Thinking outside the pannier
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JedidiahStolzfus
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Saying "gormet ramen" is a great way to incur the wrath of chefs around the world.
Mr. Coffee
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Prairie Dog
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No way that I would wait that long for a bowl of ramen regardless of the shop’s rep. There are literally thousands of ramen-ten in and around Tokyo that likely serve great noodles and broth and the variations are dependent on the region. From Hokkaido to Niigata to Kyushu and every region in between boast their own unique ingredients. So, to say that single shop in Tokyo serves up the best ramen in the world is so out of touch.
m@Robertson
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About that, its a common issue with cargo bikes. Especially longtails, where the frame is longer. Its counteracted in part by putting heavy stuff in the front part of your double-long bags, so you don't create a pendulum with your front wheel being one end and your heavy tail all the way back in the rear.
BUT the problem can be completely solved with hardware. A Cane Creek Viscoset is a modern miracle. You will only notice its there for about the first five minutes of your ride and then its permanently invisible... and it totally eliminates death wobble, which is what its designed for. I bought it for my Big Fat Dummy which had the problem, but then I sold on my Bluto (Rockshox' fat suspension fork) and replaced it with a Wren Fat Inverted fork. and the much stronger fork disappeared the problem. I then put the Viscoset on my Bullitt, which also had the problem in spades, and those bikes have a special steering dampener, taken from the motorcycle world, that you can add. The vastly less expensive Viscoset worked so well and was so much cheaper I put one on my second Bullitt from the get-go when I built it.
HAH yeah thats what you're supposed to think. I take pictures when the bike is brand new, before I ride it for the first time. They're never that clean again.
A couple of shots with the bags on front racks.
This one looks impressive carry but I was donating two old double sleeping bags and a couple of pillows, so not the heavy load it appears to be.
Mr. Coffee
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Had a conversation at my LBS. Two key takeaways:
- These cages from Widefoot are lighter, less expensive, and still look cool.
- I'd probably be happier with the 5L cage bags rather than 3L. Certainly the 5L bags make it easier to carry the cookpot and camp kitchen and the sleeping pad.
m@Robertson
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Salsa Anything cage is along the same lines.
The Widefoot cages are a lot cheaper if you buy the factory seconds.
Mr. Coffee
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REI Link II Pannier came in today. I'll post photos tomorrow and show how much stuff I can pack in it. Short answer is pretty much everything I want to carry in it will fit, if tightly. SimWorks EX Loader should arrive tomorrow or Friday and I can run the same tests.
My theory is if most everything fits very tightly in just the rear panniers, I am free to move some gear to the front fork on the cage mount dry bags. And significant groceries, soggy stuff, and treasures I pick up along the way can be carried in the overflow bag on top of the rear rack.
In a very dry travel situation I can carry water, up to 4L, on the front cage mounts and jam everything else into the rear panniers, overflow bag, and rando bag.
I am thinking what would be absolutely perfect for this application is a roll-top pannier this size with large mesh pockets on the side and rear.
My theory is if most everything fits very tightly in just the rear panniers, I am free to move some gear to the front fork on the cage mount dry bags. And significant groceries, soggy stuff, and treasures I pick up along the way can be carried in the overflow bag on top of the rear rack.
In a very dry travel situation I can carry water, up to 4L, on the front cage mounts and jam everything else into the rear panniers, overflow bag, and rando bag.
I am thinking what would be absolutely perfect for this application is a roll-top pannier this size with large mesh pockets on the side and rear.
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Mr. Coffee
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Okay, here is the new REI Link II Pannier empty and mounted on the drive side:
It is mounted on the lower pannier rails because (A) it fits there, (B) it gives me a lower center of gravity, and (C) it frees up the top rails for strapping an overflow bag and other stuff (e.g. soggy wet stuff). Since this is the drive side pannier I intend to put stuff in there that absolutely needs to be kept dry and is unlikely to be needed before I get to camp that evening. So things like my down quilt, sleeping pad, spare socks, inner layers, &c.
This is all of that stuff in a big pile:
This is all of it overstuffed into that tiny pannier:
Now that was most everything, but it wasn't a realistic carry because I don't cycle just in shoes, a helmet, and sunglasses. I need to wear some of the clothes jammed into that pannier. This is what it looks like with typical ride clothes removed:
Hard to tell really but I was able to get a couple more rolls on the roll top.
Now in practice I will carry some of that in a dry bag on the front as well. Also in practice there might be some additional small items that ride along (the cable and charger bag is in there, but there might be some other small items).
With the 5L front drybag I can easily pack the sleeping pad and a bunch of clothes forward, which leaves plenty of room in that rear pannier.
The bag looks good but I'm not super impressed with the external pocket.
It is mounted on the lower pannier rails because (A) it fits there, (B) it gives me a lower center of gravity, and (C) it frees up the top rails for strapping an overflow bag and other stuff (e.g. soggy wet stuff). Since this is the drive side pannier I intend to put stuff in there that absolutely needs to be kept dry and is unlikely to be needed before I get to camp that evening. So things like my down quilt, sleeping pad, spare socks, inner layers, &c.
This is all of that stuff in a big pile:
This is all of it overstuffed into that tiny pannier:
Now that was most everything, but it wasn't a realistic carry because I don't cycle just in shoes, a helmet, and sunglasses. I need to wear some of the clothes jammed into that pannier. This is what it looks like with typical ride clothes removed:
Hard to tell really but I was able to get a couple more rolls on the roll top.
Now in practice I will carry some of that in a dry bag on the front as well. Also in practice there might be some additional small items that ride along (the cable and charger bag is in there, but there might be some other small items).
With the 5L front drybag I can easily pack the sleeping pad and a bunch of clothes forward, which leaves plenty of room in that rear pannier.
The bag looks good but I'm not super impressed with the external pocket.
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Mr. Coffee
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The Sim Works EX Loader arrived yesterday:
All this stuff just barely fit into it:
I had to put the tarp and tent stakes in the mesh pocket. Which is fine for these purposes.
My own feelings right now is that, yes, I could make this work. But I think I like the Link II Pannier better and think it will work better for my purposes.
All this stuff just barely fit into it:
I had to put the tarp and tent stakes in the mesh pocket. Which is fine for these purposes.
My own feelings right now is that, yes, I could make this work. But I think I like the Link II Pannier better and think it will work better for my purposes.
autobike543
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JedidiahStolzfus
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My plan is to get and modify a pair of rigid Molle panels so I can choose different kinds of pouches to use. I don't like big bags that everything just gets dumped into. With Molle pouches I could do a large bag on one side, a tool kit, and pouch for my tumbler of ice tea and a first aid kit.
Mr. Coffee
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If that works for you, great!
How do you keep dirty and wet velcro sticking, though?
Mr. Coffee
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That REI Link Pannier I showed above is now on sale for US $55 each, down from US $80:
It is a good small pannier.
It is a good small pannier.
m@Robertson
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Right now is the beginning of the season for deals on everything for cycling. I've got my eyes peeled for a whole list of bits.
BurroBabe
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In my neverending search for companies who have excellent ethical standards when it comes to environmental responsibility in sourcing materials as well as making excellent products that they stand behind, I must say I really love Arkel. Their bags are so well thought out, beautifully constructed, and guaranteed for life! You can't go wrong with them.I like the Ortlieb Panniers, and I know a lot of people out there think very highly of them. But as I said I have some eccentric and fussy criteria for panniers and the Ortilieb ones do not meet them:
It is great if your panniers are extremely waterproof, but if you are forced to carry soggy stuff in them it kind of negates the point. Also, I have a bias towards either velcro straps or beefy metal hardware to attach panniers to a rack. I have learned to distrust hard plastic attachment hardware. Although I know a lot of people who seem to be happy with the Ortlieb scheme.
- External pockets, especially for carrying wet stuff like a soggy tarp, wet stinky socks, or a wet parka
- A convenient place to mount a blinky
There are a whole bunch of panniers I like that do not meet those criteria:
Arkel Dry Lites. Inexpensive, light, and simple:
Dry-Lites - Waterproof Bags
Arkel Ultimate waterproof, ultra light & fast touring saddle bags / Compatible with every type of racks easy to install / Featherweight / Suit all adventures weither it's on your E-bike, Fat bike or gravel bike / Put on the market a tough bag that will resist the environment and solid on rough...arkel.ca
Tailfin Mini Panniers. Probably tougher and more waterproof than the Ortliebs. They look weird, though:
Mini Panniers
Tough enough even for off-road bikepacking. The 5L & 10L mini panniers provide load capacity and performance for light adventures.www.tailfin.cc
North Street Adventure Micro Pannier:
Adventure Micro Pannier 14L
Hit the trails with North St. Adventure Micro Panniers. 14L Capacity, made from single layer 100% recycled polyester sailcloth. Built tough.northstbags.com
6zfshdb
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+1 on Arkel. I have 3 sets of panniers, 2 handlebar bags and a rear rack bag all from Arkel. I've been using them for many years without any problems. I particularly like the fact that they use high quality YKK zippers. I have at least a half dozen bags I no longer use due to cheap zipper failure.
They aren't cheap but I don't mind paying extra for a quality product.
Mr. Coffee
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Yeah, I generally like Arkel's stuff.
North Street, Swift, and Oveja Negra also use recycled materials and (mostly) local production.
I did a slight reconfigure over the summer which is working out well. I've switched to the North Street Adventure Micro Pannier for the right-side pannier, and it is the perfect size for a sleeping quilt, pad, a warm layer, and a few small camp items. In spite of the claimed 14 liter size it is more realistically about 10L when it is adequately closed. This pannier would actually be perfect if it had a rear pocket like the Swift panniers and/or a mesh back pocket like the RX Works panniers. But it is good enough for the job.
The other change was to remove the tiny top tube bag and use an Oveja Negra 1/2 Pack Frame Bag. Now the small items that rode in the top tube bag and most of the tools and spare parts that were in the rando bag can go there.
Another relatively minor change was that the Swift feed bag that used to ride on the handlebars is now attached to the rando bag and is used to carry snacks. A larger feed back that more securely carries a 24oz water bottle now is on the left hand side handlebars and the Swift feed bag carries snacks. I discovered that when riding bumpy the side pockets on the rando bag tend to eject Core Bars and string cheese...
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