Finally a decision
Boy, if I agonized over every decision like this one, I would never accomplish anything!
Notice the new pannier on my bike? Well, it took me weeks, but I finally decided on a replacement for my cheap Nashbar panniers. Those things served me well, but the one for the right side basically hit the end of it’s life last spring. I cobbled it back together with duct tape, but by mid-summer, the writing was on the wall, so I switched over to the left one.
After all the time I’ve spent commuting with just a right pannier, it drove me crazy on the left side. It seemed like every time I turned around, I was running into it as I moved the bike around. I tried moving it to the right side, but that didn’t work either because of the way it was designed. I kept hitting it with my foot and for some reason it kept wanting to bounce off.
The problem was, I couldn’t decide what to replace them with. I agonized over the decision and waffled back and forth between the Ortleib BackRoller City panniers and any number of other options. The Ortleib’s were my first choice, but I couldn’t make myself pull the trigger. I liked the fact that they are waterproof since the Nashbar’s were anything but water tight. I liked that they are bigger than the Nashbar’s without being a huge pannier capable of crossing the continent. I really like Ortleib’s QL1 mounting system. Those things just slip on and off with no fuss and are secure when riding.
What I was unsure about was the lack of an outside pocket. They’re basically just a big bag. Ortleib sells an accessary side pocket separately for about $28 plus shipping, but after shelling out the price for the panniers, I felt like the accessary side pocket was just a way to get more cash out of me. But, I could find reasons to reject any other pannier option I considered, so I finally decided to get the BackRoller City but I didn’t buy the accessary side pocket. The jury is still out about that decision. I may go ahead and do it at some point.
In the mean time, my first experiences with the Ortlieb’s have me thinking, “Gee, why did I wait so long to get these?”.
God bless…
TW
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October 4, 2012 at 6:04 pm
My Topeak’s had a seam fail on the left pannier. They were too old to fall under the warranty, so super glue here we come! Your news ones look good. Best of luck with them.
October 4, 2012 at 8:53 pm
Ortileb stuff rocks. I have the Sports Packer, they are not quite as large as the Backroller, but are waterproof, and have a small outside pocket. And I got an excellent deal on them from REI, they were a ‘last years model’, so even a better price than I thought.
October 5, 2012 at 3:05 am
I got a pair of Ortlieb panniers, but I think I remain an Arkel Man at heart.
October 6, 2012 at 7:42 pm
I just read an article about Ortlieb panneirs in Adventure Cyclist magazine a couple of weeks ago. They say that the reason they don’t come with side pockets (I didn’t know about the $28 dollar add-ons) is because their special waterproofing process would be negated by the stitching-holes required to attach side pockets. I’m not defending them or anything, just regurgitating what I read somewhere.
By the way, I met a friend of yours Wednesday named “8mm Mike” when he joined me and a mutual friend in Springfield to ride a short stretch of the Frisco Highline Trail. He told me to visit your site. Mike is a great guy, a superb cyclist (he makes me look like a dreadful amateur…because I actually AM a dreadful amateur ha ha) and that Masi cyclocross bike of his makes me want to save up for a cyclocross rig of my own. Too bad I don’t live in a town that’s very bike-friendly.
Great blog, I like your website!
John D.
Harrison, Arkansas