tom for this reason. The back of your bag Many older bags are simply sewn rarely remove my panniers during a tour, Mechanical Advantage also must be stiff enough that it does not together at the and are slung over the and a quick release also allows thieves to touch the spokes of your wheels, no mat- rack like a horse’s saddlebag. With hooks unhook them while I visit a cathedral or ter how full they are. that stabilize the bottoms of the panniers, buy some food. (Locking my bike is easy, The volume of your bags should be these bags work fine with a traditional but I don’t want to carry my panniers Picking the right bag for you adjustable. During weekends, you may wheel-top rack. wherever I go.) Panniers are commonplace, but finding the ones for you is crucial to a successful trip need extra capacity for food as you head With low-rider racks, you cannot When planning a long tour, consider into remote regions where stores will be sling the bag over the top of the wheel. that hooks and hardware can break. by Jan Heine closed until Monday. On cold mornings, Low-rider racks originated in France, Most reputable pannier manufacturers you may wear every piece of you have as you descend down a moun- tain pass, leaving your bags half-empty. points, and it may come as a surprise to Compression straps allow adjusting the When I went on my first bicycle tour in col- many modern cyclists that these materi- size of your bags. Some old-style bags lege, I mounted an inexpensive aluminum als remain an excellent choice today. have laces at both ends that allow even Cotton duck canvas fibers swell when greater adjustment. rack to my racing bike, attached a set of pan- they get wet, so they do not let water Some bicycle tourists like lots of niers bought at a furniture warehouse for $20, in, even at the seams. I have been using small compartments to keep their things a cotton duck/leather handlebar bag organized, whereas others prefer the and set out for adventure. The adventure lasted almost daily for 10 years now, and it still open space of a big bag, so they can three miles, until one pannier got caught in the performs as well as it did when it was use clothes to cushion breakables, pack new. When I rode in the 750-mile Paris- heavy items at the bottom, and place spokes as I rode across a bumpy railroad crossing Brest-Paris ride in 2007, the contents of the things they need most often at the my handlebar bag remained dry even top. Lightweight stuff sacks can help causing my rear wheel to lock up. After picking though it rained hard for most of the organize your gear. Small compartments 50-hour ride. Today cotton duck/leather add weight and may not always fit what myself and my bike off the road, I bags are offered by Gilles Berthoud from you need to carry. It comes down to squeezed the pannier back into shape, France and Carradice of Great Britain. your personal preference for organizing rode back home, and added a web of Many modern panniers are made with your gear. string between the frame and the rack, Cordura and other heavy-duty nylons, Closure similar to a guard on European similar to the materials used in many Many bags use overlapping top flaps Jan’s first touring bike (left) was equipped with modern panniers made with vinyl coating women’s bikes, to keep the panniers out of backpacks. Cordura is not waterproof, so like most large backpacks. Flaps make — strong and waterproof. The bike on the right had inexpensive nylon panniers, which the wheels. After this inauspicious start, these panniers often come with rain cov- your gear easy to access, and the straps did not survive their first long tour. my three-day tour went without a further ers or waterproof liners. In recent years, allow some adjustment of the bag’s vol- hitch, except my wish for fenders when companies like Ortlieb and Arkel have ume. together with bags that used leather offer spares, but getting one when you’re I encountered a downpour on the way developed polyurethane coatings for the Some modern panniers employ a roll straps at the top to attach the bags to stuck in the Andes of Bolivia or on the home. My panniers weren’t waterproof, inside of their nylon panniers that render closure similar to that used on dry bags the racks and coil springs at the bot- plains of Nebraska on a Saturday after- and my clothes were soggy when I got them waterproof and are more durable for boating. These are lighter and less tom to stabilize the bags. Leather straps noon may be another matter altogether. home. To top it off, the pannier’s nylon than the short-lived polyurethane - expensive than flaps, but they are more rarely break, but in a pinch they can be I have heard of riders who drilled out all material was already starting to disinte- ings common on older outdoor gear. cumbersome to close and provide less replaced with any strap or even a piece the rivets on their bags, replaced them grate. I learned my lesson and the next Lower-quality nylon also degrades in adjustment for volume. You can adjust of string. It takes more time to remove with screws and nuts, and packed a week bought a set of quality panniers, ultraviolet light and may become fragile the height of the bag a bit, but there is the bags as you have to fiddle with buck- few replacement hooks in their luggage. which served me well for many years. after years of use. Modern, high-quality H eine nothing to compress the bag so a small les between bags and panniers. That way, if a hook broke, it was easy to Bags for bicycle touring need to hold nylon bags, on the other hand, may see load will flop around inside. Modern bags have replaced the upper replace. If all else fails, a few heavy-duty your belongings, attach securely to your some color fading over time, but their In my experience, zippers are not straps with hooks and the coil springs at zip ties often can be used as a temporary

racks, not swing or flop around, and fabric should maintain its integrity. photos by Jan ideal for closing bags. Heavy-duty zip- the bottom with elastic straps. This system solution to reattach a pannier to the rack. allow easy access to your gear. Good bags Traditional panniers, made from cotton Weight pers are heavy and not waterproof, and is secure and versatile, but the panniers Conclusion are durable and often waterproof. As I duck with leather reinforcements, are light- On a tour, your bags will weigh much all zippers wear out more quickly than can jump off the rack on really bumpy Good panniers are not inexpensive, learned the hard way, quality panniers weight, durable, and waterproof. less than their contents. If you are con- buckles. A broken zipper makes your roads. Some makers now have hooks that but the money is well spent. Make sure are a worthwhile investment. There is no cerned about weight, bring a scale when bag almost useless, and fixing one during close automatically to prevent this. your bag and rack fit together and that single “best” pannier, and it is useful to carry water in them. (A little water will shopping for bags. You will find that a a tour is next to impossible. Today, most manufacturers use mount- the system is sturdy enough to last a consider all the options. seep out at the holes where the hooks bag’s material does not affect its weight Mounting system ing systems that allow removing the bags long time. Then load up your bike and Traditional vs. modern materials attach.) Ortlieb was the first to offer as much as the mounting systems and Your bags must fit your bicycle’s rack quickly, which is especially convenient enjoy the trip! Many modern panniers are made with these bags, but today several makers stiffeners. and attach firmly. The stiffest rack is of for handlebar bags. A quick release vinyl coatings that are strong and 100 offer similar designs. Shape and organization little use if your bag moves indepen- allows you to take your bag with your Jan Heine is editor of Bicycle Quarterly, a magazine about the culture, technology, and history of cycling. percent waterproof. They are constructed Decades ago, the best cycling bags Perhaps the most important thing dently of your bike. Therefore, it is use- money, passport, and camera when you More information and back issues can be found at like dry bags for boating with welded were made from cotton duck canvas with is that your rear bags clear your heels. ful to bring your bike when you shop for leave your bike behind. I don’t consider www.bikequarterly.com. seams that are so waterproof you can leather reinforcements at highly stressed Most modern bags are tapered at the bot- panniers. a quick release very useful because I

34 adventure cyclist may 2010 adventurecycling.org adventure cyclist may 2010 adventurecycling.org 35