Rear Pannier Bags: Why Not Deeper?

On Oct 26, 4:49*pm, Simon Lewis wrote:

I have used the same 5 set of ortlieb panniers and front bag for more
than 10 years. Stable, strong, waterproof. recommended. Your Heath
Robinson nonsense above is a joke.-

And in that period averaging 2 to 3 tours a year fully loaded for
anywhere between 5 days and 3 weeks at a time.

I am not an employee of ortlieb either.

I would prefer some more traditional bags from someone like Carradice but
the clasps looked like junk.

What I use as an everyday saddlebag/rackbag/handlebar bag that looks
smart and opens conveniently is leather bags of a certain style, 16
inch long weekend bags with two handles that buckle on and off. As I
say they're smarter than black polysomething or yellow plastic (I had
yellow Ortlieb Classics and sold them on because the closures were
inconvenient for everyday use but the colour was an added safety
feature, for sure) and even green canvas, the zip makes the leather
bag more convenient in everyday use, and the arrangement of the straps
makes them very versatile on the bike. And they're cheap enough on
Ebay to keep buying them until you get an exact match for your Brooks
saddle or leather chainstay protector (in my case mixte rail
protectors). Bags you buy blind that don't suit may be wanted by your
significant other or given to the charity shop; that's happened to me
twice: once I didn't pay attention to the size of a very nice Italian
rucksack with what appeared a good arrangement of straps, and it
turned out too small to hold much, and once a lovely sand-coloured
canvas bag with leather trim exactly matching my mixte rail protectors
turned out to be a dirt attractor you wouldn't believe. I haven't
noticed any problem with waterproofing of well-made leather bags, but
then my requirement is watertightness for three hours max, not days on
end on tour (for that I have other luggage). BTW, my current very
smart House of Fraser brown leather saddlebag, which I bought for 99p
on Ebay, in the hand weighs appreciably less than the Nelson longflap
it replaced, and less than the Agu rackbag I have on another bike and,
frankly, those two look tacky by comparison. My experience is that
leather, even when worn, holds a good appearance longer than canvas.
(In fact, even when canvas is new, the only people who prefer it are
other cyclists who know how much it costs and go "Ooh, a [fill in a
well-known cycling brand]," which to me is the sign of a weak mind.)
If a bag supposed to hang from the hand sags -- and most do because
for weight reasons you don't want to buy bags made of stiff
selfstanding saddleleather intended for the horsy set -- then I cut a
strip the height of the bag less an inch or so off a Rexel artist's
case made of lightweight stiffish plastic and run it around the inside
of the bag to give it shape even when empty. You'd be amazed how many
cyclists ask me where I got my smart bags and whether the makers do
black (mine are light tan or bourneville brown) to match their
saddles.

Andre Jute
No reason for a cyclist not to be elegant just because he's sweaty

On Oct 26, 8:49*am, Simon Lewis wrote:
kolldata writes:
On Oct 26, 6:10*am, Simon Lewis wrote:
kolldata writes:
On Oct 24, 3:48*pm, kolldata wrote:
http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/saddlebag_support.asp

buy two

http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___63210

fabricate two saddlebag supports

sew a wide - as the length of the rear rack ( to where you added *a
plywood top, off course) - joining strap, adjustable in some way-
linking the two bags so the bags just rest on the stirrups.

then ad shock cord for lateral stability.

now you need light weight waterproof overbags-that will not be used
unless it's wet.

FORGET ORTLIEB

I have used the same 5 set of ortlieb panniers and front bag for more
than 10 years. Stable, strong, waterproof. recommended. Your Heath
Robinson nonsense above is a joke.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

CMON Simon, tellus how many times and for what total length of time
have you used these bags .

I just did.

And in that period averaging 2 to 3 tours a year fully loaded for
anywhere between 5 days and 3 weeks at a time.

I am not an employee of ortlieb either.

I would prefer some more traditional bags from someone like Carradice but
the clasps looked like junk.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

yup. don't look like Ortliebs will fail on the first trip. The deal
with the canvas duffels and ply racks is carry load cheap and
effective. Converting the sport cycle to touring levels requires $400
of double rims, tires, tubes, Mfg axles/bearings so $140 on front and
rear bags and rack holds costs effectively down to unnnngghhh
reasonable levels

On 10/24/2010 2:18 PM, (PeteCresswell) wrote:
Watching the some of the Dutch vids cited in the "Cycling
surges..." thread, I notice that virtually all rear pannier bags
are like mine: not as deep as it seems like they could be.

If they went down to, say, axle height or a little lower,
capacity would nearly double from the one I have.

There's got to be a reason, right? Or have I just not seen the
really deep ones?

Both.

Many rear racks are too short to position the panniers far enough back
to avoid heel interference.

Here's my bucket panniers, but the Tidy Cat buckets look deeper.

"http://nordicgroup.us/bucketpannier/"

Tidy Cat Page

"http://www.pixilateddesign.com/jodycb/?p=645"

One advantage of my design is that the shock cord that hooks to the
bottom of the rack is adjustable both in length and horizontal position.
Rarely is the center of a pannier directly above the mounting place for
the hook, unless you have a really well designed rack with a level
dogleg strut.

There have been deep panniers available in the past, but they were
narrow and deep (narrow to avoid heel interference). I have some
Kangaroo Baggs like that.

On Thu, 28 Oct 2010 07:42:44 -0700, SMS
wrote:

On 10/24/2010 2:18 PM, (PeteCresswell) wrote:
Watching the some of the Dutch vids cited in the "Cycling
surges..." thread, I notice that virtually all rear pannier bags
are like mine: not as deep as it seems like they could be.

If they went down to, say, axle height or a little lower,
capacity would nearly double from the one I have.

There's got to be a reason, right? Or have I just not seen the
really deep ones?

Both.

Many rear racks are too short to position the panniers far enough back
to avoid heel interference.

Here's my bucket panniers, but the Tidy Cat buckets look deeper.

"http://nordicgroup.us/bucketpannier/"

Tidy Cat Page

"http://www.pixilateddesign.com/jodycb/?p=645"

One advantage of my design is that the shock cord that hooks to the
bottom of the rack is adjustable both in length and horizontal position.
Rarely is the center of a pannier directly above the mounting place for
the hook, unless you have a really well designed rack with a level
dogleg strut.

There have been deep panniers available in the past, but they were
narrow and deep (narrow to avoid heel interference). I have some
Kangaroo Baggs like that.

I have some old Bike Warehouse (pre-Nashbar) panniers with an internal
frame. The frame lets them be shaped to avoid heel interference. They
are 30 yearrs old and getting too beat.

What panniers are made today with an internal frame? Everything I see
at the LBS's is 'soft', and has to be made narrow to allow enough
clearance.

if you're traveling from Regular Pass to East Jesus via Red Roof then
there's a bag for you but if Tierra del Fuego is the goal its
OrtliebOrtliebortlieb or roll your own ?

On 10/29/2010 11:42 AM, kolldata aka AVOGADRO V wrote:
if you're traveling from Regular Pass to East Jesus via Red Roof then
there's a bag for you but if Tierra del Fuego is the goal its
OrtliebOrtliebortlieb or roll your own ?

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3511/3727081796_6d7a80b3b7_z.jpg.

--
Tom Sherman - 42.435731,-83.985007
I am a vehicular cyclist.