panniers for shopping

[nez]

I have a Dawes super Galaxy with old Karrimor panniers. I love them but they are not really the most suitable for shopping, and since I have retired I am deputed to shop more and more by my un-retired wife. What I'd really like to find is something like a shopping bag which just clips on the bike and clips off for the trolley dash around Sainsbury's. Does it exist? I found this <<TACTUFF Shopping Bag Pannier>> on amazon, but they are hors de service/ pas disponible for some reason or other. Any leads?

[simonhill]

I leave the pannier on the bike and take a reusable poly bag into the shop. Fill poly bag, then it just drops into the pannier.

All you need is a (or two) suitable sized bag(s) and don't overfill them. Much easier than carting panniers around.

Another issue is weight, I often find my shopping weighs more than a normal touring pannier full, so you need pretty tough ones.

My shopping pannier is an ex touring Super C, so nothing special.

[Patrickpioneer]

I agree bout the weight, today I will be off shopping on the bike and two small bags of shopping can weigh 25 pounds very easy. I also just fill the shopping bags in store then dump them in my panniers.
Pat

[gbnz]

a shopping bag which just clips on the bike and clips off for the trolley dash around Sainsbury's. Does it exist? ?

Yes. Ortlieb panniers

[PT1029]

Ortleibs are good - in good weather I see people with roll tops un rolled, then fill them to the brim (almost).
Years ago I used to use Karrimores. In the supermarket I used to use the pannier hooks to clip the to the inside of the supermarket trolly. At the till the panniers are thus upright and ready for loading as the items get through the till.
Works best if you put the heavy items to be priced first, then they go at the bottom of the panniers.
Currently use Alturas, fine for shopping. Some panniers are loaf sized, some squashed loaf size.

[rualexander]

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=shopp ... 80&bih=800

[gaz]

Panniers are good for quaxing. IMO a trailer is better.

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[John1054]

I use Karrimor panniers, but if it's a big shop - Bob Yak + ordinary shopping bags works best for me.

[foxyrider]

Ortlieb roll tops are my choice, clip on trolley and big enough for bulky items. Tinned goods are your enemy, easy to fill a bag and find you can't lift it! Heavy/frozen stuff at the bottom - maybe strip out excess packaging before packing.

Alternatively they do the 'Bike Shopper' - same fitting but with a pair of handles and a bit less capacity as no roll top - potentially better to avoid weight overload.

IME a lot of the so called shopping panniers are not really suitable for any serious luggage carrying being too small and with poor fixings.

[Cunobelin]

Christiania - superb shopping vehicle

[Cunobelin]

Depends on what you want to do with them overall.

There are plenty of "open" panniers which are ideal fo shopping, but not usable where you need security or waterproofing



A really robust option is the "Bike Bin"

[nez]

Thanks all. Cunobelin's open shopping bag (the first illustration) is what I had in mind, though with a couple of handles for the trolley dash.I wonder where they come from. The only problem with my karrimors is the top doesn't stay open while the clips are a faff for remounting on the bike when the bag is loaded. I love the idea of the Christiana but £2k to solve the problem seems a bit extreme.

To those who claim a couple of carrier bags is the answer, they aren't really. You arrive back at the bike and usually have to repack everything into the karrimors. Odd shaped stuff just won't go into the pannier bag all at once inside a plastic bag.

I'll investigate the ortleibs though I fear they may not pass the 'those look nice, how much did they cost?' test.

[slowster]

Ortlieb's fixing system pretty much meets your requirement for "a shopping bag which just clips on the bike and clips off for the trolley dash".

I would suggest you choose between the Back Roller (roll top) and the Bike Packer (lid) versions.

With the bag open the Back Roller is very much like a carrier bag in the sense that there is nothing in the opening to get in the way of placing things in the bag. As PT1029 says, it is possible to get away with overfilling them a bit by not rolling the top down, and just using the fastex buckle to stop whatever is at the top of the bag bouncing out. (Obviously you should not have lots of small loose items at the top of the bag, but rather something bulky like a loaf, and to state the bleeding obvious, don't do this if it's raining. The option of not fully rolling over the top is also useful if you buy a baguette and don't want to fold/cut it).

The Bike Packer has a lid and an inner neck of fabric with a drawcord to prevent items at the top from escaping. You might prefer that.

I'll investigate the ortleibs though I fear they may not pass the 'those look nice, how much did they cost?' test.

I think this is one of those things where you can justify the expense when you consider the cost of driving to the shops or taking the bus etc., as well as the environmental and health benefits (to you) of shopping by bike. It's not as if you are considering splashing out on something which is a purely self indulgent purchase, like a top end road bike or the latest Garmin gadget: the panniers are simply a tool for the job and something you will be using regularly for years. Cheaper panniers will simply not last as long and would probably be a false economy, and will be likely to let you down in an unwelcome surprise when a fixing fails or a wet load of shopping reveals that a pannier is not as reliably waterproof as claimed. I agree with simonhill: shopping is probably as hard on panniers as cyclecamping, so you do need good ones.

[Ivor Tingting]

Panniers are panniers. There good and bad. I have full sets of panniers. Ortlieb Back Roller Plus are most useful whether shopping, commuting or cycle touring. They are simply the best on the market. Very practical, robust and waterproof. Also they have a 5 year warranty. I also have a 31litre (M) Ortlieb rack pack that goes across the top of them should I need extra space. I have never yet had to use all this extra over flow space in the rack pack in addition to the full rear panniers yet when shopping and I some times buy a lot. I also have a Bob Yak trailer, but have never used it for shopping. If I need to buy a lot of stuff or really big items I use the car. It just makes sense.

[nez]

Panniers are good for quaxing. IMO a trailer is better.
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You sneaked in an extra pannier.