We are planning a self-supported 5 day trip from Pittsburgh to DC on the C&O/Great Allegheny trail. This will be my first bike tour (although I bike a lot and I backpack a lot). I am planning on picking up rear panniers. I don't want to spend a lot until I see how much I enjoy it. Couple of questions:

1) Most of the reasonably prices panniers seem to come in the 2200 to 2500 cu inch range (e.g., Transit Pro DX). I assume that this is the volume for the pair (as opposed to each)? Is this a pretty reasonable size for that length of trip?

2) My plan is to pack clothes, gear, etc. in the panniers and strap the tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad on top of the rack, probably in a water proof bag. Any issues with this setup?

Thanks!

There have been many tours such as yours, done with that set-up. You will be fine

I just finished a 45 day tour from Canada to Mexico on the West Coast with Transit Pros as my rear pann iers. They are very good for the price. Not the MOST water proof available but garbage bags on the inside of the panniers go a long way. I used transit DX panniers as front bags but for just 5 days you only need rears I think. Cheers!

The Transit Pros worked out well for me and I think I could get by with just them. I prefer to use them with small front panniers though. I also like the Nashbar or Performance Waterproof Panniers.

You will probably find that the length of the trip has minimal effect on how much you carry. I carry the same stuff for a week as I did going coast to coast.

FWIW: I used them to go coast to coast and think they could make the trip many times over. I plan to do more long tours and do not plan to upgrade. I will use either 4 of the Nashbar Waterproof or the Transit Pros on the rear with the small Nashbar Waterproof on the front. I own both since I bought bags for the three of us for the TransAmerica.

My pre-2009 Ortleib Packer Plus rear panniers are rated at 2441 cu. in. On a short trip that's all I need and I can get everything inside them (nothing out on top of the rear rack).

If you're going to strap camping stuff to the rear rack, I'd get front panniers instead of rear ones.

staehpj1: Do you mind saying what front rack you use? You and I have the same touring bike I believe and I am thinking of getting the Nashbar waterproof front panniers prior to my tour this summer. Last year I toured with rear panniers + camping gear strapped to the back and the bike didn't handle too well. I want to even out the load, preferably with a lowrider rack on the front.

Keep in mind that hiking is going to give you a good feel for how much space your gear takes up. Trust yourself over strangers on the internet .

(I kinda gave up on volume measurements in cubic inches so...) That's roughly 36-40L, and that's for a pair. My regular grocery getting panniers are 27L, so that's a *lot* of space. Unless you're taking a ton more stuff than you should for a 5 day trip, it should be plenty. You might have room to fit part or all of your sleeping kit in 'em.

Stuff on top of a rack is a personal preference thing. 10 lbs on top tends to make the bike feel a little twitchy to me, but it's not a huge deal. More than that would definitely edge into unpleasant for me. Only way to tell what *you* like is to try riding loaded.

Do look at how space is laid out. A lot of touring panniers have a ton of pockets and fiddly bits. I do enough living out of my backpack to know that even two extra pockets can drive me right up the wall, so I'd be pretty likely to use my little and boring panniers for touring. One outside pocket on each, just the right size for a water bottle.

I usually use a pair of rear panniers and a handlebar bag for a week-long tour. Yes, the bike handling is a little better with the load spread out to use front panniers as well, but for me it isn't worth the extra fuss and weight of a second rack and extra bags. I find that bags of about 2300 cu. in. will let me pack the sleeping bag/pad and tent inside with the rest of my stuff and leave the top of the rack open for any temporary purchases along the way. Currently using Nashbar's waterproof rear panniers - very basic with only one compartment each, but price effective.

Between the three of us 2 used the Nashbar clone of the Blackburn Lowrider and 1 used the Performance version. The performance one was lighter and stiffer. It had larger diameter tubing. In fact the Nashbar one might even be rods rather than tubing.

In any case both were fine. We did use some additional spacers between the plate and the mid fork braze on for best fit.

Thanks for the info. Nashbar has a 15% off sale today on orders over $75. I may have to place an order.....