Is Ortilieb really the best?
November 1, 2010 8:56 PM Subscribe
Before I go spending a lot of money on a pair of Ortilieb panniers are there any other panniers I should be thinking about?
My awesome boyfriend gave me a coupon for an Ortilieb pannier of my choice for my birthday. WOO! But I want to make certain I get the best bang for my buck.
I plan on riding all winter (within reason). I need something that will be waterproof and will stand up to the nasty road salt that Chicago lays down. I would also like to be able to carry the bag with something more than a top handle like the other bag that I have (which is only good for fair weather).
So. Is there something I'm missing? Anything I should look at? I'd like to stay in the same price range as the Ortiliebs (basically less than 200).
I have also read older questions but they were all old enough that they didn't help much.
Thanks in advance!
My awesome boyfriend gave me a coupon for an Ortilieb pannier of my choice for my birthday. WOO! But I want to make certain I get the best bang for my buck.
I plan on riding all winter (within reason). I need something that will be waterproof and will stand up to the nasty road salt that Chicago lays down. I would also like to be able to carry the bag with something more than a top handle like the other bag that I have (which is only good for fair weather).
So. Is there something I'm missing? Anything I should look at? I'd like to stay in the same price range as the Ortiliebs (basically less than 200).
I have also read older questions but they were all old enough that they didn't help much.
Thanks in advance!
I've had the little things that grab your rack crap out on me, while touring. I'm very hard on things, they were packed very heavy and I am insane.
For waterproofness, they'll be great, never had a problem with that, ever. You won't, I wager, either. If I had to buy an Ortelib bag again, I would get a roll top one. I have tons of waterproof stuff sacks that are roll tops. Love them. I wish my hiking pack was a roll top.
Just to note, I switched to Arkel Panniers. They zip out almost like luggage, so it's easier to get at things, they're roomier than the Ortelibs I had and the system to connect it to your rack is much better than Ortelibs. They fall short HARD in the waterproofness. You can get waterproof covers that sort of work, but I've had my tent washed away from an intense downpoor and had the Ortelib panniers (And their contents) be OK.
Arkel makes waterproof panniers, their literature shows someone going through, like, a river with them, but those are not the ones I have. They also make ones that double as a backpack, that sounds pretty useful.
I'm not sure they realistic use of a pannier that doubles as a purse. It makes sense almost to get a basket for a purse? That particular pannier doesn't look like it carries much, except lunch.
There's a bunch of independent pannier makers that make some interesting products, if you want something that's not so, eh, boring.
posted by alex_skazat at 9:30 PM on November 1, 2010
For waterproofness, they'll be great, never had a problem with that, ever. You won't, I wager, either. If I had to buy an Ortelib bag again, I would get a roll top one. I have tons of waterproof stuff sacks that are roll tops. Love them. I wish my hiking pack was a roll top.
Just to note, I switched to Arkel Panniers. They zip out almost like luggage, so it's easier to get at things, they're roomier than the Ortelibs I had and the system to connect it to your rack is much better than Ortelibs. They fall short HARD in the waterproofness. You can get waterproof covers that sort of work, but I've had my tent washed away from an intense downpoor and had the Ortelib panniers (And their contents) be OK.
Arkel makes waterproof panniers, their literature shows someone going through, like, a river with them, but those are not the ones I have. They also make ones that double as a backpack, that sounds pretty useful.
I'm not sure they realistic use of a pannier that doubles as a purse. It makes sense almost to get a basket for a purse? That particular pannier doesn't look like it carries much, except lunch.
There's a bunch of independent pannier makers that make some interesting products, if you want something that's not so, eh, boring.
posted by alex_skazat at 9:30 PM on November 1, 2010
Make sure you get a pannier that won't sag into your wheels. I have had a lot of trouble with this in the past, though I have no experience with Ortlieb in particular.
How the heck does that happen? Do you have a rack that attaches to your chainstay, or something small and light, that only attaches to like, your seatpost? If you have a rack that attaches to points on your chainstay, there should be a metal bar that'll separate your bag from your wheels.
Ortelib panniers have a hard, plastic shell on the wheel side of the panniers - they really shouldn't deform on that side.
posted by alex_skazat at 9:33 PM on November 1, 2010
How the heck does that happen? Do you have a rack that attaches to your chainstay, or something small and light, that only attaches to like, your seatpost? If you have a rack that attaches to points on your chainstay, there should be a metal bar that'll separate your bag from your wheels.
Ortelib panniers have a hard, plastic shell on the wheel side of the panniers - they really shouldn't deform on that side.
posted by alex_skazat at 9:33 PM on November 1, 2010
I've used a set of Ortlieb front rollers for four years now. These things go everywhere with me, every day, in all kinds of weather. They have never leaked even after hours in the rain. They attach to my rack easily and do not dislodge while riding. They laugh at road grime-- it just washes off. They are a seriously essential tool for a commuting cyclist and I can't recommend them highly enough.
I live in Portland and have lately been musing to myself that the unofficial logo of the city should be the reflective triangle most Ortliebs have since they're so ubiquitous.
posted by hollisimo at 10:07 PM on November 1, 2010
I live in Portland and have lately been musing to myself that the unofficial logo of the city should be the reflective triangle most Ortliebs have since they're so ubiquitous.
posted by hollisimo at 10:07 PM on November 1, 2010
There are V-shaped bike racks and squarish U-shaped bike racks. I am using a V-shaped bike rack, and the hard, plastic shell backing sags. I used Carradice on my tours in '05 and '06, but tried to replace them because they were having sagging problems (not sure which kind of rack I was using on my tours). I tried replacing them with a pair of poorly-designed Sakaroos (which I picked because they were made from recycled materials). I call them poorly-designed because the buckle strap will fall into the wheel unless the pannier is shut, and because no matter what I tried, the bags sagged into the wheel in spite of their built-in hard, plastic shell backing almost immediately.
I have never used a bucket pannier that had this problem because bucket panniers are truly a hard plastic.
posted by aniola at 10:14 PM on November 1, 2010
I have never used a bucket pannier that had this problem because bucket panniers are truly a hard plastic.
posted by aniola at 10:14 PM on November 1, 2010
I have a set of ortlieb shopper panniers. They have a ziploc-type top instead of the usual roll-top. In one very very wet winter of daily use, I found them to be absolutely waterproof, but I get the feeling that this type of closure might be less durable than the roll-top.
One great advantage of the shopper style is that it has a roomy shoulder strap that I find both comfortable and convenient for carrying into stores, etc., so this style would fit your "something other than top handle" criteria.
posted by juliapangolin at 10:53 PM on November 1, 2010
One great advantage of the shopper style is that it has a roomy shoulder strap that I find both comfortable and convenient for carrying into stores, etc., so this style would fit your "something other than top handle" criteria.
posted by juliapangolin at 10:53 PM on November 1, 2010
I have commuted and toured for 10 years with MEC Aqua-nots and love them thoroughly. MEC (aka Mountain Equipment Coop) is the Canadian equivalent of REI and their private label stuff has been outstanding. The aquanots are no longer being made but the current generation of PF43s look pretty comparable. They fail the off bike carry requirement out of the box by this can be amended by clipping a simple luggage strap to the rack hooks. Worth looking into and they totally ship to the US
Regarding skazat's point about Arkels vs Ortliebs. In the world of bike panniers you either get organizability (many pockets and compartments) or waterproofness. But you can't get both. More pockets and zippers=more ways for water to get in. Personally, I prefer to have a waterproof pannier with one big pocket and stuff a bunch of small pouches to keep things organized, but you may feel that the waterproofness won't matter if you find yourself wussing out a lot on winter commuting. You have to decide on that for yourself.
posted by bl1nk at 11:01 PM on November 1, 2010
Regarding skazat's point about Arkels vs Ortliebs. In the world of bike panniers you either get organizability (many pockets and compartments) or waterproofness. But you can't get both. More pockets and zippers=more ways for water to get in. Personally, I prefer to have a waterproof pannier with one big pocket and stuff a bunch of small pouches to keep things organized, but you may feel that the waterproofness won't matter if you find yourself wussing out a lot on winter commuting. You have to decide on that for yourself.
posted by bl1nk at 11:01 PM on November 1, 2010
I recently bought an Arkel Bug and am really happy with it. What distinguishes it from most any other pannier that I looked at was that it converts into a backpack relatively easily. While the bulk of my trips don't have me using this feature, there's a decent number of times when I've been very glad I've had the ability to throw my bag comfortably on my back. As mentioned above, it's not waterproof on its own and I'm planning on buying the rain cover as soon as I can.
posted by funkiwan at 11:49 PM on November 1, 2010
posted by funkiwan at 11:49 PM on November 1, 2010
I have a pair of Ortlieb back rollers; as has been said, they're excellent for waterproofing, and they do have a stiff plastic bit on the wheel side that keeps them from sagging in that direction. They are quite tough: I've had a couple of winter wipeouts that ended up with them scraping along road surface, and they hardly show any damage at all. I'm not sure how alex_skazat managed to have the rack-clips give out, but I shudder to think how much he must have had in the panniers.
My only real complaint about the back rollers is that, for the stuff I carry, I need to put a small messenger bag inside the pannier to keep everything from becoming an unusable mess. My typical load is a change of clothes, lunch, rolled up rain jacket, the messenger bag (which has the usual utility stuff: phone, pens, notebook, etc), and sometimes 15" macbook in a sleeve. That all fits into one bag; on the relatively rare occasions I need to carry more I use both bags of the pair.
posted by joeycoleman at 2:19 AM on November 2, 2010
My only real complaint about the back rollers is that, for the stuff I carry, I need to put a small messenger bag inside the pannier to keep everything from becoming an unusable mess. My typical load is a change of clothes, lunch, rolled up rain jacket, the messenger bag (which has the usual utility stuff: phone, pens, notebook, etc), and sometimes 15" macbook in a sleeve. That all fits into one bag; on the relatively rare occasions I need to carry more I use both bags of the pair.
posted by joeycoleman at 2:19 AM on November 2, 2010
Response by poster: Oh man, good answers.
And to clarify - this is NOT going to be a purse for me. I have a Chrome Vega that I use, and I sey it up so I can clip it to the front of my bike on my rack. It works like a dream.
Also, this is my bike. You can't really see, but the rack is a wider triangle at the bottom. I've had no sagging problems.
And if I have it right, I know who alex_skazat is (I'm pretty certain I know him from other forums) and I wouldn't be shocked that he destroyed them - he is HARDCORE (and I love reading about his tours). And while I'm hard on things, I'm not THAT hard on things. :D This is for my basic commuting since I'm trying really hard to ride 365.
I would be using the bag for extra things I need daily. Change of clothes, water bottle (doesn't fit well in my cage), tools.
Keep the awesome answers coming!
posted by bibliogrrl at 6:08 AM on November 2, 2010
And to clarify - this is NOT going to be a purse for me. I have a Chrome Vega that I use, and I sey it up so I can clip it to the front of my bike on my rack. It works like a dream.
Also, this is my bike. You can't really see, but the rack is a wider triangle at the bottom. I've had no sagging problems.
And if I have it right, I know who alex_skazat is (I'm pretty certain I know him from other forums) and I wouldn't be shocked that he destroyed them - he is HARDCORE (and I love reading about his tours). And while I'm hard on things, I'm not THAT hard on things. :D This is for my basic commuting since I'm trying really hard to ride 365.
I would be using the bag for extra things I need daily. Change of clothes, water bottle (doesn't fit well in my cage), tools.
Keep the awesome answers coming!
posted by bibliogrrl at 6:08 AM on November 2, 2010
Sorry, this won't be an awesome answer, but yes, get the Ortlieb. They're just about the only panniers worth considering nowadays if you want both tough and waterproof. For about town use, rather than all-day touring, the roll-top models can get a little annoying because they take a few seconds longer to get in and out of.
The only other panniers worth a look for quality of construction and durability are Carradice Super C (proofed cotton duck), but they're horribly over-priced in the USA.
posted by normy at 7:01 AM on November 2, 2010
The only other panniers worth a look for quality of construction and durability are Carradice Super C (proofed cotton duck), but they're horribly over-priced in the USA.
posted by normy at 7:01 AM on November 2, 2010
Have you thought about just carrying roll-top dry bags in your existing baskets?
Pannier backs get sucked into spokes, or not, depending on the stoutness of the stiffener, your tendency to over-stuff the bags, the shape of the rear rack, the size of your frame, and the size of your shoes. On a smaller frame, with a relatively wide rack, with what I'm assuming are relatively dainty girl-feet, you probably won't have issues.
But your baskets will definitely never get sucked into your spokes, and they're more versatile for when it's not wet. I use a BOB with drybag for touring, but I use wire baskets for commuting. Getting my big handlebar basket changed my relationship with my bike - it's so nice to just always have the means to carry stuff.
Of course, if somebody offered me Ortlieb panniers, I'd probably just take 'em and say a very enthusiastic "thank you!"
posted by richyoung at 8:52 AM on November 2, 2010
Pannier backs get sucked into spokes, or not, depending on the stoutness of the stiffener, your tendency to over-stuff the bags, the shape of the rear rack, the size of your frame, and the size of your shoes. On a smaller frame, with a relatively wide rack, with what I'm assuming are relatively dainty girl-feet, you probably won't have issues.
But your baskets will definitely never get sucked into your spokes, and they're more versatile for when it's not wet. I use a BOB with drybag for touring, but I use wire baskets for commuting. Getting my big handlebar basket changed my relationship with my bike - it's so nice to just always have the means to carry stuff.
Of course, if somebody offered me Ortlieb panniers, I'd probably just take 'em and say a very enthusiastic "thank you!"
posted by richyoung at 8:52 AM on November 2, 2010
I have Ortliebs and I like them. But unlike others here, mine *have* had a couple of leaks over the 6 years I've been using them. But all I had to do was get an Ortlieb patch kit. I, like alex_skazat, am also somewhat hard on mine, but one of the splits was clearly caused by the edge of the back-stiffener so I could call it a design flaw.
I carry my groceries in them and the inside bolts sometimes poke holes in e.g. milk cartons or even thick plastic yogurt containers.
After years of lamenting the lack of internal organization and the way whatever I need always falls to the bottom, I've started binding similar items together in bundles so it's easier for me to get things.
posted by xueexueg at 2:05 PM on November 2, 2010
I carry my groceries in them and the inside bolts sometimes poke holes in e.g. milk cartons or even thick plastic yogurt containers.
After years of lamenting the lack of internal organization and the way whatever I need always falls to the bottom, I've started binding similar items together in bundles so it's easier for me to get things.
posted by xueexueg at 2:05 PM on November 2, 2010
Response by poster: For the record, I got a pair of orange Ortilieb backrollers. AWESOME.
posted by bibliogrrl at 10:46 AM on November 11, 2010
posted by bibliogrrl at 10:46 AM on November 11, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
Something else to consider: bucket panniers are hella cheap to make, and way sturdier than any commercially-produced pannier I have ever owned. They're also waterproof, and can come with handles. They will stand up to Chicago's road salt. This could save your boyfriend $200 and you'd end up with better birthday panniers.
posted by aniola at 9:22 PM on November 1, 2010 [1 favorite]