Pannier mountings

"Judith" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I currently have panniers which hang over both sides of my back wheel
and are buckled onto the rack.

I've had them years and, although they were quite cheap, they were the
best I could afford at the time. They have no stiffener in the back
of each pannier, so they are prone to twisting and the corners
catching in the wheel. Also, the buckle which goes round the rack
strut often catches in the spokes - not in a dangerous way but the
noise drives me mad!

I'd now like to splash out on some "proper" panniers that don't
interfere with my wheel, are slightly bigger and which can be easily
removed. It's a shame Aldi don't have any this time, but I'll look
out for Lidl ones.

How do panniers attach to the bike? Do you need to fit a special clip
or rack? My bike rack is just a simple one from Halfords. It has one
strut (on each side) going down to my wheel axle and it is bolted onto
a cross piece just below my seat post. Would I be able to fit
panniers to this sort of rack or would I need to get a new rack too?
I don't remember Lidl selling racks to go with their panniers, but I
may be mistaken.

Judith

The ones I have (and will be selling soon on ebay, let me know if
interested) just clip on to the top of the rack (the outside part of the
rack), and have an adjustable 'arm' that slides against the downtube of the
rack. I think that is standard. You can clip /unclip them in a second or
two. The back is a rigid material which means they dont bend.
http://tinyurl.com/daq47

--
Tumbleweed

email replies not necessary but to contact use;
tumbleweednews at hotmail dot com

Judith said:

I currently have panniers which hang over both sides of my back wheel
and are buckled onto the rack.

I've had them years and, although they were quite cheap, they were the
best I could afford at the time. They have no stiffener in the back
of each pannier, so they are prone to twisting and the corners
catching in the wheel. Also, the buckle which goes round the rack
strut often catches in the spokes - not in a dangerous way but the
noise drives me mad!

I'd now like to splash out on some "proper" panniers that don't
interfere with my wheel, are slightly bigger and which can be easily
removed. It's a shame Aldi don't have any this time, but I'll look
out for Lidl ones.

How do panniers attach to the bike? Do you need to fit a special clip
or rack? My bike rack is just a simple one from Halfords. It has one
strut (on each side) going down to my wheel axle and it is bolted onto
a cross piece just below my seat post. Would I be able to fit
panniers to this sort of rack or would I need to get a new rack too?
I don't remember Lidl selling racks to go with their panniers, but I
may be mistaken.

Judith

Most panniers have hooks that hook onto any rack with horizontal front
to back bars. Separate panniers rather than a pair co-joined are better
as you may only need to use one sometimes. (I actually only use one for
commuting, though I own five panniers). Singles usually have a handy
carrying handle too.

On Fri, 22 Jul 2005 21:45:54 +0100, MSeries <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Most panniers have hooks that hook onto any rack with horizontal front
to back bars.

A-ha. So my existing rack should do.

Quoted message said:

Separate panniers rather than a pair co-joined are better
as you may only need to use one sometimes.

Yes, that's what I was thinking. I do need to balance my current
co-joined panniers as they seem to slip slightly to one side,
otherwise, and that's when they start to twist and catch in the wheel.

Judith

On Fri, 22 Jul 2005 21:42:33 +0100, "Tumbleweed"
<[email hidden]> wrote:

<panniers>

Quoted message said:

The ones I have (and will be selling soon on ebay, let me know if
interested) just clip on to the top of the rack (the outside part of the
rack), and have an adjustable 'arm' that slides against the downtube of the
rack. I think that is standard. You can clip /unclip them in a second or
two. The back is a rigid material which means they dont bend.

That all sounds very sensible. "Proper" panniers always seem so
stable whereas mine flap about and need straightening every so often.

Thanks for tipping me off about your upcoming ebay sale but I think
I'll go and have a look at some in shops/bike racks and try to weigh
up what will be important features for me to have. I think I'd like
to be able to lock the panniers to the bike so that, when using both,
I don't need to carry both when I leave the bike. I'd also want a
carry handle and am not sure if that's a standard feature. I suppose
the shape makes a difference too.

I did do a few days cycle touring (staying in YHA) with my current
panniers years ago. I had a bar bag as well and I must have bungeed
some stuff to the top of the rack, as well, as the panniers aren't
exactly huge. But maybe I was just a more disciplined packer in those
days? (Doubt it. I'm a real just-in-case packer). Oh hang on, I
remember now - I think this was on my 20" wheeled "shopper" and I had
a rack-mounted (on top of the rack) bag as well. I do remember how
difficult starting off was; the bike weighed a tonne.

Quoted message said:

http://tinyurl.com/daq47

Thanks for the link. I know I could have googled myself but I
wouldn't have known what "Rixen & Kaul Vario" meant without a bit of
expert guidance!

Judith

Judith said:

I currently have panniers which hang over both sides of my back wheel
and are buckled onto the rack.

I've had them years and, although they were quite cheap, they were the
best I could afford at the time. They have no stiffener in the back
of each pannier, so they are prone to twisting and the corners
catching in the wheel. Also, the buckle which goes round the rack
strut often catches in the spokes - not in a dangerous way but the
noise drives me mad!

I'd now like to splash out on some "proper" panniers that don't
interfere with my wheel, are slightly bigger and which can be easily
removed. It's a shame Aldi don't have any this time, but I'll look
out for Lidl ones.

How do panniers attach to the bike? Do you need to fit a special clip
or rack? My bike rack is just a simple one from Halfords. It has one
strut (on each side) going down to my wheel axle and it is bolted onto
a cross piece just below my seat post. Would I be able to fit
panniers to this sort of rack or would I need to get a new rack too?
I don't remember Lidl selling racks to go with their panniers, but I
may be mistaken.

Judith

Just over four years ago I started commuting using the cheapest bits and pieces
I could get. Being a regular all year round commuter I soon discovered that
cheap things are made of cheese and will let you down sooner rather than later.
Several of my cheapo panniers did exactly that. It hurt to do so, but I did
eventually splash out on some British made Carradice panniers which are secured
to a standard rack by 'C' clips which come with the panniers.

They have now seen about two and a half years worth of all weather abuse and
have even been run over by a VW Golf. The bike was written off, but the panniers
survived [1]. Two of the 'C' clips had to be replaced, but that was all.

The moral of this story is: Buy some good quality gear and save yourself a lot
of money and bother.

[1] The tyre marks are fading now.
--
Terry Duckmanton.

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/terry.duckmanton
A website mostly dedicated to cycling

On Fri, 22 Jul 2005 22:13:13 +0100 someone who may be Judith
<[email hidden]> wrote this:-

Quoted message said:

So my existing rack should do.

It should do. Take it, with bike attached, to the shops you mention
and ask if you can try fitting one to it. There are a variety of
fittings now.

Also large heavily loaded panniers can bend lightly constructed
racks.

--
David Hansen, Edinburgh | PGP email preferred-key number F566DA0E
I will always explain revoked keys, unless the UK government
prevents me by using the RIP Act 2000.

"Judith" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Fri, 22 Jul 2005 21:42:33 +0100, "Tumbleweed"
<[email hidden]> wrote:

<panniers>

Quoted message said:

The ones I have (and will be selling soon on ebay, let me know if
interested) just clip on to the top of the rack (the outside part of the
rack), and have an adjustable 'arm' that slides against the downtube of
the
rack. I think that is standard. You can clip /unclip them in a second or
two. The back is a rigid material which means they dont bend.

That all sounds very sensible. "Proper" panniers always seem so
stable whereas mine flap about and need straightening every so often.

Thanks for tipping me off about your upcoming ebay sale but I think
I'll go and have a look at some in shops/bike racks and try to weigh
up what will be important features for me to have. I think I'd like
to be able to lock the panniers to the bike so that, when using both,
I don't need to carry both when I leave the bike. I'd also want a
carry handle and am not sure if that's a standard feature. I suppose
the shape makes a difference too.

I did do a few days cycle touring (staying in YHA) with my current
panniers years ago. I had a bar bag as well and I must have bungeed
some stuff to the top of the rack, as well, as the panniers aren't
exactly huge. But maybe I was just a more disciplined packer in those
days? (Doubt it. I'm a real just-in-case packer). Oh hang on, I
remember now - I think this was on my 20" wheeled "shopper" and I had
a rack-mounted (on top of the rack) bag as well. I do remember how
difficult starting off was; the bike weighed a tonne.

Quoted message said:

http://tinyurl.com/daq47

Thanks for the link. I know I could have googled myself but I
wouldn't have known what "Rixen & Kaul Vario" meant without a bit of
expert guidance!

Judith

FWIW those panniers (and probably most altura and others have all the stuff
you mentioned, eg rigid, handles, easy to add and remove. Mine came with
rain covers, probably most do. To lock them, you'd have to use a standard
cable type lock through the handles and the bike frame, or at least thats
what I did. There is also a kind of steel net that could also be wrapped
around the panniers (though if its that dodgy an area removing the panniers
is probably a better bet :-)

Tw

Judith said:

I currently have panniers which hang over both sides of my back wheel
and are buckled onto the rack.

I've had them years and, although they were quite cheap, they were the
best I could afford at the time. They have no stiffener in the back
of each pannier, so they are prone to twisting and the corners
catching in the wheel. Also, the buckle which goes round the rack
strut often catches in the spokes - not in a dangerous way but the
noise drives me mad!

I'd now like to splash out on some "proper" panniers that don't
interfere with my wheel, are slightly bigger and which can be easily
removed. It's a shame Aldi don't have any this time, but I'll look
out for Lidl ones.

How do panniers attach to the bike? Do you need to fit a special clip
or rack? My bike rack is just a simple one from Halfords. It has one
strut (on each side) going down to my wheel axle and it is bolted onto
a cross piece just below my seat post. Would I be able to fit
panniers to this sort of rack or would I need to get a new rack too?
I don't remember Lidl selling racks to go with their panniers, but I
may be mistaken.

Most these days hook onto the side rails of the rack and have a catch
that stops them bouncing off. When you pull on a strap (or similar) the
catch is released. There also needs to be some form of clip at the
bottom, otherwise the inside pannier hangs out on corners.

Tumbleweed' of said:

FWIW those panniers (and probably most altura and others have all the stuff
you mentioned, eg rigid, handles, easy to add and remove. Mine came with
rain covers, probably most do.

Or the more expensive ones are waterproof so don't need rain covers. Look
at the Ortliebs. My roll tops have proved to be waterproof in tropical
downpours, and at 15 years old the colour is a bit faded but otherwise they
are as good as new. In the long term they are a good buy.
--
Error reading FAT record: Try the SKINNY one? (Y/N)
Steph Peters delete invalid from [email hidden]
Tatting, lace & stitching page <http://www.sandbenders.demon.co.uk/index.htm>

I would advise you to take a look at a recent Which magazine that tested
various types of panniers for bikes.

"Zog The Undeniable" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:42e21088.0@entanet...

Quoted message said:

Judith said:

I currently have panniers which hang over both sides of my back wheel
and are buckled onto the rack.

I've had them years and, although they were quite cheap, they were the
best I could afford at the time. They have no stiffener in the back
of each pannier, so they are prone to twisting and the corners
catching in the wheel. Also, the buckle which goes round the rack
strut often catches in the spokes - not in a dangerous way but the
noise drives me mad!

I'd now like to splash out on some "proper" panniers that don't
interfere with my wheel, are slightly bigger and which can be easily
removed. It's a shame Aldi don't have any this time, but I'll look
out for Lidl ones.

How do panniers attach to the bike? Do you need to fit a special clip
or rack? My bike rack is just a simple one from Halfords. It has one
strut (on each side) going down to my wheel axle and it is bolted onto
a cross piece just below my seat post. Would I be able to fit
panniers to this sort of rack or would I need to get a new rack too?
I don't remember Lidl selling racks to go with their panniers, but I
may be mistaken.

Most these days hook onto the side rails of the rack and have a catch that
stops them bouncing off. When you pull on a strap (or similar) the catch
is released. There also needs to be some form of clip at the bottom,
otherwise the inside pannier hangs out on corners.

David Wood said:

I would advise you to take a look at a recent Which magazine that tested
various types of panniers for bikes.

Oo, thanks. I'll go to the library and have a look.

Thanks to everyone who has replied. I know what is "wrong" with my
current panniers and it's interesting to read what will be "right"
with my next ones.

Judith

Steph Peters twisted the electrons to say:

Quoted message said:

Or the more expensive ones are waterproof so don't need rain covers.
Look at the Ortliebs. My roll tops have proved to be waterproof in
tropical downpours, and at 15 years old the colour is a bit faded but
otherwise they are as good as new. In the long term they are a good
buy.

I have to admit I'm tempted to upgrade to some Ortliebs myself. Spotting
that they offer a "rucksack" attachment, just added to the appeal however
I'm not totally convinced by the absence of external pockets ...
--
These opinions might not even be mine ...
Let alone connected with my employer ...

Alistair Gunn said:

Steph Peters twisted the electrons to say:

Quoted message said:

Or the more expensive ones are waterproof so don't need rain covers.
Look at the Ortliebs. My roll tops have proved to be waterproof in
tropical downpours, and at 15 years old the colour is a bit faded but
otherwise they are as good as new. In the long term they are a good
buy.

I have to admit I'm tempted to upgrade to some Ortliebs myself. Spotting
that they offer a "rucksack" attachment, just added to the appeal however
I'm not totally convinced by the absence of external pockets ...

I was irritated with my Ortlieb panniers this afternoon for exactly that reason.

The panniers were fine for the tool roll, first aid kit, jacket, and A4
file, but there was nowhere for the camera, wallet, phone, keys, pens,
biscuits, pda or lock.

AIUI there are bolt-on pockets, so I may investigate further.

John B

JohnB of The trikeshed is full said:

Alistair Gunn said:

I have to admit I'm tempted to upgrade to some Ortliebs myself. Spotting
that they offer a "rucksack" attachment, just added to the appeal however
I'm not totally convinced by the absence of external pockets ...

I was irritated with my Ortlieb panniers this afternoon for exactly that reason.

The panniers were fine for the tool roll, first aid kit, jacket, and A4
file, but there was nowhere for the camera, wallet, phone, keys, pens,
biscuits, pda or lock.

AIUI there are bolt-on pockets, so I may investigate further.

The pockets are more slide in than bolt on. They have vertical bits that
slide behind the top of the stiffeners, so the canvas part hangs in front of
it. There are some outer pockets that are shaped for tools or pens, a
bigger outer pocket and a zipped inner pocket. Not much use for a lock, and
it sounds like your entire collection of surplus bits might be a little too
much for one of them.
--
If law school is so hard to get through....
how come there are so many lawyers? - Calvin Trillin
Steph Peters delete invalid from [email hidden]
Tatting, lace & stitching page <http://www.sandbenders.demon.co.uk/index.htm>

Tumbleweed said:

To lock them, you'd have to use a standard
cable type lock through the handles and the bike frame, or at least thats
what I did. There is also a kind of steel net that could also be wrapped
around the panniers (though if its that dodgy an area removing the panniers
is probably a better bet :-)

That would be a pac-safe, designed to go round rucksacks. I have used
one to keep kit in a bothy when out for the day. Not particularly ligh
tor cheap, but could be a lot cheaper than losing kit.

...d

Quoted message said:

I have to admit I'm tempted to upgrade to some Ortliebs myself. Spotting
that they offer a "rucksack" attachment, just added to the appeal however
I'm not totally convinced by the absence of external pockets ...

One of only two problems with them. The second problem is that the the
back rollers are a bit more fiddly to do up than the normal clips. On the
bright side you can expand the capacity to at least 35 litres per bag by
rolling them up only partly or not at all. Very useful at the supermarket.

Quoted message said:

I have to admit I'm tempted to upgrade to some Ortliebs myself. Spotting
that they offer a "rucksack" attachment, just added to the appeal however
I'm not totally convinced by the absence of external pockets ...

One of only two problems with them. The second problem is that the the
back rollers are a bit more fiddly to do up than the normal clips. On the
bright side you can expand the capacity to at least 35 litres per bag by
rolling them up only partly or not at all. Very useful at the supermarket.