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Ricd11 said:thanks both,
Willem- i bought the 56s because i am using them travelling to and from uni and home, so bring laptop and books and clothes etc. I want some for the front because of the stability issues people seem to be raising, i'm a newcomer to the world of cycling really but it seems to make sense to have weight on the front. Then I think if i don't use all of the space it's not a problem?
I will be touring europe for a couple of months this summer, so wont be anything too ridiculous. To me though 34 alone sounds abit on the slim side, I don't want to be scrimping too much, planning on stealth camping and cooking my food and what not. But as I said i'm a newbie so all advice is greatlfully received!
Welcome.
Should have been more specific. My first panniers were the Front Altura Orkneys 34 litres total I think for the pair, in black, which I bought in the mid 1990s. They are still going fine. Oh one of the zips on the side pocket has broken but they can be replaced and I broke one of the buckles to secure the lid. Not a weakness, purely my fault. The fabric is still pretty new looking though and good. It hasn't faded or worn through anywhere despite regular use until last year when I bought Vaude Aqua roll tops, totally waterproof. The only thing I didn't like with the Orkneys was that they weren't fully waterproof having to put on a seperate rain cover when it really chucked it down. Having side that they never let water in despite using them everyday for many years in some pretty heavy deluges. I like them as they allow you to carry just enough but not too much. I did use them on the rear rack but they work just as well if not better on the front. They are the smaller front panniers after all.
The Rixen and Kaul fittings are adjustable using a Phillips screw driver and IMHO are far better than the ones used by other manufacturers as you don't need spacers if you put them on a different sized diameter rack. Just re-adjust them. It only takes 2 minutes. AFAIK they will go on Tubus racks which have 10 or 11m diameter tubing. The Blackburn racks which I use on my bikes and 'am stuck with are 8mm. I like all my racks to be the same diameter tubing otherwise you spend all your time faffing around fitting or removing spacers and taking care not to lose the fiddly buggers which both Ortlieb and Vaude use for their pannier hooks.
I find it is better not to have all the weight on the back of the bike as it makes it feel very cumbersome and lethargic even more so than spreading the weight between front and back. Not to mention the extra strain on your rear wheel with all that weight including you.
So if you got the old style Orkneys cheap you got a good deal as they are good panniers. Well made and robust. Nice looking and decent pockets. How much btw?