ColonelSanders

Hi there folks, I'm looking to get a new rack and a rack top bag and some form of pannier set up, primarily for commuting.

What appears to be a decent system is the Blackburn Interlock Rack and bags, which will allow you to lock down your Rack Top bag and side panniers, if you get select bags from Blackburn.

The rack which locks down your bags with a hinged rack top, doesn't look to be overly strong, but probably strong enough to deter opportunistic thieves.

Are there any other setups/systems that are more secure than what Blackburn provides through their Interlock system?

I know Topeak & Bontrager have racks and compatible rack top bags that allow you to slide them on & off easily and that provides a good method of security, but I don't believe they have anyway of securing any panniers you may have(I say this on the basis of I don't want to have to take my panniers with me all the time, even if I am prepared to do that with the rack top bag.)

MassiveD

They shouldn't be too fancy. Mine are so called MTB panniers, and rather than having bungies to hold them on, they have velcro that is pretty easy to run once you have the hang of it, but it is awkward if you don't. For the most part I don't leave the bike unattended. There is thousands of dollars of stuff there.

I believe that one of the big problems with panniers these days is the panniers. The only reason people can make ridiculous claims, like that bikepacking is lighter (which could be true given the options), is because panniers are so heavy by intent, if not design. Panniers often weigh too much, are too large, too many pockets, double frames, complex attachment systems and so forth. My preference is that panniers are not easily detached, but if you make them that way the whole weight budget balloons and security is lower.

gerryl

Like you, the only system I've ever seen is Blackburn. Looks like if you don't go the Blackburn route you might have to come up with something yourself.

mrv 

the THULE' Pack & Pedal requires a special key to loosen the nylon straps that hold it to what ever you've strapped it to: THULE HOME PAGE

If you lose the key, well, yea, it'll require cutting the nylon straps. Which is exactly how it could get stolen.

In this album are a mess of photos I took to show to Wayne at thetouringstore when I was trying to figure out a good way to attach some Jannd bags. I use it on my front fork.
https://goo.gl/photos/dWY7zbBkWffWgky26
hope this helps!

Raiden

If the bags stay on all the time, you could probably use zip ties here and there to make your bags annoying to remove.

Still doesn't keep people from just unzipping the bag and taking your stuff. And little travel locks all over my pannjers just sounds irritating.and a flag that says 'valuable stuff inside!'. When I'm carrying important stuff, it stays on me (pockets or backpack) and the rest I'm willing to let go of if someone feels the need to take it.

djb

Perhaps because I have grown up in cities, and because you say this is primarily for commuting, I really dont understand the reasoning of not taking your panniers off when going into a store or whatever, to me it is just adding a risk of opportunistic theft or attempted theft (damaging your panniers perhaps) that can be avoided by not leaving them on the bike.
When I purchase things at stores, its always going to faster time wise, and easier, to pack the stuff you buy into your pannier at time of purchase.
In my mind, given that it takes perhaps 3 seconds to put on or take off panniers, I don't really see the downside of taking them with you always.

I guess you just don't want to carry them, so that is your decision, but from what I have seen in pannier systems sold here in Canada, most likely you will have to improvise an effective system to securely attach them, shouldnt be hard to do, but I don't really see the point, as well as the inconvenience associated with it--but its certainly your call.
good luck with coming up with something.

Squeezebox

The webbing handles on my nashbar panniers are close enough together to lock them together. The handlebar bag pulls off easily. Should be able to lock down the trunk bag some way. About the only thing I see about the roll top and drawstring bags is to melt a hole in the strap and another in the loop that holds to top of the buckle in place, then a small luggage lock, easy to defeat that. I bought a 2 L drybag to keep my valuables in, will never leave my sight, even in the shower. I'll make a wrist and a neck strap for it.
I think maybe it comes down to paying close attention to your gear, and realize some small lock will probably not fix the problem. Keep pictures of your stuff on your phone in case you do end up making a police report.
Sammy screamer is a very small motion detector that works off of your smart phone . Some other company make a combo lock motion detector thing. Doberman something???

alan s 

Topeak has a great feature to keep your bag from being stolen. With the compatible rack, it removes easily so you can carry it with you. However, the absolute best rack would be this:

fietsbob

Bike Buckets can be bolted on the rack, ... any one.

Wald rack Basket combinations are not what thieves would covet either





A complicated set of buckles and straps hold down the Beckman bags hooks on my

Bruce Gordon racks , its a really solid connection..


I had someone make rain covers , to my design ..
2 on front and 1 covering both panniers and bag & tent that pack atop the rear rack.

pdlamb

Ortlieb sells a light cable to lock its panniers onto your rack.

When I've felt like the situation needed it, though, I've simply lifted them off the rack and carried them with me.

himespau 

Wald folding baskets work great because you can just throw a backpack in there, cover it with a bungee net and go. Get to your destination, undo the clips of the bungee netting, throw the backpack on your back and you're on your way in 20 seconds. If space is cramped, you can fold the baskets up, but it's not necessary. A little heavier, but if you have to leave the bike locked out of site, it's the best solution I've found.

Edit: whoops, sorry, thought this was the commuting forum. Solution doesn't work quite so well for loaded touring.

Tourist in MSN

For commuting, those metal wire folding boxes that fold flat and then can unfold into a box shape. They are permanently attached to the rack. Then, carry a day pack inside the metal box when you are on the bike.

jonc123

QBP (Quality Bike Parts) Surly, etc. has a line of bikes like that called "Cogburn"

Cogburn Outdoors

dim

I like Carradice (hand made in the UK and much better than anything else I have seen):

https://www.carradice.co.uk/

Doug64

I made these for Ortlieb Classic Rollers. Ortlieb sells their version for the Packer and Packer Plus series.

This will deter the opportunistic thief, which is generally good enough.

Raiden

Cool!

jefnvk

How do those work, exactly? While I plan on carrying my bags anywhere that I think targeted theft may happen, I always like a little something, as my uncle is fond of saying, "keeping the honest people honest".

Even when I am generally just traveling on public transit and walking around, on my non-biking holidays, my backpack loop straps are padlocked shut with the padlock I use at hostels. Not going to stop anyone insistent on stealing from me, but keeps things neat and tidy and not available to an opportunist.

robow

Since I almost never take my panniers off once I begin the journey, I use a couple somewhat heavy zip ties, that prevent someone from just taking off with my panniers and they also make sure that they don't fall off as I'm travelling along even though theoretically it should never happen. Hooked underneath the pannier and to the rack, someone would have to spend some time getting down and underneath to see how they were attached and they're not that easily accessible. That said, if I was taking my panniers on and off a lot, I think Doug has a better mousetrap above.

Doug64

I bought several replacement clips for the Ortlieb bags, which came with the bolts. Using a pieces of 6/16"x 1/2" x 1" (approx.) aluminum, I drilled out the mounting holes (black piece). Then I took some 3/32" stainless cable, and swedged a loop in one end. The other end was passed through the middle hole and swedged on the other side. Then it was mounted in the pannier's mounting track just like the mounting hooks.

A small padlock will "secure" them to the racks or to each other(in the rear). If the loops are large enough a regular 3/8" bike lock cable can pass through the eye and secure bike and panniers at the same time. It is a lot of bother, and I have not used them very often. They are handy in camp to bundle them all together, and run a cable through all the loops, securing them to a picnic table or.... When not in use a thick rubber band id uded to secures them to one of the panniers clips to keep them out of the spokes. I thought it was a good idea, but we have probably used the twice in 5-6,000 miles of touring.

I lightened up the photo a little so you can see the detail better. Although, it it does not seem to help using the Forum's downloading tool.

ColonelSanders

Having a loop like this one could be what I am looking for, if the loop can withstand a reasonable level of force being applied to it.





I wasn't sure whether to post my question in Commuting or Touring, but chose Touring anyway.

I'm beginning to now think that these folding baskets might be what I need.

Yeah I am starting to think they are what I should get.

I love the look of the Carradice stuff, but do they have built in security features that would make it difficult for opportunistic thieves to get away with stealing them off your bike?

jefnvk

Oh OK, the wires are just to secure the bags to the bike, not to prevent unwanted access to the bags while the bike is sitting somewhere? I'm ideally looking to do both. While I know nothing is incredibly secure, I'm hoping to find something that I can leave parked outside a cafe or such for an hour and not have to keep my eye on it every second.

ColonelSanders

With what I was able to pick up around the traps and with feedback provided by people here, I think my best course of action is to become an Ortlieb fanboy and also getting a racktime rack that has their built in Snap-It system, as they have some handy baskets and the like that I may also get.

The Ortlieb security loop is basically what I want and for a racktop bag, the following product of theirs that I think is relatively new, seems to match the ease of use that Topeak & others have with their clip in racktop bags.

Ortlieb Rear Basket

This bad boy is the biggest racktop bag I have seen yet that doesn't have any inbuilt panniers, with 21litres of capacity.

fietsbob

Do you own that blue and yellow bag?

a strap around that bag's cross bar and hooked to the lower end of the bike rack will prevent lifting the bag off the rack.

ColonelSanders

No that image of the blue and yellow bag is from Mrv's GooglePhoto's account.

Doug64

https://www.rei.com/product/709207/p...rity-web-small