This rack mounted pannier bag

[AgentWayward]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07XDKFKGV/

From Amazon, £19.99

Been using it since just before Christmas.

It's a genuine bargain and so useful. Small and compact but expands.

The bag mounts easily onto the rack, there's a pocket on the underside that the rack's sprung clamp fits into which is fine for light loads and it's on and off in seconds. Or it can also be fastened on with the velcro straps which are integral, for more sturdiness, generally I use these if I'm using the zip and fold down pannier sides.
This pocket also contains a rain cover which is attached to the bag so it can't blow away or get lost.
The bag is showerproof without this, the rain cover has kept everything dry in a downpour.

It's not the biggest luggage on first sight, but it's amazing how much stuff you can get in it, especially when you use the pannier sides as well.
I keep my toolkit in the side pocket on one side and a tube in the sidepocket on the other side. These sidepockets are double zipped and contain the rolled up side panniers, just undo the zips fully and the pannier sides drop down.

The main compartment can hold waterproofs, gloves, hat, lights, a litre bottle of whatever etc. The main compartment is expandable by use of another zip to almost twice the size.

The side panniers are big enough to hold a box of cereals, A4 sized books, etc.

It has a built in carry handle and a shoulder strap.

I love it!

[mattheus]

I think this is a copy of a Topeak design.

I've used AGU's variant (now discontinued?) since 2007 for nearly all my audaxy adventures, it works really well. It uses 4 Velcro straps (1 at each corner) to attach - this isn't as elegant as other systems, but is reliable long-term, and fits almost any rack.

Enough space for a minimal-ish week away in hostels/B&Bs. I can find stuff more quickly than in panniers. (and far quicker than the modern massive seat-pack designs, needless to say!)

With the lid-extension deployed, you can fit a wine-bottle in there nice and securely

[Oldjohnw]

I have a cheap version from Tancendes. I've had it for about three years and use it a couple of times a week for shopping. It lives on my bike and only comes off when I do camping trips where I use my double AGU panniers.

With all the folding and unfolding the corners are beginning to wear through.

I highly recommend this type of bag.

[mjr]

I have a £10 version of a similar product, branded Giant IIRC. It lacks the pocket underneath so only attached by velcro which is not secure enough to stay put on the rack. It flopped about something rotten and did not keep its shape until I added a U-shaped strip of stiff plastic scavenged from a broken pannier. It is too wide to use on the rear rack of my folding bike because my heels hit it, even with panniers folded up.

The fold-out panniers were OK but one side started to come unstitched from the main bag after I put a litre brick of fruit juice and some vegetables in it and it's been awaiting repair for ages now. I lack motivation to make fixing it a priority because a satchel, dry bag, backpack or even a crate strapped to the top of the rear rack all seem more functional. I do not understand the popularity of these bags.

[AgentWayward]

I have a £10 version of a similar product, branded Giant IIRC. It lacks the pocket underneath so only attached by velcro which is not secure enough to stay put on the rack. It flopped about something rotten and did not keep its shape until I added a U-shaped strip of stiff plastic scavenged from a broken pannier. It is too wide to use on the rear rack of my folding bike because my heels hit it, even with panniers folded up.

The fold-out panniers were OK but one side started to come unstitched from the main bag after I put a litre brick of fruit juice and some vegetables in it and it's been awaiting repair for ages now. I lack motivation to make fixing it a priority because a satchel, dry bag, backpack or even a crate strapped to the top of the rear rack all seem more functional. I do not understand the popularity of these bags.

The one I have suffers from none of the issues that you have mentioned above.

I guess that explains why the popularity if a mystery to you!

[mattheus]

I have a £10 version of a similar product,
……..……...
because a satchel, dry bag, backpack or even a crate strapped to the top of the rear rack all seem more functional. I do not understand the popularity of these bags.

!

[mjr]

I have a £10 version of a similar product,
……..……...
because a satchel, dry bag, backpack or even a crate strapped to the top of the rear rack all seem more functional. I do not understand the popularity of these bags.

!

Well, I pick from what's on sale. Would you have expected the OP's "Reichine" to be better than a "Giant" branded one, then? The Topeak-branded version generally retails for about £60 at the moment, RRP seems to be £80 - if that failed in these ways, I'd be sending it back rather than leaving it on the shelf for possible repair.

[AgentWayward]

I have a £10 version of a similar product,
……..……...
because a satchel, dry bag, backpack or even a crate strapped to the top of the rear rack all seem more functional. I do not understand the popularity of these bags.

!

Well, I pick from what's on sale. Would you have expected the OP's "Reichine" to be better than a "Giant" branded one, then? The Topeak-branded version generally retails for about £60 at the moment, RRP seems to be £80 - if that failed in these ways, I'd be sending it back rather than leaving it on the shelf for possible repair.

It seems from your experience and mine, that my £20 version is considerably better than your £10 version!

[mattheus]

Who would have thought it??

[mjr]

It seems from your experience and mine, that my £20 version is considerably better than your £10 version!

Not necessarily: you've only had it a month! I was probably OK with mine a month after purchase, before its floppiness became troublesome and long before the pannier started to detach. Let's see after a year

And in terms of actual construction, does yours have anything keeping the centre section upright/square? Are the drop-out panniers just stitched on? Have you actually ridden any distance with some heavy A4 books in them?

I might have bought it for £10, but it was marked down as IIRC end-of-line when Giant were changing their luggage designs/suppliers.

[AgentWayward]

It seems from your experience and mine, that my £20 version is considerably better than your £10 version!

Not necessarily: you've only had it a month! I was probably OK with mine a month after purchase, before its floppiness became troublesome and long before the pannier started to detach. Let's see after a year

And in terms of actual construction, does yours have anything keeping the centre section upright/square? Are the drop-out panniers just stitched on? Have you actually ridden any distance with some heavy A4 books in them?

I might have bought it for £10, but it was marked down as IIRC end-of-line when Giant were changing their luggage designs/suppliers.

Fair enough, it's been used most days and shows no signs of any issues so far.

The centre section has stiff padding sewn into the walls which keep it's shape.
The panniers are double stitched in what looks like a robust manner to me.

Ive only used the panniers so far for shopping, 10 miles per loaded trip, multiple times. Heavy load. Seems ok.

To be honest, if it lasted a year and gave the service it gives now, I'd be happy with my £20 spend.