Pannier inserts

Cycle-touring, Expeditions, Adventures, Major cycle routes NOT LeJoG (see other special board)
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MrsHJ
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Pannier inserts

Post by MrsHJ »

I didn’t realise these were a thing. I’m highly organised in my panniers these days when touring (didn’t used to be but it makes it easier especially with ortlieb buckets). I already pack my stuff into a clothes bag, electronics bag, toiletries, waterproofs bag, repair kit etc ( the small stuff goes in £2 vegetable repeat use bags from sainsbos). I can see some benefits to a fitted insert as it should match the pattern of the panniers and avoid those annoying gaps you tend to get. Anyone got one and are they useful or just a gimmick?

Couple of a examples:
Vaude. https://www.vaude.com/en-GB/Equipment/B ... =124260690
Ortlieb https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/luggageortl ... -panniers/
Psamathe
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Re: Pannier inserts

Post by Psamathe »

No experience myself but video review might be of interest


Ian
axel_knutt
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Re: Pannier inserts

Post by axel_knutt »

The look like expensive, heavy space wasters to me. The panniers already have carry handles, and they're easily waterproofed with heavy duty polythene rucksack liners, with the fit customised using a bit of Sellotape and origami. Sellotape quickly repairs leaks, too.
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Traction_man
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Re: Pannier inserts

Post by Traction_man »

axel_knutt wrote: 25 Jun 2022, 1:10pm The look like expensive, heavy space wasters to me. The panniers already have carry handles, and they're easily waterproofed with heavy duty polythene rucksack liners, with the fit customised using a bit of Sellotape and origami. Sellotape quickly repairs leaks, too.
yep, 40 quid for **each** pannier as far as I can see, I think I'll stick to a combination of freezer bags and cotton tote bags for my stuff!

cheers,

Keith
jacobean
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Re: Pannier inserts

Post by jacobean »

Can't see the point. They look like they would add to your weight. They also look cumbersome.

This is a better solution. Also allows you colour code your luggage which saves a lot of time.

https://www.sportsdirect.com/luggage/gym-bags-and-sacks
PH
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Re: Pannier inserts

Post by PH »

When I use anything it's stuff sacks, I have a bit of a collection, some bought but most homemade from re-cycled material. Everything from mesh to heavy duty waterproof. I like the packing organised, I also like to leave the panniers on the bike where appropriate, or at least not bring them into the inner tent.
a fitted insert as it should match the pattern of the panniers and avoid those annoying gaps you tend to get.
Isn't it just going to move the annoying gaps from the pannier to the insert? I can't see how having more divisions within the pannier creates more usable space. Depends what you're packing of course, cookware seems to be the most awkward, however you pack it there's likely to be a fair bit of wasted space.
For utility use I have some solid panniers, Velobins, it's hard to maximise their capacity, I think adding inserts to flexible panniers is going down he same route.
Psamathe
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Re: Pannier inserts

Post by Psamathe »

PH wrote: 25 Jun 2022, 2:01pm When I use anything it's stuff sacks, I have a bit of a collection, some bought but most homemade from re-cycled material. Everything from mesh to heavy duty waterproof. I like the packing organised, I also like to leave the panniers on the bike where appropriate, or at least not bring them into the inner tent.
a fitted insert as it should match the pattern of the panniers and avoid those annoying gaps you tend to get.
Isn't it just going to move the annoying gaps from the pannier to the insert? I can't see how having more divisions within the pannier creates more usable space. Depends what you're packing of course, cookware seems to be the most awkward, however you pack it there's likely to be a fair bit of wasted space.
For utility use I have some solid panniers, Velobins, it's hard to maximise their capacity, I think adding inserts to flexible panniers is going down he same route.
I've considered them but never gone for them because I always felt the disadvantages outweighed the benefits (ignoring the cost). As you say, they would just move the gaps between items from in the pannier to inside the "insert". The main benefit I saw was for isolating wet stuff. I tend to end-up with one wet gear pannier, dry stuff in all the others e.g. wet tent together with stuff that is happy wet (e.g. bike locks, gas canisters, etc.) in one pannier with clothes, sleeping bag, etc. in (dry) others. Having the inserts could possibly mean just having a single "wet" insert rather than an entire pannier - but reality is that the source of the water is the tent and that would be too big for one of the inserts anyway (even in glorious French summer, tent is covered in dew each morning). Plus I have enough stuff unaffected by wet that even with one "wet" pannier, it's still sensibly full and sensibly balanced with the "dry" ones so they'd not really solve a problem that does not exist anyway.

As others do, I manage fine with stuff sacks (I use Exped ones) and some normal travel packing cubes.

Ian
Jdsk
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Re: Pannier inserts

Post by Jdsk »

Psamathe wrote: 25 Jun 2022, 2:28pmAs others do, I manage fine with stuff sacks (I use Exped ones) and some normal travel packing cubes.
SNAP!

I can't imagine a situation in which any advantage would outweigh (!) the extra volume, mass and cost of the "insert".

(But for us the tent goes in its bag on top of the rack, never in a pannier.)

Jonathan
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MrsHJ
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Re: Pannier inserts

Post by MrsHJ »

I think you’re all right (although I’m not interested in using bin bags and tape origami to make inserts!). I’ve mostly got my stuff working now but I’d have appreciated these years ago when I got a touch of ocd with my new panniers being sinkholes of disorganised chaos.

Now to try to resist getting new panniers to match my new bike..,(the old ones have a leak which is no doubt fixable with tape and origami).
simonhill
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Re: Pannier inserts

Post by simonhill »

An open space has more usable space than lots of small compartments.

I use poly bags to pack my stuff - the sort that used to be given when shopping in a department store. I have a fine collection of Alders, presumably from my Mother, as I've never been there.

Shirts in one, trousers/shorts another, etc. Smaller bags for socks and undies and appropriate bags for other stuff. These can be packed so as to utilise most of the space. Pressure and gravity over time helps fill any spaces.

What I do find on a longer tour is that some bags never get used and I live out of the top of my 2 panniers.
bohrsatom
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Re: Pannier inserts

Post by bohrsatom »

For clothes we use packing cubes, picked up (reasonably) cheaply from Muji several years ago. They’re so useful they come on every trip, cycling or not.

We also use some lightweight bags from Alpkit, sadly no longer made, to store electronics, bike spares, etc. I find it’s easy to fill a pannier with a combination of the two

Never come across the Ortlieb inserts before, they look good but are pretty pricey!
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Sweep
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Re: Pannier inserts

Post by Sweep »

Late to thread, but as others have suggested, they look like a bad - nearing on anal - idea to me.

You need stuff to squidge into those little gaps.

I don't really favour cubes for panniers either for similar reasons.

Can recommend these.

https://www.outdooraction.co.uk/vango-m ... -set-p2221

they are pretty strong, nice strong cord and toggle fastening as well - good sizes - the green one is pretty large so I find handy for putting all the unused totally clean clothing etc in.

I don't need waterproof bags inside the Ortliebs (apart for bags containing wet/damp stuff) and anything not mesh can make packing trickier - traps air/increases volume.

was very surprised on a recent drift round decathlon to find that they don't do anything similar, though this could be used as a big bag.

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/swim-bag- ... R-p-142872

Not purpose designed for the task though so the fastening at the top isn't as good.
Sweep
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foxyrider
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Re: Pannier inserts

Post by foxyrider »

I use a collection of small packing cubes and dry bags.

I have looked at the Ortlieb inserts, they could be useful to folks who less anal about their kit than some people on these fora! Does it matter if they take up a bit of space or add a few grams to your payload? Most buyers will be riding E bikes that weigh a ton already and won't need anywhere for a tent, they meet a need for a certain part of Ortliebs customer base, believe it or not, us cyclo camper/tourists only make up a tiny part of their sales!
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!
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pjclinch
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Re: Pannier inserts

Post by pjclinch »

I'm in line with others here...
Any subdivision of compartments will just lead to more wasted space. There are times when there's a price worth paying for that (e.g. keeping clean and dirty laundry apart, wet stuff from dry etc.) but in terms of overall space you lose twice: the bulk of the dividers and the nooks and crannies within them that you can't fill any more than you could in the main pannier.

If you're wanting to keep papers and laptop in place for a meeting alongside your formal business attire I imagine they'd be just the thing, but for touring my personal inclination is more trouble than they're worth.

Having said that, there's clearly a market for "everything in its place" touring panniers (Arkel had some quite extreme variations IIRC) and if you like Orts for the fixings and waterproofing but always wanted more subdivision inside, here they are. But lots of open space for me to fill as I see fit works much better for me.

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leftpoole
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Re: Pannier inserts

Post by leftpoole »

MrsHJ wrote: 25 Jun 2022, 12:33pm I didn’t realise these were a thing. I’m highly organised in my panniers these days when touring (didn’t used to be but it makes it easier especially with ortlieb buckets). I already pack my stuff into a clothes bag, electronics bag, toiletries, waterproofs bag, repair kit etc ( the small stuff goes in £2 vegetable repeat use bags from sainsbos). I can see some benefits to a fitted insert as it should match the pattern of the panniers and avoid those annoying gaps you tend to get. Anyone got one and are they useful or just a gimmick?

Couple of a examples:
Vaude. https://www.vaude.com/en-GB/Equipment/B ... =124260690
Ortlieb https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/luggageortl ... -panniers/
https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/luggageortl ... =NOOrtlieb .. I actually have these. Very lightweight. Very useful. Very good in use. I sold my Ortlieb panniers now I can no longer cycle. I kept the inserts to use with my Motorcycle panniers.
Again I repeat, very light, very useful.
It is always a good idea to read and absorb comments from people who actually own and use things the questions relate to!
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