Replacing my panniers? M-Wave to... What?

[andym]

jhawk

- thanks for the pictures. That's a fixing system I haven't seen before.

I don't have a problem with the *construction* of the Ortlieb panniers, but I have managed to lose one when it came off the bike (as I was hammering down a rocky Spanish camino). Carelessness? Stupidity? Bad luck? I don't know, but I know secure any pannier with a strap. Quick release systems are fine and dandy except when they quick release when you don't want them to. I don't know whether you have speed bumps in North America, but speed bumps and paniers aren't a great combination.

I think my general advice for now would would be to focus on the rest of your kit - and then if later you find that you have money to replace them, start looking around at that point.

@Crankarm
I don't want to start a pannier war, but I would strongly recommend people *not* to buy Vaude panniers. I say this from bitter experience:

- presumably to save money on manufacturing, the plastic backboard is now secured by rivets that are part plastic. Yes you read that right - plastic. On earlier models (I suspect you have one of these) it was held together with screws, but no longer;

- the plastic backing is held on by two metal plates that are about a centimetre wide, and they overlap the plastic backing board by about two or three millimetres. That means that the weight of the pannier is supported on a very small area. A robust design? I don't think so. In fact if I could be arsed I have some pictures of what happens when they go west.

Vaude make decent products, and their desire to keep faith with their workforce is commendable, but I think it has lead them to make design decisions that have compromised the durability of the product. I say this by the way as someone who owns not one, not two, but three pairs of Vaude panniers (long story).

 

[steveindenmark]

If you look at all the riders who take their gear around the World with them, they use Ortleib, and swear by them. I have abused mine for 3 years and they are still like new.

Steve

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Myself and my husband were such riders - Ortlieb panniers for a world tour. Totally waterproof until your OH tries cycling through a barrier on a bridge rather than around it but the repair kit worked miracles and panniers have been totally waterproof since then (not saying they were not waterproof beforehand but there was this inbetween stage where they had holes in them...) and we have cycled through some of the worst weather Scandinavia and Scotland can through at you. They are still waterproof and air tight.

Clips are OK - there are some inserst 8mm or 11mm to take into account different rack sizes, these do have a habit on my OH's panniers of disappearing which I am convinced is the way he take the panniers off the bike (not level so both clips release at once, but lopsided with one side releasing before the other).

We have the QL1 system with the old style lower hook and once it is set up correctly and you have learnt how to do this - that is the important bit - the panniers do not come off the bike unless you want them to come off. We have taken both our touring bikes and our mountain bikes off-road with panniers attached and the panniers stay put even on descents that have litterally shaken our bones, worn through a set of brake pads in the peak district (earlier this year) and in one or two places been that steep and had such big drops I got off by bike to check the route I wanted to take down the +25% descent. The trick (ime) is to make sure that the pannier can not slide around up top and then use the lower clip to stop the pannier swinging out. Don't try using the lower clip to stop the pannier sliding around - this is almost impossible to accomplish and this is how they come loose (if you want a picture, let me know, it may make more sense that way). At least that is what we have found from 12 months continual daily use on an aborted world tour.

Otherwise we have found that over time some of the nuts work/rattle loose and need tightening from time to time (think it took 8 months the first time around), but it is not great deal to check them over every now and again - it gives you chance to check them over and make sure there are no pin head sized holes in them when your OH has put them down on a bed of thorns yet again!

 

[Crankarm]

jhawk

- thanks for the pictures. That's a fixing system I haven't seen before.

I don't have a problem with the *construction* of the Ortlieb panniers, but I have managed to lose one when it came off the bike (as I was hammering down a rocky Spanish camino). Carelessness? Stupidity? Bad luck? I don't know, but I know secure any pannier with a strap. Quick release systems are fine and dandy except when they quick release when you don't want them to. I don't know whether you have speed bumps in North America, but speed bumps and paniers aren't a great combination.

I think my general advice for now would would be to focus on the rest of your kit - and then if later you find that you have money to replace them, start looking around at that point.

@Crankarm
I don't want to start a pannier war, but I would strongly recommend people *not* to buy Vaude panniers. I say this from bitter experience:

- presumably to save money on manufacturing, the plastic backboard is now secured by rivets that are part plastic. Yes you read that right - plastic. On earlier models (I suspect you have one of these) it was held together with screws, but no longer;

- the plastic backing is held on by two metal plates that are about a centimetre wide, and they overlap the plastic backing board by about two or three millimetres. That means that the weight of the pannier is supported on a very small area. A robust design? I don't think so. In fact if I could be arsed I have some pictures of what happens when they go west.

Vaude make decent products, and their desire to keep faith with their workforce is commendable, but I think it has lead them to make design decisions that have compromised the durability of the product. I say this by the way as someone who owns not one, not two, but three pairs of Vaude panniers (long story).

I am really interested in your experience of Vaude panniers and would be keen to see any pics. You can PM me them if you wish. Have you contacted Vaude in Germany? As you have probably guessed I have had no problems with mine save for the waterproof zip on one of the side pockets that jammed after about 10 months but Vaude replaced both panniers without quibble, refunded my return postage as well and also returned my old panniers hooks as I didn't like the new ones on my new panniers. I felt their customer service was very good. It took about 10 days to receive replacements from Germany.

 

[P.H]

I had a pair of Vaudes replaced under warranty. Can't remember the model, Road something, very light. The top corners of the full plastic backplate rubbed holes in the material over six months use. The UK supplier didn't really want to know and eventually the manufacturer replaced them, I couldn't wait that long and I'd already bought some Ortliebs which have been faultless. So it's not just the panniers, it's where you can buy them, I'd expect that sort of problem to be sorted in days rather than weeks from the likes of Spa, SJS or Bike Plus, all Ortlieb suppliers.

 

[Crankarm]

I had a pair of Vaudes replaced under warranty. Can't remember the model, Road something, very light. The top corners of the full plastic backplate rubbed holes in the material over six months use. The UK supplier didn't really want to know and eventually the manufacturer replaced them, I couldn't wait that long and I'd already bought some Ortliebs which have been faultless. So it's not just the panniers, it's where you can buy them, I'd expect that sort of problem to be sorted in days rather than weeks from the likes of Spa, SJS or Bike Plus, all Ortlieb suppliers.

If you'd only had them 6 months then your legal recourse was to the shop where you bought them. I dealt with the distributor directly as the place where I bought them was back down in London TwoWheelsGood and it was pointless me sending them back to them for them to be sent onto the distributor who would then send them onto Vaude. I had all my receipts which was all I needed and they were still well within warranty.

 

[theloafer]

Carradice are good value for money and will last years - but not fully water proof - just add a liner. Ortleib are waterproof but expensive and a bit fiddly to fit on a rack.

had my carradice over 25 years still going strong even after I repaired 2 holes (with there kit) and also reproofed can see them lasting a while yet and never had to use a liner even on there last big trip lejogs over 17 days of which 13 was wet......

 

[HelenD123]

The panniers you've got seem pretty decent so don't waste your money changing them. You'll see little benefit. Like others have said, spend the money on a much smaller stove instead.

 

[CafGriff]

I've just come across a new web site.
These a sopposedly waterproof, tearproff and everything proof.
They look good, price is reasonable ( I think ) .... check it out, the company and product is called ' Crosso', I found them on E-Bay and did the natural rooying around for further info. They are Polish ... along with their main website, and a small section of written English, ( but not the price page !!)

I would value peoples thoughts on these things .... cos I am really tempted.
I've never seen these in The West Country, it's all Ort's, Carridales, Vaudes etc.

Have a safe day everyone!!

 

[CafGriff]

I have also found a Polish product that seems to be in the 'same ball park' as Ortleibs' and the most waterproof of all of the other waterproof kit ... check out ; Crosso' stuff.
The bags look good, seem roomie and seeing pictures of various bikes on various expeditions, seem just the type of hard wearing waterproof protection that everyone is looking for. I'm not sure of the price tags of the varying sizes of the front, rear or top deck panniers, cos I can't read Polish.
Check it ... let me know what you think.

 

[jhawk]

I have also found a Polish product that seems to be in the 'same ball park' as Ortleibs' and the most waterproof of all of the other waterproof kit ... check out ; Crosso' stuff.
The bags look good, seem roomie and seeing pictures of various bikes on various expeditions, seem just the type of hard wearing waterproof protection that everyone is looking for. I'm not sure of the price tags of the varying sizes of the front, rear or top deck panniers, cos I can't read Polish.
Check it ... let me know what you think.

Hi Caf,

I've looked at Crosso! They look great. Bit outside of my price range at the moment, I'll stick with my own panniers for now and replace them as and when it becomes necessary.

 

[Crankarm]

I have also found a Polish product that seems to be in the 'same ball park' as Ortleibs' and the most waterproof of all of the other waterproof kit ... check out ; Crosso' stuff.
The bags look good, seem roomie and seeing pictures of various bikes on various expeditions, seem just the type of hard wearing waterproof protection that everyone is looking for. I'm not sure of the price tags of the varying sizes of the front, rear or top deck panniers, cos I can't read Polish.
Check it ... let me know what you think.

The UK distributor

http://www.emkcycles.co.uk