Pannier Suggestions
 

Hi i am new to cycling i have a gt traffic 4 and have kitted it out with a few things

i am getting a rack and wanted to look at some suitable panniers, i have looked locally but they all seam to be on the small side, i want them for my weekly food shopping, i need something big enough for around 4/5 shopping/carrier bags worth of food etc and defiantely where i can put 2 litre milk and 1 litre robinsons fruit squash bottle etc

can anyone recommend any thing

i live in UK (England)

thanks

Trade the GT Traffic for a Kona Ute. Or just get a big front basket and a big rear basket.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v693/6talldog/ute.jpg

I am surprised by your answer as its not really a valid answer nor even realistic

I have bought the bike recently and kitted it out with a few things, that bike you show does nothing for me seeing as you are in canada you missed that i wrote in my original question that i live in uk (england) so probably cant get it over here, that bike would cost a fortune over here, baskets are of no use either as I will ride it to work, I am looking for pannier suggestions only!

You could try something like the Altura Arran 16. £26 for a single 16 liter one from Evans (UK). Simple, but does the job. Take two for additional capacity.
Altura dryline has the added benefit of being waterproof. £80 for a pair (so 64 liters capacity) from Wiggle. I have both, and they're both ok. The drylines are a bit sturdier though.

I have two Altura front panniers, I forget the model. Not the waterproof line in any case. Those are probably too small for OP, but the quality is good, so definitely have a look into their larger panniers. I think they have a hook system with some kind of inserts, to accommodate different rack tube diameters. It's OK if you only have one bike, but a pita if you have several racks with differing tubing.

I also have a pair of Ortlieb rear panniers (the classic roller type). Great for all kinds of hauling, because they're really easy to clean, well designed and durable. Carradice products are great too, no experience on their panniers, but I have their saddlebag. The cotton duck + wax treatment has proved completely waterproof so far.

--J

Carradice Super C and Ortleib roller tops both work well for shopping.
You need one single compartment, a heel cutout profile, a locking, quick-release hook such as Rixen and Kaul.
You may want to overload your bags with special offers or bulky items. Flaptop and rolltop closures can be overloaded. Zippers cannot.
You need a rack that is compatible with the mount. In theory the hooks are made for any standard rack BUT there are lots of modern racks which use stupid design features so the hooks dont work.
Overloaded luggage can obscure the rear lamp. The best location is a light bracket at the rear of the rack.
If you have mudguards, then an open racktop is better than a solid top-plate, it is more versatile for lashing bog-roll and other big items.
Alternatively, you could use a trailer.

watch heel clearance
 

Your bike has pretty good chainstay length(17.5 inches), but you should still check heel clearance if you get really big panniers or baskets. Even more important if you have big feet.

If clearance is an issue look for panniers that are big vertically rather than horizontally. You can also add a rack trunk that fits on top of the rack. There are some pretty big ones that have a zip-open expansion.

Actually, the point is valid. If you really want to haul a load, then a proper utility bike like the Ute (which according to this is available on your side of the pond) or Yuba Mundo, Sun Atlas, Surly Big Dummy, Xtracycle...would be the better bet. Or a trailer. However, since you are wanting to work with what you have, then you may have to make some concessions on how much you can carry at one time.

The Ortliebs mentioned earlier make a fine choice. A more budget friendly option would be the Banjo Brothers Market Pannier and this is the link to their E.U. distributor. Something else to consider other than possible heel strike is the weight limit of the rack- so look at that number while shopping (unless you already got one...) and that not all racks are equal.

And as far as baskets not being useful or practical- I ain't buying that one. Some Wald 532 Folders on the rear, possibly a basket up front for lighter, bulkier items can carry some volume. Augment that with a big backpack (rucksack in the Queen's English, I believe) for more capacity.... or get a trailer.

You could buy a child carrier trailer, and attach it when you need it.

I added a rack to my Trek FX. I didn't get pannier yet since the bike is new, funds are low, and I really want to give myself a chance to see exactly what I want regarding panniers. Instead I bought a Bontrager Interchange Grocery Pannier. It's not as fancy as the ones currently on the Bontrager web site. It's fairly large, larger than the panniers at the local shop and works very well. Good luck.

Search for "grocery pannier", you can find them at REI.com (they will ship to UK, but may need to look for a local supplier). These type of panniers are large and typically open (not weather tight). But they have carry straps so you can use them as a bag in the store. They are universal fit so should fit on any rack.

it is not valid to tell someone to dump their bike for another one especially when it is double the price and only for general food shopping as i specified in my original post, besides you have to try the bike out they dont stock such bikes anywhere in my town, they would probably ask me to pay for it up front or at least half of it to even order it in; they would not want to be lumbered with a bike that is a specialised bike and is hard to sell. I bike to work, such such a bike is too long for the racks, it isn't suitable for a bit of shopping and sight seeing.

i dont have anywhere to put such a long bike i haul mine up 2 flight of narrow stairs and leave it in my small bathroom, either way it was a very unhelpful reply from that poster; he didn't consider any of these points. Baskets are no good to me as i have to think about the weather i don't want a front basket just rear panniers, i am new to cycling so i dont want something interfering with my balance up front. but thank you for your input for the pannier suggestions.