Single pannier - but which side?

[kwackers]

One pannier, always left as it doesn't get mixed up in the chain and gears. Even when heavily loaded with shopping, balance is fine.

My pannier has a reflective section, so I stick it on the right - hopefully to make the bike look wider and more importantly further out into the road to traffic coming up from behind.

Also being on the right it helps capture some of the crap off the chain - just remember not to put it down on the carpet when you get in...

I may though at some point swap it to the left for a bit, can't help but notice the right hand side of the rack is looking a bit 'worn' where the pannier attaches.
(I have also considered whether having a pannier on one side only would eventually weaken the rack but so far I've seen no sign of that).

[DaveP]

People wont have to worryabout which side to attach their pannier when they try the extra lightweight single side pannier rack I have on the drawing board.
They will be available in left and right versions, but that's just to make it easy for shops to sell, singly, both panniers of a pair...

[kwackers]

People wont have to worryabout which side to attach their pannier when they try the extra lightweight single side pannier rack I have on the drawing board.
They will be available in left and right versions, but that's just to make it easy for shops to sell, singly, both panniers of a pair...

Why not make them universal - like the Ortlieb's I have. I still have my 'spare' ready for when (if) the other fails. They're both identical - you just place the fastenings for left or right.

[crazydavid]

I bought a pair last week, put the left one on my road bike, the right one on my mountain/winter bike, or was it the other way round? I'll have to check now

[hartleymartin]

Doesn't particularly matter. Most would probably say on the right side to encourage motorists to give you more room when overtaking.

Why not get yourself a saddle-bag and/or a handle-bar bag?

I'm currently waiting for Carradice to do an old-fashioned handlebar bag to match my Camper long-flap... then I'm probably going to get the green Kendal Panniers.

[Cunobelin]

Doesn't particularly matter. Most would probably say on the right side to encourage motorists to give you more room when overtaking.

Why not get yourself a saddle-bag and/or a handle-bar bag?

I'm currently waiting for Carradice to do an old-fashioned handlebar bag to match my Camper long-flap... then I'm probably going to get the green Kendal Panniers.

Brooks do a rather tasty set - and a snip at £250 for the bar bag, and £475 for the panniers!

[Cunobelin]

Unipanniarists!!!

Beware!
They are infesting your neighbourhood NOW!

Single panniers are the work of Santa




(Satan really, but I wanted to add seasonal twist)

[Cyril Haearn]

People wont have to worryabout which side to attach their pannier when they try the extra lightweight single side pannier rack I have on the drawing board.
They will be available in left and right versions, but that's just to make it easy for shops to sell, singly, both panniers of a pair...

Great idea, may I order three and a half?

[RickH]

What about pseudo-monopannierists?

Sometimes, if I am going on a return journey but only taking most of the stuff I'm carrying one way, I put one empty pannier inside the other (nearly) empty one until (or after) I've got stuff to put in them both.

It is not infrequent that I use only one pannier or use a mis-matched pair - a rear pannier on one side (for something bulky) & a front on the other (both on the rear).

I used to be quite careful about balancing up front panniers but, by accident (on a school run - seat on the back panniers on the front), found that having virtually all the weight on one side didn't actually make much difference at all.

[Cunobelin]

Are there no standards any more?

One might understand and condone using different size panniers (of the same manufacturer and colour) on each side, but mismatched panniers?

What is the world coming to ?

[mjr]

I sometimes put my empty panniers in my saddlebag!

[bovlomov]

Front left, at the moment.

[RickH]

I was getting confused for a minute as there is a "single pannier" topic that started yesterday (Friday) in "Does Anyone Know". I hadn't noticed I was replying to this recently resurrected topic, that hadn't seen a post since 2011 until today, rather than the new one until my post didn't seem to be where I thought it would be.

Edited to add link to the other mono-pannierist topic - viewtopic.php?f=1&t=126492