pannier advice

[DrScience]

Hey,

I'm planning another long, long bike tour (over a year).  In the past I've used a bob trailer, but this time around I think panniers are the way to go.  

I'm looking for advice on panniers.  Most people say ortlieb, but I'm not made of money and therefore have a very limited budget.  The panniers would have to water-proof.  

Any suggestions on what to choose?

[scott.laughlin]

Hey!

I'm not a good source for information, but my panniers were bought at REI about seven years ago.  I don't know how many miles are on them, but several thousand, and except for being faded from the sun they are still in perfect condition.

As for water proof, I'm not sure that's possible.  I would invest in a bunch of zip lock bags and figure on using them ib everything I wanted dry.

Tell us your plans.

[FredHiltz]

A year! You are going to stir up a lot of envy here.

Yes, waterproof is possible. My 80-day ride with Ortliebs proved it for me. I watched one guy empty his out and use it to carry water from the spring to the campground. They really do not leak a drop, achieving it by the complete absence of seams. That means no external zippered pockets and no internal dividers. You would probably want another bag for access to small stuff during the day. I used a handlebar bag.

Nashbar's lower-priced imitator has received mixed reviews. I do not recall a negative word about Ortlieb, but there must be someone out there who is not pleased with them. Check the difference in price, divide by the number of days expected use, and see whether the durability and peace of mind while riding into camp in the pouring rain are worth the money.

Search this site for Ortlieb, also epinions.com.

As Scott says, please tell us your plans.

Fred

This message was edited by FredHiltz on 6-28-05 @ 7:20 AM

[Styx]

I use Jandd panniers and they work great..... since mine are the non-water proof Large Mountain and Mini-Mountain Panniers I just use Space Bags inside and
everything stays dry. Jannd also make high quality waterproof panniers.

http://www.jandd.com

[pamelaw]

Regarding waterproof panniers--I've always found that lining the panniers w/ a plastic bag (heavy duty) works like a charm. I've been doing it for about 20 years. However, I've just purchased rain covers (maybe a month ago) so we'll see how that goes!

[TheDaltonBoys]

Howdy folks...any non-waterproof panniers constructed of Cordura or any other similar "big weave" material can be treated with Scotchgard and made largely water resistant. One will periodically have to re-treat for water repellancy, and a large can of Scotchgard isn't the cheapest in the world, but it does work albeit not as well as Ortliebs, or other panniers/bags made of herculite. Just wanted to suggest an alternative for the cycling masses.....Enjoy the voyage  Mark of the Dalton Boys

[ldtuttle]

I have a full set of Arkel's, and am really pleased with them.  They may be a bit steep price-wise, but for a trip that long you may want someting that is thoughtfully designed for such a trip.  

[ATSFfan]

I used a set of REI's bags last spring on a Southern Tier tour (41 days, 3100 miles) and they held up incredibly well. The rain covers built into the bags work very well, although I also some of my gear in plastic bags. I could get the rain covers on within a few minutes of feeling raindrops; and they're bright yellow - a big plus in a driving rain.