pannier/rack bag for commute

[alecstilleyedye]

i've fitted a rack on my commuter (free from freecycle ) so i'm looking for a cheap, waterproof rack bag or pannier that's big enough to hold:

jeans
towel
t-shirt
scrunts
lunch bag
usual detritus of ipod, cell-phone, keys etc.

any recommendations?

 

[ianrauk]

The DHB ones from Wiggle get good write ups, and you get 2 of em at a good price.
Myself I have the more expensive Altura (£49), but imo opinion they are not that great as the inside bag keeps coming away from the outer bag, it's just velcro. Though it is very waterproof.

 

[Landslide]

It's difficult to get a totally waterproof bag. Get a cheap one and put your stuff in heavy duty plastic bags to keep it dry.

 

[Ranger]

2nd vote for the DHB ones from wiggle. Mine have had all that 2 winters in Scotland can throw at them and not let in a drop of water.

they have also survived a slide down the road and falling off the rack at 20+ mph (my fault for not doing up the clips)

 

[Amanda P]

Aldi or Lidl had some tough-looking panniers on a few weeks back. It's worth a look in a couple of branches to see if they've got any left.

 

[marooncat]

I got one of the Lidi ones when they were on offer a few weeks ago and it seems a decent quality. I have not tested it in the "real rain" yet but it looks like it will be fine.

The clips are plastic but seem to hold ok.

 

[Willow]

The DHB ones from Wiggle get good write ups, and you get 2 of em at a good price.
Myself I have the more expensive Altura (£49), but imo opinion they are not that great as the inside bag keeps coming away from the outer bag, it's just velcro. Though it is very waterproof.

I have the DHB ones and they are great. One word of warning make sure you get panniers with adjustable fittings or you may find they either don't fit on the rack properly or, you can't get them far enough away from your feet and you catch them with your heel when you cycle. The DHB ones do the job I seem to remember looking at the lidl ones but I don't think they were adjustable I may be wrong on that though. DHB also come with a waterproof florescent cover tucked into one of the pockets.

 

[alecstilleyedye]

I have the DHB ones and they are great. One word of warning make sure you get panniers with adjustable fittings or you may find they either don't fit on the rack properly or, you can't get them far enough away from your feet and you catch them with your heel when you cycle. The DHB ones do the job I seem to remember looking at the lidl ones but I don't think they were adjustable I may be wrong on that though. DHB also come with a waterproof florescent cover tucked into one of the pockets.

ta. i think the actual rack can be adjusted for position so i'll have room for fiddling, more so when i take the evil mudguards off for the summer.

 

[iacula]

I use Ortlieb Roller type bags they do the job, look really classy. A bit more expensive than the DHB stuff though.

 

[Eat MY Dust]

I bought a pair of these for £10 from eBay. I was really surprised at the quality.

 

[Llama]

the ones above look the "same" as brand x ones on CRC website - £18

 

[andrew-the-tortoise]

Thumbs up for the DHB Marsden panniers, I got pair for less than £50 [you may find them cheaper] - pretty decent and the orange ones are highly visible.

Can easily fit sandwich box, trousers, towel, bananas etc for your day at work in single.

Check you side racking is suitable though. Mine just fit to a Topeak-EX/MTX Dual Side Frame + Topeak-QR Beam MTX Rear Rack. But have the bottom clips on each pannier right to the end of the rail.

 

[alecstilleyedye]

the rack's a cannondale massload, seems very good quality and so will probably be fine.

 

[Davidc]

I bought a pair of these for £10 from eBay. I was really surprised at the quality.

I bought those as well. The elastic things that hold them down are crap but sjs sell good ones cheaply on their own site.

They aren't fully waterproof - use a plastic bag!

I'm very pleased with them for everyday low-level use

 

[alecstilleyedye]

i've found that i can actually attach my rucksack using an additional luggage strap to hold it from the top loop, and use the the clips and straps on the rucksack to give it some stability.

seems to fit ok, but i've not test-ridden it yet.