Pannier Bag

[Smiler100]

So I'm thinking a pannier bag might be a good idea for my cycling holiday. I've never used one before and have yet to really look in to them.
My question is - do they all attach to a standard rack that is attached to the bike? Or do the panniers come with it's own rack?
Cheers

 

[Gerry Attrick]

Panniers are designed to fit to whatever rack you have. Some are easier to fit than others.

 

[CanucksTraveller]

You buy the two bits seperately, pretty much any bag will fit pretty much any rack, with some exceptions. I'd buy the rack first, then try out different panniers at the bike shop just to be sure, and to see if you like the attaching mechanism.

When you buy a rack, the choice is pretty much based on what weight you carry, the chunkier tubular ones are suitable for heavier loads and longer distances, the ones with the thinner rods will carry light touring kit and bits of shopping in the 10-20kg sort of range, which should do you for the odd jaunt. That's the design I have.

 

[Smiler100]

Great, thanks a lot!

 

[DrSquirrel]

You can get rack/pannier systems with "quick locks", topeak do some (im sure there are others but I don't know off hand). Obviously costs a little more, and you have to buy the topeak bags (can still fit regular bags though).

 

[MossCommuter]

topeak do some

+1 DrSq

I highly recommend Topeak MTX Quick Track and the 23 litre pannier which I have stuffed full to bursting every day for 6 months and it's still as new (maybe a bit muddy)

Note: If you have disc brakes you need to get the rack designed for them.

 

[ZIZAG]

If you have not already bought .
A pannier .
I can Recommend LIDL's 60 Litre Pannier's and with detachable top Bag . At A bargain

£14:99p.
Fits Lidl's own pannier . And I would think any standard pannier .

 

[mr_cellophane]

Question for those who only have a bag one side.

Which side ?  Does it really matter, the majority seem to have them on the left.

 

[CanucksTraveller]

I mainly ride with a single and only put the second one on for shopping, and I also am a "leftie". I read somewhere that it's mainly psychological in that traffic passes on your right so if you went with a right pannier, you may get distracted by worrying that you were possibly presenting a wider profile on the traffic side.

Physically speaking I shouldn't have thought that many average panniers actually add much width to the profile of an average rider, and I've never heard of a car clipping a pannier only.

 

[mark barker]

I only have a pannier on the left, and my reasoning was that as I always get on my bike from the left hand side I'm less likely to catch the bag as I get on & off the bike.

 

[Tynan]

right, add width to the driver side and protect the mechs if sir drops/crashes the bike