Ortlieb is offering 40% off of repairs during Black Friday Week

[chriswoody]

Rather than discounting their bags, Ortlieb has decided to discount repairs on their bags instead this week:

"Over the years, Black Friday has established itself as a symbol of fast and short-term consumption. Through its Repair Week, ORTLIEB Sportartikel GmbH is aiming to send out a signal against this cycle of consumerism. The manufacturer of waterproof bike panniers, backpacks, and travel bags produces exclusively in Germany and has always focused on sustainable, durable, and repairable products. As part of its celebration of the 40 years that have passed since its foundation, ORTLIEB is offering a 40% discount on all repairs during the week from November 21 to 26, 2022." Ortlieb Press Release.

So if you have any old broken bags, now's the time to get them repaired, full details are here:

https://www.ortlieb.com/en_us/repair-week#service-points

Personally I think it's brilliant and shows that some outdoor brands are really striving for quality and longevity.

 

[Sallar55]

Ortlieb bags are bombproof, if anything goes it's the dome screws or a lower rack clip disappearing due to vibration if on dirt tracks. We carry a few spare plastic screw and nut fixings and an extra lower rack clip when on tour. If you rub a hole in the fabric all you need is tent repair kit or glueless patches.

 

[Sallar55]

Wonder if the Black Friday deal includes DIY repairs using the extensive spare parts catalogue.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

Thanks @chriswoody - that's a good news story.

Ortlieb bags are bombproof

I've found that not all Ortlieb materials are bombproof.
I have a set of luminous ones, a different material to the Classics and I wouldn't recommend at all. I'm getting fed up patching them.

I've read of people removing the Ortlieb screws and bolts to be replaced with "proper" steel bolts and having been forced to do it it would now be the first thing I do with a new set.

I'm not trying to pee on them - Ortlieb classics will put up with anything.

 

[Sallar55]

The best ones were the original heavy duty fabric have a front and rear set bought in 1997. One factor is people get hung up about the weight of cycling gear. Ortlieb bags are much lighter today , it's a move to stay competitive,

 

[Debade]

Thanks for your post. I had a broken buckle. One of the 3 insert connectors broke off many years ago. Your post encouraged me to get it fixed. Ortlieb USA provided outstanding online support. We exchanged pictures making sure the part was right. It turned out they no longer make the exact connector but the size of the current one is the same.

The person supporting me from Ortlieb was very helpful and patient. As part of their promotion, they will simply send me the $2 part. While not expensive, I was impressed how much they supported me and made sure I was not getting the right part. She also included the install approach since it is slightly different than my broken one. Ortlieb spent hundreds of dollars in human resources to help me out.

Yahoo, I am back to a bag like new even though they are about 12 years old and thousands and thousands of miles.

 

[MichaelW2]

UK repair agent for Ortleib is

Email: info@lyon.co.uk
Lyon Equipment Limited
Unit 3-7
Tebay Business Park
Old Tebay
Penrith
Cumbria
CA10 3SS
United Kingdom

Tel: +44 (0)15396 24040
Fax: +44 (0)15396 26330

 

[MichaelW2]

Mine are looking a bit shabby. I repaired a hole from a metal tool I left and forgot at the bottom of my bag. Stormshore seems to have done the job. I sewed the edge trim back in place. The main buckles are cracked. Maybe Ill see what Lyon charge.

 

[Sallar55]

One of the buckle clips has lost one side yesterday but it still holds.. Plastic can age and turn brittle in the sun , hope that the panniers on the other side have seen less sun. It's an easy fix , will use a small alloy carabineer if it gets worse.

 

[chriswoody]

Thanks for your post. I had a broken buckle. One of the 3 insert connectors broke off many years ago. Your post encouraged me to get it fixed. Ortlieb USA provided outstanding online support. We exchanged pictures making sure the part was right. It turned out they no longer make the exact connector but the size of the current one is the same.

The person supporting me from Ortlieb was very helpful and patient. As part of their promotion, they will simply send me the $2 part. While not expensive, I was impressed how much they supported me and made sure I was not getting the right part. She also included the install approach since it is slightly different than my broken one. Ortlieb spent hundreds of dollars in human resources to help me out.

Yahoo, I am back to a bag like new even though they are about 12 years old and thousands and thousands of miles.

That's really good to hear, thanks for posting your experiences.

@Sallar55 Ortlieb produce much more than the famous panniers and whilst the quality is high across the board, accidents happen. As well as a really old set of backrollers, I've also got Ortlieb dry bags, an Ortlieb Saddle bag and an Ortlieb courier bag as well as a few others I've probably forgotten.

In these days of rampant consumerism and throw away culture, even offering to replace a $2 buckle for free in order to prolong the life of a bit of kit is showing a real positive attitude. I was reading an article not so long back about Ortlieb an interesting insight into the company and their philosophies as well as a strong commitment to the community in which they are based.

https://bikepacking.com/plog/inside-ortlieb/

 

[Sallar55]

That's really good to hear, thanks for posting your experiences.

@Sallar55 Ortlieb produce much more than the famous panniers and whilst the quality is high across the board, accidents happen. As well as a really old set of backrollers, I've also got Ortlieb dry bags, an Ortlieb Saddle bag and an Ortlieb courier bag as well as a few others I've probably forgotten.

In these days of rampant consumerism and throw away culture, even offering to replace a $2 buckle for free in order to prolong the life of a bit of kit is showing a real positive attitude. I was reading an article not so long back about Ortlieb an interesting insight into the company and their philosophies as well as a strong commitment to the community in which they are based.

https://bikepacking.com/plog/inside-ortlieb/

I have all the gear as well, not trying to rubbish Ortlieb I know that they carry all the spares . Not just holding current product spares , just look at all the quick release buckles types in the spares catalogue. My clip has broken on tour and its a temporary repair until home, SJS cycles hold spares ,Lyon equipment are the wholesalers and will only deal with faulty stuff within the warranty period.

 

[Sallar55]

It still works when broken 😁