Panniers - Racks - Bags - Bike Luggage

Might be best to re-purpose a seat bag as rack top bags from all the usual suspects are around 30cm and up. I was surprised that their aren't any in the size you want.

Yeah, you're probably right. The Vaude Silk Road S(mall) is about right but I'd quite like something fairly classic so some sort of carradice is probably the answer.

Handlebar bags:

Ortleib Ultimate6 M Classic v Altura Dryline

Both 7L, Ortleib looks cooler, Altura's about £25 cheaper, any compelling reason to pay the premium on the Ortlieb?

Usually go for Ortleib due to their reputation.

Another choice is the Carradice Super C or Keswick handlebar bag.

Right after the latest abuse I got for my mission workshop bag for going around touring, I've decided to drop that bag and instead look for a large saddle bag to tour with. After searching around on the web I've found these and was wondering if people had any experiences or other peoples feedback of them:

http://www.ortlieb.co.uk/new-for-2014/ortlieb-saddlebag-large.html

https://www.revelatedesigns.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=store.catalog&CategoryID=4&ProductID=1

http://www.carradice.co.uk/index.php?page_id=product&under=type&product_id=35#prettyPhoto

FYI, this is going on a road bike, so would the weight of the bag be a factor and in general would be a good idea or am I just wasting my time?

I have the ortlieb one if you want to borrow it to try it out?

I was siding to this, but maybe the size is a little small?

It is quite small. Fine for a day or two I suppose but certainly not for touring.

Any thoughts of the other two?

Not used them but I would probably go for the Viscacha over the Carradice myself.

Any thoughts of the other two?

Visacha no doubt. Tough, waterproof, adjustable, expandable and easier to mount. The others have limitations. For anything above two days like Stevo said, you'd be mad not to.

Cheers guys! =)

Usually go for Ortleib due to their reputation.

Another choice is the Carradice Super C or Keswick handlebar bag.

Cheers, think I'll go for the Super C, looks brilliant and performs too (by all accounts), and I'm sold on the lights holder

https://www.revelatedesigns.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=store.catalog&CategoryID=4&ProductID=1

Best saddlebag ever for touring, it's extremely well design and though out, it got two seperate compartment, the back is for stuff you'll take out at the end of the day, and the front is for stuff you might need to take out while riding, very very kind to plastic bicycles too.

It hold a tent, sleeping bag, inflatable mattress, some toiletries and clothes.

All the info you seek is in the bikepacking topic.

Cheers Ed! Ordering one once I get paid!

Apologies if trawling up am old thread... but searched and found this...

Just rebuilt my daily bike. I commute between 12-35 miles each way pending how I feel.

I need to carry a heavy high-spec 15.6/16 inch laptop, plus a couple of bits of clothing and normal bike repair kit etc.

This past 2 years I have used a small Eastman messenger on my back for my general bike gear and camera etc, then used a single North St Bags convertible pannier for my laptop which is in a neoprene sleeve.
The pannier I hated it swinging about so I always used to bungee cord it tight to the rear rack.

Question is... looking for a better alternative to my bodged pannier bag. Hate the look when it's bungeed to the rack so wondered if there is a suitable pannier to take a laptop of that size which cam strap tight to the rack without swinging about. So it would ideally hook on the rack, them have additional strapping to make sure everything is tight.

Or am I looking for something which doesn't exist?

Final question. Any other purposeful looking racks apart from the Surly Nice or SJS cycles one? All the others by Tubus, Tortec, Blackburn etc I am not that fussed on.

I've been looking at the Ortlieb Vario for a similar requirement, has the benefit of being square at the bottom so you can fit the laptop in all the way to the bottom (unlike with the ortlieb back roller panniers, they taper just enough so you can't do that). It uses the ortlieb QR system and shouldn't flap - I haven't tried the QL3 but the QL1 and 2 work perfectly well.

I use a Tortec Velocity hybrid, slopes in slightly so the pannier is even less likely to bounce around on bumps. Downside is that it's not usable other than for panniers.

Do you have to use a Pannier? I use a Carradice Camper Longflap for all my commuting needs (15 miles each way), combined with a quick release bagman rack. This can fit a big laptop and more easily, and is tucked nicely out of the way.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/altura-arran-36-pannier/

I am liking the looks and price of these. Has anybody used them? How are they?
Maybe I am retarded, but they are a set for the price right? Is 36 enough? Should I get 46?

I need it for summer/spring/fall touring. Max one week. Will use drybags.

I've used them before, it's a set. They served me well for about 4 years before falling apart, during touring and during obscenely heavily-loaded shopping trips. I used the 36L and just bungeed anything that didn't fit to the rack, but didn't really need to do that much.

Good value IMO, would have bought again after they died but fancied something waterproof instead.

This is the last time I took them touring, just before they died, I used a Carradice saddlebag as well because I knew I was going to do some smaller rides near my B&B and didn't want to lug two panniers worth of shit with me, it wasn't making up for space deficiencies:

I've used them too, they work exactly as they described, 36 will be enough, least it forced you to take what you need.

I used them on weekend tour with the girlfriend, they held quite well against downpour, but wouldn't really trust it to be completely waterproof.

Cool. Thank you. Too god to be true :-)

So, I have a 29er which I'm dragging into winter commuting duty. Usually once a week or so I need to take clothes, food etc into work. Usually I'll have a pair of jeans or two, a towel, half a dozen t-shirts and maybe a couple of jars of coffee etc. I've always just piled it all in my Oakley Toolbox backpack and made do, but lately I've had a bad back and riding with the full backpack aggrivated it.

On impulse, I got one of these cheap:

Trouble is, I now don't know what to do with it. Do I just try and lash my back pack to it? Would that be suitable for mini-panniers without having proper supports other than the one bar? I originally envisioned something like a Swift Ozette, but the only way I can see that working would be with a VO decaleur, but that's a bit goofy and would look a bit crap hanging off the MTB whenever the bag wasn't in use.

Is there a better option? Also, cheaper...decaleur + swift bag feels like a lot to me for something I've been (so far) perfectly happy to live without.

Look for some fishing bag, and find some way to strap it on top of the rack (usually velcro sew in underneath).

Very cheap and light too, any fishing shop will have a selection you can check out.

Ah, I never thought of a fishing bag. That looks good, providing I could find a way to properly secure it. My concern is that these bags are all wide and the rack is narrow.

So all of these narrow little front porteur style racks that you see, they're all intended to be used as half a rack/decaleur combo? Are there any modern, quick release, easy to remove decaleurs? I see certain handlebar bags come with their own bar mount systems, but none that are large enough to be used in combo with a rack.

Tool bag from the local hardware store:

Handles cut and fitted with D links to use either as carry handles or straps.
Velcro straps underneath.
Fits MrsE's Pletscher / Raleigh 20, a cheap Aldi rack fitted to a mtb, and a home made rack on a bmx.
Cost: £5 for the bag, £2 for webbing and velcro, a hour or so with a needle and thread.