I've decided to get a set of panniers & handlebar bag (90% sure it's going to be Lone Peak) for credit card touring & visiting friends and family.

Now for the important question - What color? Black won't show dirt, but will roast whatever's inside. Red will show dirt like crazy, will be more visible (maybe?) and is always a favorite. Blue? "Steel"? Whaddya think?

Steve

Red, more visible.

got to be blue.

For visibility, I'd rely on a bright jersey / jacket. Colored panniers start getting greased up / and or faded from the sun pretty quickly. I'd go with black. Roasting is good or bad depending upon humidity and what you're carrying. If your panniers breathe, then this will be enhanced in low humidity / high heat situations. Packaged non-perishable food will be fine. Perishible food will perish no matter what color your panniers are.

+1 on black.

Visibility that low will not do much for your overall visibility.

Low bags get dirty pretty quickly. Black will look better/decent much longer.

As for me, dirty panniers are a badge of experience. They say that you've been somewhere. You're a do'er, not a talker/poser. Besides, wouldn't you think dirty panniers would be less attractive to a thief? I went with yellow panniers. Bright colored panniers increase your visibility "footprint" dramatically, compared to just a bright colored jersey. My tent (Eureka Backcountry, highly recommended!) was olive green, so when I stealth-camped, all panniers went inside the tent.

Do what I did and go for your favourite colour. From what you wrote it seems that, like me, your favourite is RED. Red is only marginally faster than blue but significanly faster than black but I wouldn't let that influence my choice. Definitely go with your favourite colour.

As for stealth camping you will have to cover all of your reflectvie material anyway, such as with a tarp or by putting your bags in your tent.

I use black panniers but almost always have bright yellow rain covers on them for visibility.

Red for visibility, and it's easier to find stuff in them.

The brighter the better! The touring cyclists that I saw today ahead of me that had black panniers were barely visible. Who cares about a little dirt. As Bicyclebilly said, dirty panniers are a badge of experience. Erick is right that it's much easier to find things in a lighter colour pannier - it's amazing how things become invisible inside a black pannier (particularly inside a tent).

I went with the blue Lone Peaks and I like them. The back ones are a bit dirty/dusty now from touring the Katy Trail, and it does give them a bit of character.

As for visibility, if I need to be seen I just put on the florescent yellow rain covers.