OK Talk to me about Ortlieb panniers...

[Scoosh]

... and that post makes me a Member !

 

[summerdays]

Well I've just got back from my Devon Coast to Coast and one day it rained and rained (and heavily) and all the stuff was completely dry. It was a faff getting the stuff out... but eventually I ended up with a dry bag sac bungied onto the rack to keep my coat etc. And next I will buy a bar bag (if I see one reduced).

 

[P.H]

Here's an idea - Change one pair instead of both.
Some stuff is best kept in totally waterproof panniers, sleeping bag, dry clothes...
Some stuff benefits from being in breathable ones, damp clothes, food...
And some stuff just doesn’t care, cooking pans, sleeping mat...

At one time Ortlieb were way ahead of other manufactures for waterproof panniers, that's no longer the case. It's still great kit but others have caught up, HF welded PVC is pretty common, Vaude, Altura, Carradice and many others use it and R&K fittings are as good as Ortlieb's own. If you’re buying new there isn’t a lot of difference in prices, if you’re buying second hand it’s worth broadening your criteria. German Ebay is a good source for new and second hand Ortlieb and Vaude.

 

[Andy in Sig]

I'd suggest staying away from Vaude. IMO they have great designs but less than perfect execution. That said I'm very happy with my Vaude top bag which is what I use for one day tours but it has a detachable waterproof cover.

 

[P.H]

I'd suggest staying away from Vaude. IMO they have great designs but less than perfect execution.

Do you have anything other than your opinion to base that on? And is it recent?
Action Outdoors sell a lot of both and tell me the percentage of returns is about the same. Bike Plus used to sell both, I understand they dropped Vaude when the two became too similar.
My Vaudes are at least as well built as my Ortliebs I particularly like the full backplate. A google of "Vaude pannier problems" doesn’t return any more results as the same search for Ortlieb.
Reading that something has a problem, without qualification or elaboration is IMO forum chat at it's worst.

 

[Bigtallfatbloke]

well I decided that for the time being at least the ortliebs are not affordable...well theya re ..but I have other priorities...so I have jus tordered some replacement orange plastic pannier liner bags and some wax from carradice for about a tenner.
My plan is to keep the new bags inside my panniers & use my old liners as rain covers for th eoutside should a serious deluge threaten. I will also use one of the smaller liner bags as a bar bag cover. On my recent tour it was the stuff in the bar bag that got wet easiest and most, and that is where I kept the electical kit of course!

It isnt ideal & I will still want ortliebs, but right now cash is tight and I want a new bike and another tour so ....plastic liners it is for the time being. I can roll up the bags and keep them stuffed into the panniers mess pockets ready for action! They are orange which matches the bags and is high vis in the rain, if they split then they are cheap to replace...other uses include doubling as footwear rain covers, suitable sized emergency condoms and a means to suffacate dipstick drivers.

 

[andrew_s]

At one time Ortlieb were way ahead of other manufactures for waterproof panniers, that's no longer the case. It's still great kit but others have caught up, HF welded PVC is pretty common, Vaude, Altura, Carradice and many others use it and R&K fittings are as good as Ortlieb's own

I intend sticking to Ortlieb because I like the bolt-together construction, and all the spare or replacement bits you might want are reasonably easy to come by. Waiting months for a special order to come in is not generally required.

Roller tops are better than Packer tops if you fall off in a ford. It doesn't make much odds otherwise. I find that the extra height of the roll top helps stuff not fall out when I'm rummaging.

Liners for other panniers:
Suitably tough and hole-less plastic bags require specific looking for. If you go for multiple bags, there's also the problem that they don't close at the top. It doesn't take all that much rummaging for things to start poking out where it can get wet. I'd suggest it's better to go for proper dry bags or rucksack liners like the Sea to Summit ones here

 

[vernon]

well I decided that for the time being at least the ortliebs are not affordable...well theya re ..but I have other priorities...so I have jus tordered some replacement orange plastic pannier liner bags and some wax from carradice for about a tenner.

A very sensible decision. In four years of touring and some pretty wet weather, suitably thick plastic bags/sacks have always kept my gear dry. The same technique served me well with rucksack when I was an enthusiastic fell walker/ youth hosteller thirty years ago.

 

[Cathryn]

Well I've just got back from my Devon Coast to Coast and one day it rained and rained (and heavily) and all the stuff was completely dry. It was a faff getting the stuff out... but eventually I ended up with a dry bag sac bungied onto the rack to keep my coat etc. And next I will buy a bar bag (if I see one reduced).

So how was it?? Was it fab? Or did you get so wet you were just miserable??

 

[Kris]

For the record, I'd suggest the 'Classic' Ortliebs over the 'Plus' range.
I have 6 holes in my Bike Packer Plus following some very inconspicuous contact with a wall/bush and Ortlieb aren't interested - they even admitted themselves that the 'Classic' version is made from a tougher material.
Duct taped for now but I'll be (reluctantly) wasting more money on replacing them with the, supposedly lower, Classic version.

 

[Riding in Circles]

For the record, I'd suggest the 'Classic' Ortliebs over the 'Plus' range.
I have 6 holes in my Bike Packer Plus following some very inconspicuous contact with a wall/bush and Ortlieb aren't interested - they even admitted themselves that the 'Classic' version is made from a tougher material.
Duct taped for now but I'll be (reluctantly) wasting more money on replacing them with the, supposedly lower, Classic version.

You are right, the classics are tougher, but don't look as nice.

 

[bikermaz]

i have garradice super c i think there great i was concered about water geting in (they havent so far) but i bought some great liners from cotswolds fo about fiver there quite thick and there great and they do diferent sizes have a look at them there just the job