I’m rolling straight dope towards the Pacific Coasts with saddlebags (a.k.a. “panniers”) stuffed with gear. Panniers are essential for any long distance travel, given that they are the best means for storage and transportation while on bike. I am learning that there is a category of bikers entitled “credit card” travelers. Apparently these people need nothing more than a knapsack because they pack their clothes but pay for everything else that they need. So, I guess that if you are one of these types you don’t need panniers. But if you are like me, traveling with camping gear, food, and a shite load of water, then you are going to need a big sack. And the bigger the sack the better. Gather together four big sacks and you got yourself a party.
Let me tell you about my sack. The Ortlieb “Back-Roller Plus” and the “Front-Roller Plus”. Constructed in Germany of durable waterproof material, these panniers have a nice understated yet classy look to them. The “Plus” model comes with a nice canvas exterior and in several colors. I purchased mine in black.
Both front and back panniers have a wide mouth that rolls up and clips down, helping restrict the openings in the sack to one – an important feature when it comes to waterproofing. The interior consists of a wide open space and back storage compartment. For the most part people recommend storing and arranging all materials in Zip-lock bags (just to be safe when it comes to rain) and so they prefer the one large compartment to a bag with many smaller compartments. I’m of the same mind. The more pockets in the bag the less overall storage space and the more annoying it is to locate things.
The bags hook to the back rack with ease and can be locked down with an adjustable arm located on the back of each bag. If not locked down, they can be detached from the rack simply by lifting up on the handle, which unlatches the hooks from the rack. The latching mechanism can also be altered should you want to hang the bag at more of an angle, in the event that your foot strikes the bag while pedaling. The hooks can also be adjusted to fit different sized racks.
The real test will be while on the road, but right now I am very happy with the quality and construction of these Ortliab panniers and cannot wait to take them for a test drive.