Been getting in to panniers. My road bike has racks on the front and back.
I bought some Ortlieb gravel panniers that were a bit extravagant. However they are pretty nice and did well on a recent trip with mixed road/paths/singletrack.
While they do fit on my front rack, at 10 litres each I think they are too big for the front.
Had a look online to get something smaller, and while they exist they are VERY expensive. They also don't have very slick mounting systems - velcro etc, much like my £10 Lidl ones on the shopping bike. I also spent all my money on the Ortlieb ones! There's a list here: [url] https://bikepacking.com/index/panniers-for-bikepacking/ [/url]
However I saw that Ortlieb do spares for their mounts. And I have a couple of 5 litre podsacs tarpaulin drybags I use on Blackburn fork cages.
A plan!
[img] https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/uEEjTd6buAu-j81cjqACsX4S1X_FjVq7YLc6x2i-ujiwhM2MwBcEYWXu6ox9Di-pJAzl_qV4jNbbPd7jNWjeWDmmuAo6BfHmw9xshlg8jOAXzaPX3gHfHnl3WoluQwZPlPDlnZUqpmnyLUN3PjRnnw5OaHjxYaQiSJhtmMObDWEbHUUXE0B8ou2EYadqRDX7CDE_ZndMboePh1WqzU1I78pBGaB_R-Atr8hHIOydFXA9EY6cdLdDCxMvNV1tRadwuHIa2SB6eyg-x82-g8aXHsxgCFAQsMd6rw0t9l5_pY3aXPG7GOWDCcqrUzmCShiyvmaeadWCA2S92ICWmIzYQ9cBs9RKVgMny2St8l-HRjFOwCJ9k8GMjj_by26fAw9zZA9D05BSzfD8S_eHhpf1dGE_xo_EsA51wMvVxEy7I2t2I15ABbL64cLYZW_CZEfR3vsDOA9RzboftJA6pZaX1Qyupk8S5l1_ZgfDrX-85WfXc5-GyoKnjzaGO4QoP2j4tRLtIULgL4yCIiXi19u3vy-k2-2v7u-oUM7vP_vVfjiN60yQgiE1k6TI_C8vfXu9xf5UM12WJteGWWHQIZvYQ8_fAom4trr6boMqGa4RLARoZYl-UnjoUDk2WL9873ZHa-Ha6pcHaQ21DjCbK2ml2vyYkeIyiR1KhZCGiNl0Iou2N87a2NbXYyh-Jc9yO5PtDa4ReLcCbkgAP53RchjicHPkqA=w1082-h903-no?authuser=0 [/img]
The front rack. It's a Racktime Top It ([url] https://www.rosebikes.com/racktime-topit-evo-front-rack-2680979 [/url]) - the only front rack I've found that fits mid fork eyelets.
I made a cardboard cut out of the rack sides and drew on the tubes.
I then fitted the Ortlieb mounts to the cardboard to check the fit.
it worked Ok, so I made holes in the drybag with a screwdriver and mounted the Ortlieb parts using a sample vinyl floor tile I had lying next to my computer inside the drybag as a sort of shaping/bracing/anti-rotation panel.
[b]Good:[/b]
All seems to work well. I like the quick release pull handle. I find unstrapping and refitting bikepacking bags in the morning a pain.
Cost was £15 of Ortleib hardware and £5 for the drybag. Boutique folk are punting panniers at £200/pair and not waterproof.
[b]Bad:[/b]
I put the template round back to front when making the holes in the bag so the adjustable bottom mount is offset to the wrong side. I can swap the hook/arm round and use it on the other side though.
Some of the Ortleib screws weren't great (low tpi metal screw into a plastic captive nut with misaligned threads) so I replaced with better ones I had lying around and used some washers to spread the loads as well as the vinyl flooring tile sample. Shouldn't ever have much weight in it - just clothes or sleep mat or something similar.
The top clamps are slightly loose. The clips are for 13mm? tubes with inserts for 11mm or 8mm. The 8mm were too small and the 11mm ones slightly too big. I assume my tubing is 10mm - not got callipers to check here at the moment.
[b]Next steps:[/b]
Test it out to see if it rattles itself to death.
May add a second arm/hook for extra off-road support.
Might add some rubber gaskets to the screws and test if it leaks under full river-crossing immersion conditions.
Might heatshrink something on to the top rails of the rack to give a better connection.
Love to see folk making things but can't see the pix
Ah, google photos hotlinking fail.
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They look excellent. Be interested to see the road test report
👍
Nice work!
I did something not dissimilar when the welded and taped, but not glued, fabric on my commuting panniers failed - I took the frames off them and attached them to some cheap but much more robust dry bags, which have lasted for years.
They do look really good
Been getting in to panniers
pervert
Will fill them with paneer
I hope they don't saag
That would be very bhaji. Poori construction on my part.
Are these jokes supposed to curry favours with the audience?
The panniers look ace, you must be dead chuffed with how they came out
Nice job.
I did very similar a few years ago for my commuter. I was using a big Potter's pannier - the ones Caradice make out of truck tarps branded "Upso", I think? All I had in was a 13in laptop, and tube, lever, multitool, maybe a rain jacket and it just got bashed around in there, especially on occasional off road commute extensions.
I wanted something only just big enough , so got a drybag from Lomo and some of the same spares.
It's quite important that the backer is quite stiff - otherwise, depending on the bumps and the contents, it might still bend and allow the stabilising hook to come unhooked.no big drama as the top will stay on, you'll just have to stop and rehook.
Negatives on mine are that the heavy-dutiness of the bag isn't that heavy duty - because it's a tcylinder bag being forced flat, the plastic's been stressed and given way. I've got a burlier ortleib bag to replace it with when I get that far down the to-do list!
Some of the Ortleib screws weren’t great (low tpi metal screw into a plastic captive nut with misaligned threads)
Think they're self tappers? I used them, they're fine so far. I thought about sealing with shoe goo or something, but I was pushing the screws through a pinprick hole and figured that would do. No problems so far - I've been in heavy rain but not immersed them. Given the contents I'd probably unclip and sling it over my shoulder if I came to a flood!
The top clamps are slightly loose. The clips are for 13mm? tubes with inserts for 11mm or 8mm. The 8mm were too small and the 11mm ones slightly too big. I assume my tubing is 10mm – not got callipers to check here at the moment.
Might heatshrink something on to the top rails of the rack to give a better connection.
I used a wrap of gorilla tape - perfect
I went ofr the slightly fancier adjustable bottom hook - bit more room for error when position the fitting, I could swap sides on the rack more easily if I took the bigger pannier as well, or ever got a front rack, and I had room on the bag for it!
yeah, lawn, whatevs!
Lawn? I thought that was wild heath land.
Are panniers due to become cool again then or what?
Alright "lawn" then! 😀 That's far from being the worst bit. Biodiveristy drives me, not laziness!
As for panniers being cool? I doubt it, but they've always been one of the best options for commuting.
And for touring in wine country. How else are you going to rack up a box of supermarket rose for easy access glugging on the way back to the campsite?
Edit - pic above is not my "lawn"!
Are these jokes supposed to curry favours with the audience?
Dunno but if you ask me they belong in the chaat forum.
Ah, the Alpkit ones - evidently I am not unique and special.
I find those drybags tear easily, that's why I went with the more tarpaulin style ones.
That bottom rail is better though
That's a Lomo "heavy duty" drybag. The Ortleib "heavyweight" replacement should last a bit better.
Ah, my mistake! Apologies.
Podsacs/PX seem to have jacked up the prices on drybags.