Bodhbh
Guru
Yep if you're not camping I think that would be plenty. And I'm sure some would probably make do with small panniers with a bar bag.
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Yep if you're not camping I think that would be plenty. And I'm sure some would probably make do with small panniers with a bar bag.
- Location
- London
Yes I know about those - have been considering as my less than discjplined packing means that I struggle a bit at times with Ortlieb's normal 40 litre rear capacity.
How are they to ride with when completely full? Rack and bike feel OK?
Bodhbh
Guru
If I'm honest, while I've had more than 40l of luggage in them and things like 20kg bags of coal, I've never come close to actually filling them - so I can't really comment on the effect of handling on that. The extra capacity come both from making them taller and making them deeper (i.e. width when looking at the bike from the back). On the back I don't think it's anything you'd notice - it can be on the front as you're putting weight quite far out from the rotation of the forks, which causes a bit of flop. You can reduce the depth with the compression straps in anycase and I doubt many would put them on the front.
Dave 123
Legendary Member
- Location
- Cambridgeshire alps
Crankarm
Guru
- Location
- Nr Cambridge
Sorry to disappoint you but no they are not, not like the hard plastic moulded back of the Vaude Aquas. Ortlieb panniers can bend and flex. The Vaude Aqua pannier backs are rigid. Period.
Heltor Chasca
Out-riding the Black Dog
I may be misunderstanding your post, but for clarification for the OP:
Ortlieb Back Roller Classics have a thick, rigid, plastic insert integrated and bolted into the inside of the pannier. Yes you can flex this if you wish, (wouldn’t know why) but it is more than sufficiently rigid for a bike pannier. Not overly heavy either. HTH.
Heltor Chasca
Out-riding the Black Dog
Ortlieb panniers eat any decent rack alive. The best solution I have found is to remove the inserts on the hooks. Then fit air hose (black if that’s the colour of your rack) to the contact points on the rack. Split the hose down one side and cable tie to the rack. It also makes the set up super quiet. The only sound you’ll hear will be the dulcet tones of your Trangia bouncing about.
- Location
- London
I can confitm that they flex and it can be a lot. My Bikepacker Pluses flex a lot and in fact I wondered whether this was why the soddin' things kept detaching themselves on a recent camping trip. Had to resort to a ball bungee between them to at least catch one that tried to fall off into the traffic. Hopefully the new 2.1 hooks I have fitted will sort this but I'm taking no chances - the ball bungee stays.
- Location
- London
You may have provided this before but do you have a link for the correct hose? Are the standard hooks without inserts 16mm? Is this the outer diameter of hose you need? Any sourcing complications with regard to the inner diameter you need to fit your particular rack.
Am I right in thinking that the inserts for the new QL 2.1 hooks (the inserts that go in from the side) are meant to be specced to reduce/cut this rack wear? I just fitted some QL 2.1 hooks and inserts to my Ortliebs today and the insert material did seem different.
Moodyman
Legendary Member
Crankarm is right. The Vaude are as good, if not better, than the Ortlieb. The Vaude hard back is on the outside of the pannier and stops abrasion against the rack.
Heltor Chasca
Out-riding the Black Dog
I’ve been using Tubus racks for the last few years which all have 10mm rails and stays. I went onto EBay and bought a few metres of airhose with a 10mm INTERNAL diameter. The hose I bought fitted the inside of the hooks exactly but only if I removed the inserts. My aging rear panniers have the QL1 system and my 3 year old (I think) front panniers have the newer QL 2.1 system. This also wore hot spots into a Surly front rack I have (also 10mm) so I didn’t mess about and swapped them out as soon as I could.
Like you, I have had a bag detach late one night, lost somewhere in a forgotten European town. Not what I needed. And it tore off a buckle on my pannier. Cable ties to the rescue, but Ortlieb sell all the spares you need. I have not had this happen since I started using airhose. You can’t really notice the airhose on the racks when you aren’t using panniers. Good adaptation I think.
EDIT: In very hot weather, the top plastic rail/strut that the top pannier hooks slide along has become soft, resulting in a bowed rail/strut. Easy enough to leave in the sun and straighten up.
@Tim330 : I did meet a young German lady on tour using Brooks panniers. They looked very nice, but I have no idea what the long term reviews or specs are.
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John Peel
Senior Member
- Location
- Cheshire England
Made up with my front and rear Ortlieb made for KOGA bags, and my 49 litre Rack-Pack. Not a drop of water in them in nearly 2 weeks of constant rain in the UK. Thrown them around a bit and only one small hole near the bottom from when the bike fell over on some really rough ground, which I repaired with a tube patch.
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Just seen your post about your RTW trip, sorry you had to break it off, hopefully off again soon?
I may have acquired Crankarms spare Vaude bags now, so looking forward to setting them up and trying them out over the next few months.
John Peel
Senior Member
- Location
- Cheshire England
Yes, it wasn't good, but I return to where I left off in Marseille in the new year and I'm looking forward to getting back out there. All the best on your travels. Steve
- Location
- London
Ah that great gift to cyclists, the lych gate. Spent a bit of time sheltering in them. Originally designed for sheltering coffins apparently. Hang on god, you aren't getting me yet , a few more years pedalling.
