus cargo rack, that thing looks bullet proof and forget about it.

There. Fixed it for you.

For our northern climate and four-season commuting, I like their stainless-steel models. The strength of steel and no rusting in the salt.

http://www.brucew.com/images/wordpre...opped-1024.jpg