Does anyone make generic pannier retention clips? I have a set of the Nashbar waterproof panniers. I like the bags, they are voluminous and hold out the water, but the clips are absolutely atrocious, as they are simply an open hoop held on by a bungee strap. After losing a bag on a relatively tame trail at the park this weekend, I'd like to just replace the clips with something that closes, so the bag can't go tumbling. They need to go onto a 10mm rack tubing.

I see that Ortlieb sells replacements, but I don't really want to add the rail if I can avoid it. Something like this would probably be perfect, but they are no longer available: https://www.bikebagshop.com/lone-pea...et-p-1675.html

Frankly, I'd add the rail (and have). The rail spreads the load out across the top of the pannier. Individual clips like the Lone Peak could easily tear through many bags. I've even gone so far as adding the lower hardware from Ortlieb to some bags because the attachment is much more stable and stronger.

But, if you really feel the need to go with the Lone Peak, they appear to be available directly from Lone Peak.

These Rixen & Kaul Klickfix hooks are rugged and simple. I have them on a pair of retired Madden panniers..



KLICKfix Twist Hooks with blue catch - pair

you do.. buy aluminum flat bar at the hardware store

ball detent pins thru a hole in the hook is how tail wind panniers locked onto the rack rail..

Coroplast or thin plywood for the stiffner panel?




...

OK, I feel stupid now, no idea why that shop kept popping up in my search over the actual manufacturer

Although, if the rails add that much benefit, I could deal with the $7 they cost. I was originally just looking for something that looked like it would use the existing holes.

If you don't have access to basic tools like a drill and hacksaw to do fietsbob suggestion of a piece of aluminium stip as a backing stiffener to the Lonepeak clips , then go to a bolt shop and buy some fender/mudguard washers to put on the inside of the bag. These are large diameter washers with a comparatively small hole in the middle. So a 1/4" washer (for a 1/4" bolt) can be up to 1 3/8" in diameter, this will stop them from pulling through. Even better if you have a sandwich of washer-bag-washer.

Jef- I see that my old Madden front panniers use just one of the Klickfix locking hooks in the middle between ordinary open hooks like you have on your Nashbar's. Could be all you need to prevent bounce off supplemental to what you have already. All three are attached directly to 1/8" plastic backing with no signs of stress...

Interesting idea Bob! That really is all I need, I may give that a go.

The hooks themselves are not overloaded or stressed in any way, even with the bags being overloaded on the last trip. The bungee just didn't hold them down enough, and rough roads they'd bounce enough to fall off. One retention clip may work, I was even just thinking some sort of strap around them and the rack originally. There is already quite a bit of plastic support in the bags.

You can buy a ton of bag hardware from Jandd's website. I would take the opposite approach that you are investigating--I would replace the bungee with a webbing strap with hook (which they sell). You can punch holes in the bag with a leather punch, and put a blob of silicone caulk on each side, with washers clamping the fabric. It's waterproof enough for anything but a hurricane.

I don't find J hooks so awful for mounting panniers, but maybe that's just me.

Adding one locking clip in the middle was what I did with my Nashbar Waterproofs a number of years ago. Got a set of 4 Lone Peak clips and used two of them for the Nashbar panniers and the other two to allow me to hang my backpack from the rear rack for times when I'm combining hiking and biking. Adding the Lone Peak clips also provides some redundancy - if one of the clips were to fail the bag would still be held on securely by the remaining two clips.

If you go with the Ortlieb with rail, another advantage is the ability to shift hook positions for different racks. Just last night I was moving the hooks on my frontloaders to go on a different rack than I used on my last trip. The panniers with hooks riveted on are always a frustration to me when you can't move the hook positions.

Before you buy, estimate your total price of hardware with shipping and then compare to a new set of Ortliebs. You might decide to upgrade instead.

I just checked, the three different places in Europe that I have bought Ortlieb from before are currently not exporting Ortlieb to USA, so you unfortunately would be paying the higher prices charged in USA.

Yeah, I considered that, but hardware directly from Ortlieb (rail and hooks for two bags), is ~$40. New set of Back Rollers is $180 (both sans shipping, but I'd imagine that's a wash considering I would order either). Adding a single center locking hook would be $25-30 for four bags (if I wanted to do the fiancee's set, or my fronts, as well). The bags themselves are fine, for the price difference I think a retrofit is more sensible.

Thanks for the info. I was about to ask the same question. The center lock sounds good. I just want my panniers to not bounce off.

This is also a Nashbar pannier (front). It had inadequate mounting components, which I replaced with the fix in the lower picture. Of more concern was one hook pulled out of its mounting last week. It was an easy fix; a couple of pop rivets, and it was good to go. I've used these panniers for the last 10 years, 2 of those years were some pretty extensive touring. They have had a lot of abuse, and stay on my around town bike most of the time. They have hauled much heavier loads of groceries than they ever did touring.

I think BobG's solution is an elegant fix, but you might still want the bungee to keep the pannier from flopping.

Yep, the bungee is staying on to keep the bottom in place. Although, I like the velcro loops, I wonder if something like that would keep the bottom in place better. My hook likes to get caught up between the plastic and the bag when it is off the bike, it is rather annoying at times. The S-hook is just wide enough that the edge of the top loop around the bungee can get caught on the top of the plastic, with the hook wrapped around the bottom of the plastic (top of the slot) that it is pulled through in this pic

If all you really want to do is keep the hooks from coming off or to keep that bungee hook in place, just use a few heavy duty zip ties and everything will stay in place, but this works best if you don't take your panniers off very often.

My Nashbar ATB panniers that have not been used since my first tour and a pannier that I got from Europe that I use as a gym bag just hang from hooks, they both have velcro straps to hold the pannier down. If you yank hard on them, the velcro will come loose but more velcro could also be a simple answer.

I'd loop velcro-tape under any bolted-on and rack-facing attachments. Or bolt-on the tape yourself. That's what I'd do for a quickie economy fix.

What you really should do is: Get serious...hand those panniers down...BUY ORTLIEBS...and you'll never look back.

Yeah, but by that logic I would have bikepacked across the Netherlands and Belgium on a CF Trek like the Italian group I saw at Kinderdijk, not an $85 Miyata, and certainly wouldn't be flying a budget airline to Iceland and riding a 20 year old slightly too small no suspension Scott MTB. I'm still in the "I'm comfortable, but not flush with cash, and really shouldn't even be doing this cause I ahve a wedding to pay for" phase of my life. My only issue with the Nashbar bags is that they occasionally bounce off. If I can fix that for a couple bucks, there is absolutely no benefit to me on spending a couple hundred bucks replacing my $50 rear bags and free hand me down fronts with a $400 Ortlieb set.

To me, the experience is far more valuable than the equipment. So long as the equipment is not dragging down the experience, having something better does not add to it. I won't remember the couple extra seconds it takes to mount a bag, or that time or two it falls off (hell, it happened a couple times in the NL, and I can't specifically remember any one in detail).

Jeff, I had the same problem last year with my used Panniers on the front. Simply snugged them down each morning with my one strap Velcro. Never a problem once I discovered this stuff. (see photo)
I like the Idea of the simple replacement clips. I will be looking for some next time I am in Winnipeg.

Hope this helps.



-Snuts-

First off you cut-off the first part of my quote which was:

That should cost $5ish.

But you could still do the rear Ortliebs for the cost a bride-shoes at $180 and the fronts for bride-maids-shoes at $140.

Yeah, but that costs me more than the damn airline tickets to Iceland

No, I got your first part, I'm just settling in on the third clip suggestion. My bags mostly work, I've got no reason to ditch them for something considerably more, a couple dollar fix is all I need! I'm not going to lie, Ortliebs are on my list for future purchases (if for absolutely no reason other than yellow is MUCH brighter than black), but for now what I have is 98% of the way to what I need. I also don't have a sewing machine, and trust myself to make my bags more waterproof with neoprene washers than thread and needles.

I don't think a sewing machine would work. My small nasbar panniers are the right size for me right now. The ortliebs are larger than needed. I think the 3rd clip will work best.
Jeffnvk -- which clips are you planning on using.

I like the looks of the Klickfix better, looks a bit more solid.

[MENTION=406915]jefnvk[/MENTION], I'd also opt for the Klickfix (Thanks [MENTION=187637]BobG[/MENTION]). I like simple and inexpensive fixes.

Brad