Pannier bags , what to choose

[potsy]

Thanks all

I will be looking at the brand x/ SJS cycles version as they look ok for what i need , a clip on and bungee set up will be fine as it will sure beat stopping and looking for a bungee clip that pinged off in the dark .

Price wise its always going to be the cheap end some of the top end panniers are worth more than i paid for the commuter 2nd hand ..........
When work deem to put us on full time again maybe after all the debts are cleared i will think about some thing shiny until then i am about £10 k down in the last year

Know how you feel cyberknight,we have been on 4 day weeks,pay-cuts,and now been taken off shifts so am 20% down myself,am consoling myself with all the money i've saved on diesel this year

 

[cyberknight]

car industry potsy?

I am we lost shifts over a year ago and then went on 2 days a month off , so we lost around 30 % .
long term we have been told shifts next September.......assuming we can hang on that long.Unfortunately as an ex mining ex brewing town where i live in pretty dire to start with so nothing else better about.

 

[skrx]

Mine attach with velcro straps -- they were cheap from Amazon, but I can't remember what brand. They are annoying to attach and detach, so I leave them on the bike most of the time (no one will steal them at work, and for quick shopping trips I just loop my cable lock through the handle).
However, the location of home and work means most of my shopping trips are in some of the poshest residential bits of south-west London, which helps.

On my old MTB the position of the rack etc means the pannier can potentially get caught in the spokes. Sometimes this happens if I misjudge my width when squeezing through barriers.

 

[Weegie]

I will be looking at the brand x/ SJS cycles version as they look ok for what i need

I too have a set of the SJS ones, they seem to be a popular choice around here. The bungees included are hopeless thin fabric things, I bought these ones which hold the panniers much more securely. Also (and it's perhaps obvious, but has caught other people out) - your rack needs a hooked design at the bottom to attach the bungees to. Not all racks have this.

The metal hooks on the panniers can indeed scratch your rack, but this is easily solved with a little gaffer tape. Oh, and it's also worth mentioning that the SJS panners aren't waterproof, but will survive a light shower no problem. You can always line them with plastic bags.

I use mine 2/3 times a week for trips to the local Tesco, they do the job just fine. They only take a few seconds to remove & refit.

 

[Arch]

I too have a set of the SJS ones, they seem to be a popular choice around here. The bungees included are hopeless thin fabric things, I bought these ones which hold the panniers much more securely. Also (and it's perhaps obvious, but has caught other people out) - your rack needs a hooked design at the bottom to attach the bungees to. Not all racks have this.

oh, yes, good point. Although I had that problem once and solved it by mackling a metal ring (from a keyring) onto the bottom of the rack to hook the pannier onto - I can't remember now how I attached it, possibly a jubilee clip or similar.

 

[potsy]

car industry potsy?

I am we lost shifts over a year ago and then went on 2 days a month off , so we lost around 30 % .
long term we have been told shifts next September.......assuming we can hang on that long.Unfortunately as an ex mining ex brewing town where i live in pretty dire to start with so nothing else better about.

Engineering plant,have made 30ish people redundant out of 250+
various other pay cuts and changes in working times.unfortunately I work in a particularly quiet part of the plant where we have been hit the hardest,whole sector off shifts as oppose the rest of the plant which is only sparodically effected.
Found out friday half the place on overtime this weekend while were still on day shift,lads not happy

 

[semislickstick]

I've got the Brand x ones from Sjs cycles on ebay, you can get them cheaper there depending on how the auction goes, just note the postage.
They seem heavy duty, I usually keep them on the bike. (thin cable lock)

 

[ron4322]

I bought a single (left) pannier from my local Lidl about 2 months ago (as one of their specials). It is made of a sort of plastic material, a bit like a heavy duty tent groundsheet. It cost £13 IIRC. It has a roll top for weatherproofing. I don't know how long lasting it will be, but it has been fine so far (but has never been overloaded). It is held in place by 2 vertical hooks at the top and a horizontal one near the bottom, so it easily lifts on and off.

I'm well pleased, so far.

 

[marooncat]

I bought a single (left) pannier from my local Lidl about 2 months ago (as one of their specials). It is made of a sort of plastic material, a bit like a heavy duty tent groundsheet. It cost £13 IIRC. It has a roll top for weatherproofing. I don't know how long lasting it will be, but it has been fine so far (but has never been overloaded). It is held in place by 2 vertical hooks at the top and a horizontal one near the bottom, so it easily lifts on and off.

I'm well pleased, so far.

I have got one of these (more than a couple of months ago so it must have been in a previous special they had) and so far like it as well, the carry handle has broken (well come un-attached at one end) but as I tend to only carry it into the office and back out again it is not the end of the world. Not 100% sure how long the hooks will last as they are plastic but seem to be holding up so far

Only niggle I have (having seen this on some of the ones linked in this thread) is that there is no reflective strip on the side of it.

 

[skudupnorth]

I've just got a pair of Altura Arran 36L from Wiggle,used half last week during the "little" bit of rain we had and they have performed brilliantly.Easy to clip on the rack (i do not have to remove them at work,my bike lives next to me during the day !).Very secure and very pleased with them.
Using them next year for my first camping tour to Penzance,hence the 36L choice in size.

 

[Arch]

Only niggle I have (having seen this on some of the ones linked in this thread) is that there is no reflective strip on the side of it.

You can buy stick-on scotchlite reflective stuff, and add it yourself, if you want to. I think it comes in strips and sheets, so you can cut out the shapes you want.

 

[Suerdusty]

For Commuting Ive been using a bike bin, relatively cheap, 100% waterproof ideal for paperwork as well as kit, and east to clip off www .bikebins.com

 

[slowmotion]

I tried a few variations of cheapish ones and they were all an ag in some respects and do;t wear well

I lashed out on Ortleib rollers and they're a joy to use

Yes, I went for Ortlieb Back Roller Classics. About £80 for a pair which is quite a bit of money, but they are fantastic to use. They clip on in five seconds, and come off in two, so there is no excuse for leaving them on the bike when you nip into a shop. Really good kit, and totally waterproof. Overall, money well spent IMVVHO.

 

[hodsgod]

I have read a few reviews of people using Ortlieb to tour long term and they all have problems with the hooks.

Personally I have bought the Lidl "Ortleib" copy, they aren't as good but they are very watertight and very cheap.

 

[Arch]

For Commuting Ive been using a bike bin, relatively cheap, 100% waterproof ideal for paperwork as well as kit, and east to clip off www .bikebins.com

They have a bonus for touring too - you can sit on them if you aren't comfortable sitting on the floor.... I sat on Piemaster's bikebin on the East Yorks camping weekend, and it was so much nicer than being on the floor - I've never got comfy on a floor like some people can.

sorry, OT a bit.