Vaude pannier clips / mounting system - failures !!

[SusieP]

Hello,

I would love some advice. I have had 2 vaude panniers and each time I have experienced the same problem with the mounting device. Initally it works (for the first couple of months), and then something breaks in one of clips, resulting in it becoming unattached anytime I go over a bump. This has been quite frightening - on my commute yesterday my pannier fell in to oncoming traffic. Thankfully I didnt have anything breakable in it! I have also had the pannier come loose and fall into the spokes and wheel.

Has anyone else experienced similar problems? I need to buy a replacement pannier ASAP but am now rather nervous of the mounting system. Perhaps I have just been really unlucky with the two panniers I have bought. I have not really seen alternatives to the QL2 system. Any suggestions would be greatly received!

Thanks

[LollyKat]

Buy Carradice or Ortlieb panniers instead - my Carradice panniers have been abused and overloaded for many years and I've never had a clip fail. In any case, you can buy spare ones (Carradice ones direct from Carradice.)

[mjr]

You can buy Ortleib's QL system catches/handles as a spare part from SJS and bolt them to other panniers. I've done this with a Bikemate pannier and then when that died (rather quickly) transferred it to an SJS pannier.

Some Basil panniers have a little flip catch to prevent it bouncing off and I think some others have similar. It's OK but you do have to remember to flip it open before removing or you're trying to lift the bike with the pannier, which isn't good for the catch!

[alexnharvey]

I like my ortliebs (city rollers, ql2 mounts) but they are destroying my rack quite quickly by abrading it and this would make me loathe to buy more or recommend them to others. Is the new mounting system better, or is this a common problem across pannier brands?

edit I suppose ql3 and 3.1 do solve the rack wear problem.

[mjr]

QL3 seems a cynical attempt to sell one mount per rack instead of per bag. I just taped my rack where the QL2 jaws started rubbing.

[yutkoxpo]

Hello,

I would love some advice. I have had 2 vaude panniers and each time I have experienced the same problem with the mounting device. Initally it works (for the first couple of months), and then something breaks in one of clips, resulting in it becoming unattached anytime I go over a bump. This has been quite frightening - on my commute yesterday my pannier fell in to oncoming traffic. Thankfully I didnt have anything breakable in it! I have also had the pannier come loose and fall into the spokes and wheel.

Has anyone else experienced similar problems? I need to buy a replacement pannier ASAP but am now rather nervous of the mounting system. Perhaps I have just been really unlucky with the two panniers I have bought. I have not really seen alternatives to the QL2 system. Any suggestions would be greatly received!

Thanks

Can you be more specific on the "something" that breaks?

I've only experience with one set of Vaude panniers with a friend touring and hers had inserts in the clips that could be changed out depending on the size/thickness of the rack. If one or both of these fall out, then the rack will not grip the rack properly, potentially coming loose over a bump.
Can you compare the bad one to the good one?

If that is your problem, it's easily fixed by getting some hose material and wrapping this around your rack where the pannier connects, removing the inserts from the bag. This has the advantage too of reducing the wear and tear on the rack itself.
Not a great pic, but you can see the tubing on the racks front and rear.

[interestedcp]

I like my ortliebs (city rollers, ql2 mounts) but they are destroying my rack quite quickly by abrading it...

The abrasion seems to be strongly accelerated if the pannier is sitting loosely on the rack. Using the Ortlieb hook inserts and ensuring the anti-sway hook on the bottom sits really tight is a good start. If possible also move the QL2 hooks on their rail so at least one of them are supported by a rack strut to restrict movement even further.

Finally, you can also buy some "Ortlieb Abrasion Protectors" :
https://www.bike-components.de/en/Ortli ... l-o200001/

They are placed into the slots where the anti-sway hook is situated like this:


The newer QL2.1 system has a "softer" anti-sway hook base, which reduce the rack abrasion problem, but as long as the pannier can move around, something will suffer from abrasion, either the rack, where the pannier rubs against the rack, or some sacrificial device inserted between the rack and pannier.

[Ivor Tingting]

I used to have Vaude Aqua Plus rear panniers. They were very good until they wore out quite literally after 8 years solid use. The fabric failed and split along some of the lower seams on the bottom. However the hooks to hook onto the rack never caused problems once. I thought them better than Ortlieb's variants which I now have. They both have plastic inserts of different thickness to fit into the pannier hooks depending on the diameter of the tubing of the rack you are fixing them to. Neither my Vaude or Ortlieb ones have ever fallen out. But since the set of Vaude Aqua Plus rear panniers I had, Vaude has changed the design of the hooks in particular substituting whizz wheels instead of cap head bolts to tighten the bolts that hold the hooks in position on their hard plastic back plate which I felt was an awful design decision. They have also changed the external buckles to the bag, the ones on the side to secure the rolled top and the middle outer one for a much more fragile looking design which I thought wouldn't last 5 minutes when I saw them. So I bought Ortlieb panniers instead. A bit smaller but the fabric is way more durable and robust. My Vaude panniers developed small holes on each side of the bags where the fabric would roll and crease at the ends. They never let water in but still never the less. My Ortlieb bags don't seem to suffer from this. The Vaude bags were slightly larger as well but Ortlieb have since introduced supersize rear panniers 70 litres total if you want to carry that much stuff.

If you could provide pictures of the problems you are describing of the hooks and your bike's rack this would be very helpful to allow us to suggest a practical solution.

In the long run I would get some Ortlieb panniers instead. The Cordura based fabric ones are far lighter than the PVC based ones of either Vaude or Ortlieb although I don't think the fabric is actually PVC. The Cordura ones are every bit as waterproof and durable but most importantly lighter.

To protect a bike rack from wear or indeed a pannier, old inner tube works well or a few layers of duct tape.

You could also use a bungee cord around a pannier to secure it to the rack so it is much less likely to work loose and certainly not become detached and fall off in the road risking causing an accident or your stuff inside getting squashed.

[uysalt]

I was using Ortlieb Back-roller Plus panniers, sold them them and bought Vaude Aqua Back Plus panniers instead. I yet have test them on the road but have filled them with camping stuff and tried home and must say it felt a lot better than Ortlieb in the main compartment and the side packet comes as a bonus.

The attachment to the rack attaches firmly when you press on it and lock it, something different to Ortlieb and one should, of course, not forget doing this, otherwise yes the panniers could fall off. When pressed and closed, however, I hardly believe that these would be released for any reason.

Different to Ortlieb, there are small holes on the insert where you could use a small (say a combination) lock for preventing it from petty theft of someone grabbing and stealing the panniers. If you are somehow experiencing problems as such you may as well place such locks that would make it certainly impossible for the panniers to fall off.

As for the abrasion, Tubus have these two products, incidentally that I came across only yesterday. I also suffer from abrasion on the top tube of the rack;
https://www.tubus.com/en/products/acces ... -foil-set/
and also
https://www.tubus.com/en/products/acces ... ction-set/
I will give the foil a try to prevent further damage.

A question, using the opportunity, if anyone may help;

What would be the way to attach an Ortlieb Rack Pack to my Aqua Back Plus panniers? I have an eye on the 24 l one (I would like to have 20 l or less but could not find a good waterproof bag of that size). Vaude also have a 30 l too, same as Ortlieb.

[gregoryoftours]

If that is your problem, it's easily fixed by getting some hose material and wrapping this around your rack where the pannier connects, removing the inserts from the bag. This has the advantage too of reducing the wear and tear on the rack itself.
Not a great pic, but you can see the tubing on the racks front and rear.
IMG_20170522_130919246.jpg

I don't know if your panniers have the same fixing method as Ortlieb; it sounds like it might be as you say is ql2.
I would strongly second Hobbesontour's method, The sections of hose are much more secure than the inserts, fill the space better, no rattles and stop abrasion of your rack. The hose is best secured with zip ties or gaffer tape. The clip inserts (the ones that reduce the diameter to fit your rack tubing) can and do fall out over rough surfaces. We have a fleet of bikes that go out with ortlieb panniers, and they frequently come back missing one or both inserts. I've experienced it myself also.
The closest match i found to fit the bare clips with no inserts and my rack (tubus) is this hose at 16mm od, 10mm inner diameter.
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre ... 2198946216
I also use the anti abrasion inserts that someone else posted about; the ones that fit in the channels around the lower hooks. Since fitting the hose I've never had a pannier come off unless I'd not hooked it on properly in the first place, even over rough offload. I'd also recommend if your pannier /rack allow it to fit an extra lower hook in an opposing direction.