Panniers off the bike

[swansonj]

All my touring to date, which has always been with panniers, has been of the style where you have your bike and panniers in view for the whole day, or at worst you just need to carry the panniers into a pub for lunch, so the issue of carrying luggage off the bike hasn't really arisen for me.

We are now planning a tour with our daughter where we want to break up each day with museums, parks, gardens etc. So the question arises of the best luggage in these circumstances, assuming we don't want to leave everything on unattended bikes.

What is the current best solution for carrying panniers / panniers that convert to backpacks / any other solution? Grateful for all suggestions, recommendations and bright ideas.

 

[Heltor Chasca]

I use these mini cables. https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/222643538312?chn=ps&dispItem=1&adgroupid=55998050830&rlsatarget=pla-414082151975&abcId=1133916&adtype=pla&merchantid=9506244&poi=&googleloc=9045670&device=t&campaignid=1058842546&crdt=0&ul_ref=http%3A%2F%2Frover.ebay.com%2Frover%2F1%2F710-134428-41853-0%2F2%3Fmpre%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.ebay.co.uk%252Fi%252F222643538312%253Fchn%253Dps%2526dispItem%253D1%26itemid%3D222643538312%26targetid%3D414082151975%26device%3Dt%26adtype%3Dpla%26googleloc%3D9045670%26poi%3D%26campaignid%3D1058842546%26adgroupid%3D55998050830%26rlsatarget%3Dpla-414082151975%26abcId%3D1133916%26merchantid%3D9506244%26gclid%3DEAIaIQobChMI5PHUk7CU2gIVTrXtCh2qzwIfEAQYEyABEgJUh_D_BwE%26srcrot%3D710-134428-41853-0%26rvr_id%3D1483932613688

Crazy link. Sorry. Carrying 4 panniers, my tent and a bar bag is unfeasible. They aren’t going to stop the determined thief, but a knife would also work. They stop the opportunist and of course you could use a couple/more for each bag. And once they saved a pannier that bounced off my rack when I hit a huge pothole. All my valuables go into my bar bag which unclips and goes on my shoulder.

 

[wisdom]

I have Altura ones i think they are orkneys.They are push button release and 100%waterproof.

 

[gaijintendo]

I got an "ORTLIEB QL1 / QL2 Pannier Bag Carrying System" or backpack adaptor, and used a shoulder strap for the other one when I did Japan. I had a basket on my bike that time, so I had everything packed at the back, and just stuck what I needed to hand up front every few hours.
I wasn't especially concerned about theft, but the inconvenience of dragging bags with me was the price I pay for being really untrusting.

 

[mjr]

I'm paranoid, so I put one bag in a big floppy backpack (which usually rolls up and goes in it) and the other on a shoulder strap across my body. Put on in the other order IYSWIM. Sometimes there's a cloakroom where one or both can be left. Packing small and light becomes even more important IMO.

For big attractions, it's good to ride past your accommodation, leave bags and ideally check in, spend the afternoon at the attraction, then ride to dinner if not eating in, then ride back. We did that when visiting Keukenhof and it worked well.

For smaller attractions and group tours, often two of us take turns at guard duty.

 

[Heltor Chasca]

To add: I use these little cables, because I leave my panniers on the bike even at night when I camp. Wild or otherwise. More room in the tent and less filth from the road in my bed. Panniers also protect the bike when leaning against a tree or other structure. If it rains, it also means most of your drivetrain is dry and the lube doesn’t wash away.

 

[KneesUp]

As an about-face version of @mjr 's suggestion - put your stuff in a big floppy bag in the pannier, then when you leave the bike, take the big floppy bag of stuff with you and leave the empty pannier on the bike - mine has a handle that could thread through a lock to ensure they are still there later. I have Carradice CarraDura and they come with removeable shoulder straps, but the hooks are a bit annoying after a while when you use them

 

[swansonj]

I use these mini cables. https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/222643538312?chn=ps&dispItem=1&adgroupid=55998050830&rlsatarget=pla-414082151975&abcId=1133916&adtype=pla&merchantid=9506244&poi=&googleloc=9045670&device=t&campaignid=1058842546&crdt=0&ul_ref=http%3A%2F%2Frover.ebay.com%2Frover%2F1%2F710-134428-41853-0%2F2%3Fmpre%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.ebay.co.uk%252Fi%252F222643538312%253Fchn%253Dps%2526dispItem%253D1%26itemid%3D222643538312%26targetid%3D414082151975%26device%3Dt%26adtype%3Dpla%26googleloc%3D9045670%26poi%3D%26campaignid%3D1058842546%26adgroupid%3D55998050830%26rlsatarget%3Dpla-414082151975%26abcId%3D1133916%26merchantid%3D9506244%26gclid%3DEAIaIQobChMI5PHUk7CU2gIVTrXtCh2qzwIfEAQYEyABEgJUh_D_BwE%26srcrot%3D710-134428-41853-0%26rvr_id%3D1483932613688

Crazy link. Sorry. Carrying 4 panniers, my tent and a bar bag is unfeasible. They aren’t going to stop the determined thief, but a knife would also work. They stop the opportunist and of course you could use a couple/more for each bag. And once they saved a pannier that bounced off my rack when I hit a huge pothole. All my valuables go into my bar bag which unclips and goes on my shoulder.

Sorry, I'm being dense here. Do those links just screw up? If so, is there anything to stop a thief, even an opportunist one, just unscrewing them?

Mind you, they're so cheap I'm going to order some anyway...

Thanks

 

[Heltor Chasca]

Sorry, I'm being dense here. Do those links just screw up? If so, is there anything to stop a thief, even an opportunist one, just unscrewing them?

Mind you, they're so cheap I'm going to order some anyway...

Thanks

That’s right. If a thief wants your stuff, they’ll have it regardless. But it takes several turns of the barrel to unscrew it. Once on I swivel them around so the barrel is under or covered by something. They are great for key rings and gear loops. Tin snips or pliers will break these eventually. But they are light and just inconvenient for a thief.

Another thing I do is leave washing on top of the bags like swimming shorts or scruffy flip flops. Just makes the assumption there are more undesirable belongings hidden away in the depths of the panniers.

 

[Blue Hills]

I use these mini cables. https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/222643538312?chn=ps&dispItem=1&adgroupid=55998050830&rlsatarget=pla-414082151975&abcId=1133916&adtype=pla&merchantid=9506244&poi=&googleloc=9045670&device=t&campaignid=1058842546&crdt=0&ul_ref=http%3A%2F%2Frover.ebay.com%2Frover%2F1%2F710-134428-41853-0%2F2%3Fmpre%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.ebay.co.uk%252Fi%252F222643538312%253Fchn%253Dps%2526dispItem%253D1%26itemid%3D222643538312%26targetid%3D414082151975%26device%3Dt%26adtype%3Dpla%26googleloc%3D9045670%26poi%3D%26campaignid%3D1058842546%26adgroupid%3D55998050830%26rlsatarget%3Dpla-414082151975%26abcId%3D1133916%26merchantid%3D9506244%26gclid%3DEAIaIQobChMI5PHUk7CU2gIVTrXtCh2qzwIfEAQYEyABEgJUh_D_BwE%26srcrot%3D710-134428-41853-0%26rvr_id%3D1483932613688

Crazy link. Sorry. Carrying 4 panniers, my tent and a bar bag is unfeasible. They aren’t going to stop the determined thief, but a knife would also work. They stop the opportunist and of course you could use a couple/more for each bag. And once they saved a pannier that bounced off my rack when I hit a huge pothole. All my valuables go into my bar bag which unclips and goes on my shoulder.

thanks for the link heltor I have some of those but not at that price. Often thought, since they are so unobtrusive, of threading a chain of them through the spokes, But daft me would probably forget on returning.

 

[steveindenmark]

This could be your answer. Its called z lock and is like large zip tie with a steel core. There is a key to open them. You will find them on ebay and amazon. Its what I use.
https://www.hiplok.com/z-lok-zip-tie/

 

[Ticktockmy]

I just leave the panniers attached to the bike, I just run a couple of long cables through the Panner handles and two rings i have sewn onto them, I keep all my valuables in a bar bag. Having toured through Europe, Asia and Afirca, the only time when I know of anyone interfering with the panniers was when some little toe rag had a go at my panniers was in Taunton, sadly for him I returned as his had was dipped into one of the panniers.

 

[Low Gear Guy]

In some places there are left luggage lockers at the station. The ones in Germany are nearly big enough for a whole bike.

The UK has very few luggage lockers. There are some at the London stations but I have no experience of these.

Some museums will let you leave bags at reception. We have done this with large rucksacks. This arrangement is at your risk.

 

[Crankarm]

The trouble with leaving your bike in the UK is that there are so many thieves and also people and jobsworths who hate bicycles and cyclists. I would go for the booking accommodation with secure cycle storage or being able to leave your bikes in your rooms option so you just take a daypack when site seeing. That's if you can find a cycle friendly place of repose.

 

[Ticktockmy]

The trouble with leaving your bike in the UK is that there are so many thieves and also people and jobsworths who hate bicycles and cyclists. I would go for the booking accommodation with secure cycle storage or being able to leave your bikes in your rooms option so you just take a daypack when site seeing. That's if you can find a cycle friendly place of repose.

I have found that most B&B I have used here in the UK have a garage to sercure the bike, but hotels do not. The security issues is mainly a problen when in transit betwen overnight stops, lunch timestops, sightseeing stops, shopping etc. which is what concerns the OP. The only answer I have come up with is to try and keep the cycle in view or trust to luck as I do and hope that low key security are sufficient.