Sweep wrote: On the OP, the thing I like about my ortliebs is that I have total confidence in them being watertight. Quite often leave them outside the tent with no worries. Even if rain is expected. And if bivvying they are by definition outside.
That's a really good point.
When the pestilence strikes from the East, go far and breathe the cold air deeply. Ignore the sage, stay not indoors. Ho Ri Zon 12th Century Chinese philosopher
gbnz wrote:My only regret is that I bought mine in grey, rather than bright orange/yellow or whatever
Ha, I count getting mine in grey as one of my better decisions! They're nice and neutral without being boring black, they've been on a selection of bikes - grey, black, red, blue, white, Ti and back to grey - looked good on them all.
PH wrote:They're nice and neutral without being boring black, they've been on a selection of bikes - grey, black, red, blue, white, Ti and back to grey - looked good on them all.
Yep, have to admit I bought in grey because I felt they'd look good on any colour of bike (Rather like grey work trousers). But the visibility benefits of bright orange/yellow have a higher value to me now (Nb. Strange as I'd had years enforcing high visibility clothing in the work place prior to buying them)
I have Altura Dryline panniers which I find very good except for the Kodra fabric outer getting soaked and taking a long time to dry out when wet (inside the pannier stays dry). I think if I was buying now, I would go for something plastic/rolltop like the Ortliebs (most likely would be Ortliebs).
Disclaimer: Treat what I say with caution and if possible, wait for someone with more knowledge and experience to contribute.
Pannier choice is quite a personal thing but obviously the key point is that your stuff fits inside and stays put. I think there are some 70l sizes if you take a lot of stuff. For me that would just be encouraging me to overpack so I don't go there! However, I have the ortlieb back roller classics (my third pannier set in 25 years) and I haven't bonded with them.
Good stuff: Waterproof LIme green colour (it's lovely!) and very visible as are the thingies for car lights to see you easy attachment no heel strike carrying handles
Bad stuff I don't like the shape- I find it very tall and a bit narrow compared to classic pannier share (wide at the top) so it's difficult to organise my stuff. I miss the extra pockets and storage space on the outside- my old bags had a mesh pocket at the front and a small bits pocket at the back. (nb there is a pocket inside). They are heavy. I don't like the roll top access- I prefer the classic drawstring and lid. I'm not a huge fan of the shiny exterior although I see that as a minor point
I'm considering moving onto ortlieb backpacker plus which solves most of these problems (and lime green still available) especially if I buy extra back pockets such as the mesh ones- but am taking my time as the classics haven't seen the wear they should have done for the money. I might not get another ortlieb though- there are some other good brands and I find that ortlieb panniers sit a bit higher than is my preference.
I can recommend the Ortlieb Bikepacker pluses MrsHJ.
Have had mine getting on for 20 years - in addition to touring they have been used for lots and lots of tough shopping and still look like new.
If you go for them, I'd make sure you aren't getting an older model (like mine) and that they are fitted with QL2.1 hooks. The ".1" signifies that the dreaded hook inserts go in from the side, not the bottom. After a few years OK use, I was then plagued with the inserts dropping out and the panniers partially detaching themselves from the racks. At least Ortlieb used a design which allows the hooks to be simply swapped and snapped on - cost me £20 to fit QL2.1 hooks and now all is well.
The only issue I have with them touring is that I do find them a bit small (barely 40 litres a pair I think) so I have to put more stuff on top of the rack. So I may get those bigger Ortliebs you aren't keen on, though they do seem to have gone a bit overboard with them. I think I would be happy with 50 or 60 litres the pair.
If it makes you feel better about your classic rolltops and you shop by bike, I find them great for shopping. I recently acquired a second hand pair for a very good press and they are way better as a shopping pannier than the more expensive Bike Packer Pluses. They have a lot of straps you have to faff with and if you aren't careful, since Ortlieb has provided more strap than you can possibly need, you have to be careful that they don't end up in your wheel or interfere with your chain.
So in short I'd be inclined to get the Bikepacker Pluses as soon as finances allow AND keep your existing ones.
I have looked at other panniers and do have some more but I do think that Ortliebs are unbeatable for serious touring. Spares readily available as well. Also a reason for standardising on them.
I would get Ortleib, Carradice or Crosso panniers, although I think I'm right that only the Ortleib panniers have hooks that actually lock around the top rail of the rack. It's a big deal for me as I tend to go over some quite rough terrain. I've used Carradice cotton duck, Ortleib classic (pvc) and Ortleib plus (pu inner coated) panniers, in addition to other brands that were still not cheap but that I wouldn't even consider using again. The robustness of the materials used by Ortleib is second to none in my experience, both bag fabric and the plastic used for the hook fittings. It's better to use gas hose pipe of the correct in/ex diameter around the rack rails instead of the plastic hook inserts - It stops any rattling and also abrasion damage to the rack. I will soon buy some Ortleib bike packer plus rear panniers as I really want the lid and pockets in conjunction with the Ortleib quality. Very expensive, of course, but not when considering lifespan in comparison to bags not too much cheaper.
How do Ortlieb Roller Classic users tend to fasten them?
Do you (a) mostly use the strap and route it under the hook, or (b) forget the strap and clip the side release buckles together in typical dry bag fashion?
Personally, I find using the strap far too fiddly.
F70100 wrote:How do Ortlieb Roller Classic users tend to fasten thfem?
Do you (a) mostly use the strap and route it under the hook, or (b) forget the strap and clip the side release buckles together in typical dry bag fashion?
Personally, I find using the strap far too fiddly.
Has to be Ortleib! Simple highly effective design, waterproof and very durable I've had Carradice and Altura but they are both inferior and less well designed, though probably cheaper. I'd also have a bar bag with map case. And a lightweight back pack - this kept rolled up and empty on the pannier rack, ready for shopping and/or overspill, strapped on, or on your back for short periods (not for long!) If the weather looks bad the back pack is a handy place for easy access for water proofs etc.
F70100 wrote:How do Ortlieb Roller Classic users tend to fasten them?
Do you (a) mostly use the strap and route it under the hook, or (b) forget the strap and clip the side release buckles together in typical dry bag fashion?
Personally, I find using the strap far too fiddly.
I mostly use the strap. It generally gives a neater closure plus you can over stuff the panniers a bit more (albeit at the expenses of the slight risk of water leaking in), for example to carry extra food at the end of a day from a shop to a campsite, I would use it as a long range solution. The other advantage of the straps is you can carry one or more pannier over a shoulder to, say, reduce the bike weight if you need to lift it onto a train.
Former member of the Cult of the Polystyrene Head Carbuncle.
simonhill wrote:Ortliebs definitely seem to have become the default choice nowadays. How things have changed.
Nonetheless, your daughter may want to see what style of pannier she finds best. Most Ortliebs are just big bags with no outside pockets - yes, I know you can buy some to screw on.
I (still) use Carradice Super Cs and find the large rear pocket very useful. Spare water bottle, lube, banana, anything else I don't want in the main compartment. The pockets are easy to access while on the road and I always keep my tablet, maps, etc in one. Personally I like the old style canvas look of them - a bit less nickable than the shiny plastic of Ortlieb. Also as the Cs are breathable the inside get less clammy than the super sealed Orts. Unfortunately the Cs are not 100% waterproof, especially after a few years.
Where is your daughter cycling, somewhere exciting, I hope.
F70100 wrote:How do Ortlieb Roller Classic users tend to fasten them?
Do you (a) mostly use the strap and route it under the hook, or (b) forget the strap and clip the side release buckles together in typical dry bag fashion?
Personally, I find using the strap far too fiddly.
By strap I presume you mean the shoulder strap? I have tried that - didn't last one trip as they constantly came adrift and got caught on undergrowth etc.looks very pretty for photo shoots but IME not very practical. I can take a strap loose if I really want one with me.
I roll the top down and seal with the over strap then pull the sides together over the top and clip dry bag style. Bags can be adjusted height wise and are sealed water tight if rolled over a couple of times. Mine have never let wet in despite being submerged and flooded by torrential rain at different times.
Convention? what's that then? Airnimal Chameleon touring, Orbit Pro hack, Orbit Photon audax, Focus Mares AX tour, Peugeot Carbon sportive, Owen Blower vintage race - all running Tulio's finest!
foxyrider wrote:... By strap I presume you mean the shoulder strap? I have tried that - didn't last one trip as they constantly came adrift and got caught on undergrowth etc......
