spectastic

is it the mounting system? the durability? waterproof-ness?

rifraf

Bought mine (Roller Classics) for their waterproofness.
Very happy with them and would replace with same if I damaged one.

elcruxio

All of those. And they're just the absolute best for the price. There really isn't a competition even in the higher price brackets (except if you're looking for looks, then GB or Brooks win, but they're not as good as panniers)

TheReal Houdini

yes

jimc101

Vaude come pretty close to Ortlieb in their high end panniers (Aqua), have used a set for the last 6-7 years, and they work well, the mounting system is different to Ortlieb (QL-1), more secure when locked in, but if you forget to lock it down, it will fly off, one thing that Ortliebs won't do; and there is no ability of fitting additional lower mounts, which can be useful if riding off road, to stop the pannier coming out of the lower mount.

chasm54

+1 for Vaude, I've had a set for about ten years now, very useable and robust.

Jim from Boston

what's so great about the ortlieb panniers?

Also the capacity, even expandable to a grocery bag with the roller top open. The reflective patch is also a nice touch.

For those who don’t know what they look like:

imi

Only thing I don't like about them is most models only come in pairs, so if you rip one up you have to buy two.
The two are identical, so it's not like buying a pair of shoes (different left and right)

chefisaac

If you look, you can get them in singles. There is a dealer, I forget his name, but he will sell whatever you need.

chefisaac

I love ortlieb for their construction, ease of use, durability, and waterproofness. I also like the mounting system. I would recommend getting the small little pocket that can be added to one or both of the panniers on the outside. I have them on my commuter bike and they make the world of difference for small things like keys, phone, etc.

I would recommend organizing your panniers (at least for commuting about also applies to touring). For commuting, it has forced me to become more organized on how I pack them. They can act like "an endless purse" if you are not organized.

Scummer

I have two 25 year old Ortlieb Roller which are in daily use for the last two years and were taken on a few trips through France and Spain back when I was a teenager and they still function 100%. I have transported a full load of heavy fruit in them (probably 10 kilos) and nothing broke, ripped or caused any other damage to them.

For me, they are rock solid.

indyfabz

I "grew up" on highly-comparmentalized panniers from Robert Beckman. When someone stole the matching custom racks along with the bike they were attached to I switched to Ortliebs (Sport and Back Packers). My biggest fear was that I would not like the fact that they are made with large compartments with only minimal internal (and in the case of the Back Packers, one external) dividers. Turns out I don't mind it at all. What separation there is inside is enough to keep things organized. I do not feel compelled to use Zip-Loc bags to organize things. The rear external pockets and the easy-open tops of the Packers eliminates the need for a handlebar bag for easy access to items. The handy straps are also a nice touch. Overall I am very happy with my choice and don't feel like I overspent, especially since I bought mine from thetouringstore.com. Great service before and after the sale.

staehpj1

Different strokes. I am sure Ortleibs are nice panniers, but have been pretty happy with inexpensive panniers like Nashbar and Performance house brands.

I think that the old hook and bungee system is plenty adequate and think that some of the higher end mounting systems are overkill. On off/dirt road tours I did use a little strap or a cable tie to keep the hooks in place just in case. When using panniers mine tend to stay on the bike for the whole tour, so quick removal isn't a big deal.

Personal preference, but I do like the one big compartment approach much better than the many pockets approach. I also like the waterproof approach. I find it easier to organize my gear in ziplocs or stuffsacks rather than pockets.

That said I have gotten away from panniers for some trips and gone to using just dry bags. That works quite well for a minimalist camping and packing style. I found that worked quite well for my Southern Tier minimalist camping and cooking style trip and a couple other trips.

tarwheel 

I am very pleased with my Ortlieb Classic Rollers, for all of the reasons listed above. I have both the front and rear panniers. The front ones also fit on my rear rack, and I use them occasionally for commuting as well as touring. If you shop around on line, you can often buy Ortlieb Classic Rollers for very reasonable prices. I also like the fact that they are available in many different colors. I got the yellow ones for visibility in traffic.

Their waterproofness is an important feature for me, as well as the ease of installation and removal. I do not mind having everything in one large compartment, and use stuff sacks and ziplock bags to organize gear if necessary. Another nice feature is that they are very easy to carry when you remove them from your bike, either with their handles or the shoulder straps.

Rob_E

That is it.

I started out with cheap set of Nashbar panniers. They worked, and once I had them it was a real struggle to justify the price of the Ortleibs to replace something that was already doing the job. Thing was, I was always fiddling with Nashbar connection. Every time I mounted them, the first few hours of riding would involve checking them to see if a hook had come off the rail, fixing it, readjusting. Once I had gotten them situated and they hadn't come loose for a few hours, then that meant they were good until I had to take them off. Taking them off was another issue because there was a velcro retaining strap that had to be undone from tire-facing side of the rack, trying to squeeze my fat fingers between through the rack with the pannier attached... There may have been cussing. Then there was the part where I had to make sure everything that needed to be dry had its own bag.

When I first put my Orteibs on to my rack, it was a revelation. It just clicked in to place on the rack, and it wasn't going anywhere. And yet it came off the rack just as easily when I wanted it to. Before I had even used the bags, I knew they were worth the expense. Plus I can just toss my bedding and my tent in without a second, waterproof bag (although I sometimes use a compression sack when I need more, colder weather options).

Durability is good, too, although I never wore out my old pannier set.

I am also trying to go lighter, too. I will likely start strapping my bedding/tent on to the handlebars and forgo the front rack, and I may eventually end up with a frame bag, but for now I just plan on getting a set of front-roller classics and using them on the rear. I can see trying to go completely rackless, but as long as I'm using panniers, I will likely stick with Orteibs.

mm718

I've only used Ortliebs (Classic and Plus models). Great attachment system and the waterproofness has never failed. If you care about weight go for the Plus model. I believe the rear panniers are 7 oz lighter than their Classic counterparts. I also removed the inside pockets (5 oz) and haven't missed them. Do this and leave the shoulder strap at home and you've saved a pound on the rear panniers alone.

Note that the one downside to the Plus model is the color will fade.

Tourist in MSN

Yes, all of the above.

I agree with all the other comments above, so I will add a few other topics:

- Some that live out of their panniers for a long time have complained that since they are water proof and nearly air proof, if you put damp stuff in them in the morning, when you take it out later it can be a bit ripe. I am quite careful to not put damp clothing in them, instead I strap that outside of them, usually under the top strap on a front pannier where I can see it and it can breath.

- Those that want lots of pockets have problems with Ortliebs.

- They are heavy.

- If you use them a long time (months or more), the little inserts that you put in for your rack tubing diameter size can fall out.

- Last summer I met a gal that had been bike touring for seven years without a break. One of her pairs of Ortliebs was seven years old, she specifically said they are the best.

- I recall several months ago reading on this forum that one guy took all his gear out of a pannier, filled it up with water from a garden hose, used that to find the leak in his tube, patched his tube, put his stuff back in the Ortlieb (presumably after draining out the water first) and continued on his way.

antokelly

that is one sweet looking bike and set up i love it.

wahoonc

Ditto...

Aaron

djb

Ya, that was me, a couple of summers ago. My spare tube had been kicking around for so long in my seat bag it had a rub worn unrepairable hole in it, so found an apt building with a tap out back and found the hole in existing tube in when to patch.
After putting all my stuff back in the bag and wondering why the bike was leaning heavily to one side as I ride away wobbly, I then emptied the water and rung out my clothes ;-)

I would add that these were my 20yr old roller pluses, they must be 21 of 22 years old now. At the time they were the only waterproof panniers sold here, a bit expensive for me at the time, maybe 150 bucks, but I loved the waterproofness, the attachment system (have had panniers pop off bikes before) and frankly, the fact that they are still in use by members of my family shows up the old adage of " I'm too poor to buy cheap stuff "

A couple of times over the years I've tried to convince my wife not to buy cheap panniers, but she would never listen and has bought a couple of them because she liked how cute they looked. so it made me laugh last month when I set up an old hybrid for her to commute on anexpensive fork one of these 22 year old ortliebs and then a few days later stated, "these are great panniers! They stay on, I can fit stuff in easily, waterproof..... "

Gotta love north american consumer society attitudes, buying a well made item that you will use regularly is most often better off in the long run, and even short term.

The old ones are quite a bit lighter than recent ones. I'll put up a pannier comparison one day, have been meaning to do so for a while.

fietsbob

Yes all that, Plus the availability of all the mounting Bits and pieces, globally.


anecdotal item:
I got an Early Bike Packer Plus (from Sierra trading post, a discontinued/ overstock buyer),
When when I got My Bike Friday, for its front rack swapped the Upper Hooks with the new one that offers
a couple sizes of rack rail diameter inserts.

[the Original 10mm ones with out the Inserts are a perfect fit on Tubus and Bruce Gordon's racks]

djb

I would add that while I've stuck with ortlieb, there are lots of excellent options out there by vaude, arkel and not bad ones by places like MEC or whatever that make it easier for someone trying touring of commuting to not spend too much.

timdow

+1: Had Performance Bike panniers - lots of fiddling. Ortliebs: No fiddling. Rock solid, long lasting, completely waterproof, decently priced. Easy choice for me.

MileHighMark

Durability, weatherproofness, spare parts availability. I beat the snot out of mine, and they look practically brand-new after a year's use.

BigAura

yes, yes, yes