I have used Axiom panniers in the past. They were nothing special but they held up fine during a four month tour. They had bungee cords on the top lid which I used to dry my laundry while riding, a feature which I miss greatly. Eventually I gave them away while moving countries. I would use them again without hesitation. The ones I had were non-waterproof with separate rain covers. They had the old bungee hook and turning-block style lock, which were solid.

Thanks for allowing me to use you all as a sounding board. I'm pretty much sold on a pair of back-roller classics for now. My old rack will be fine for commuting, but I'll have to get a sturdier one eventually. At some point I'll add a low rider rack and a pair of sport-rollers. I'll see how all that goes then add some sort of handlebar bag, maybe with a randonneur rack.

If you end up with a rando rack and are looking for a bag, I will highly recommend Swift Industries, They made my Rando bag and I love it so much so that I may end up with the same set up on other bikes. I did a modified Radavist set up for my Decaleur using Lone Peak Pannier hooks instead of the Ortliebs (same Thomson Direct mount stem and other parts but you could swap out the Thomson stem for any other non-connected direct mount stem). I used the Nitto M12 rack but I do have cantilever brakes so if you don't you might consider another of their racks.

It is a perfect bag on a great bike for popping to the store or for a nice little sub 24h tour or commuting (at least for me) and they even sewed on patches for me which was great because I suck as sewing.

I think you will be happy with the Ortliebs as well.

I usually use a Tubus Logo EVO rear rack for touring. It is light, very strong and very stiff. Panniers mount a few inches lower on it than they do on most other racks. You can see in the photo how the lower rails are useful for mounting the panniers a bit lower. Unfortunately it is not cheap.

But, the Logo has a very narrow platform on it, which is one reason that it is as stiff as it is. For around town riding at home, I do not like the narrow platform of the Logo, so it comes off the bike when I get home. Then I put it back on the bike for the next tour. I put some PVC tubing on it, held on with electrical tape. That reduces the wear and chaffing. If you get black, black nail polish is useful for touching up wear spots.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...f3cf615f86.jpg

i am not trying to be a smart alec but what is the reason for touching up the paint on a rack?

Tubus racks are made from steel, and steel requires protective coating to prevent rust.

thanks [MENTION=9775]seeker333[/MENTION] I wonder if my rack is steel or aluminum? i have some serious chip/ wear marks

Chiming in on Ortliebs. I just had my third Ortlieb issue. Number one was a blown zipper on an inside pouch of a backroller. The next was of the rack retention system on another backroller. Ortlieb addressed both of those with replacements. No real biggee, as things fail at times (although in neither case was either item used hard). #3 , however, a spectacular failure, was the result of overengineering and undertesting.

I'm preparing for a longer tour next summer, so I'm acquiring the few remaining items I need for a bit of advance testing. On paper, the Seatpost Bag looked like it would fit the bill. Right size, doubles as a rear fender, etc. I used it commuting and for five or six longer rides over about a month. Early on, I was tightening the seatpost connection and the bag itself separated from the seatpost lock. I looked the two over, tried to figure out how they connected. It seemed they were held together by pins of some sort, so I started looking around (fortunately, I was inside), and I finally found them. Two little plastic cylinders about 5mm long, 2mm wide. If I had been outside I would have been hosed. And indeed, yesterday I was outside... and I was hosed. I hit a small pothole and the seatbag cantilevered apart from the seatpost attachment. The little plastic pieces were in the wind, and another bit of plastic on the bag broke. I'm glad I have the habit of testing early, as this bit of garbage had no business being on tour.

So that's four backrollers (two front, two rear) with two problems, one seatpost bag a complete fail. I love my Jandd front and rear panniers and top tube bag.

I should have mentioned this before but did not think of it. Regarding handlebar bag, if you have enough extra steerer tube for a second stem, I like to mount a second stem to use to lower the handlebar bracket which will give a lower center of gravity and it can also bring the bag closer to the steering axis which improves handling. I described this with some photos at a different posting here:
https://www.bikeforums.net/19930025-post28.html


If you do not see rust color, then I would not worry about it. I might touch up an aluminum rack just for looks, but I try to avoid having rusty spots on a steel rack as I do not like rust to accumulate and get worse.


That is a major bummer, but overall I think Ortliebs have one of the best reputations. Over the years I have had a few frustrations with my Ortliebs, but of all my touring gear they are probably the most trouble free items I used. Plus, since I have used them on four different bikes with different chain stay lengths, I have had to adjust their fore and aft position differently on every bike. Some panniers are not that adjustable but I liked the adjustability of the Ortliebs.

It's probably Al rather than steel. A magnet is attracted to most steel alloys (but not some stainless steels). Al racks tend to lose paint quickly, as the paint doesn't stick well.

I have a threaded headset with a quill stem. It might be interesting to try to rig up a way to clamp a small bar to the quill. A decaleur that mounts under the headset locknut seems like a nice option. I just wish all that rando stuff wasn't so derned expensive. :/

If you use one of the bags mounted on a flat rack above the front tire, if you have canti brake posts on your fork the Nashbar rack or similar one made by Sunlight might be an option. Those racks are usually under $20. Not as wide as ideal for those bags, but a DIY flat surface on top of the rack could make it work.
https://www.bikenashbar.com/cycling/...ck-na-frr-base
https://www.amazon.com/Sunlite-Gold-.../dp/B07CNVBNCD

I have used both. The Sunlite had some brackets that I needed to bend, as they were not bent correctly at the factory.

Or if you lack canti brake posts but have mid fork brazeons, if you can find a RackTime Top It rack, that is another option.
https://www.racktime.com/en/racktime...product/topit/

I think the Racktime racks are no longer imported to USA, but a google search finds they are still in stock at some sellers. The Racktime rack light bracket however could put your light in the tire spray zone, which could throw water on any vents on your light, so the light mount is not well thought out.

I have several RackTime racks, I think they are all well made.