Bike Panniers Oh My: Which Should I Buy!
These are cute bike panniers for around town and feminine
Have you been thinking about purchasing a set of bike panniers but not really sure what to get. I know I have been in that same boat myself. I was looking on Amazon, REI and other bicycle accessories sites and just could not make the decision to pull the trigger on any one set. You see for me I use my bike for multiple purposes and that is what made it so hard. Unfortunately and strangely fortunately at the same time before I could finally pull the trigger and buy any one set of bike panniers my wife got a set for my birthday and that was a done deal. Did it all work out in the end sure. Yet in this post I will detail the three main functions for bike panniers and what those three functions might mean for you and your search for the ideal bike pannier for your situation.
Around Town Shopping Bike Panniers
With gas prices sky rocketing and the green house effect happening with the earth more and more people are turning to riding their bikes. Of course I am kind of preaching to the choir right if you are here you probably already ride a fair amount. One way that people log a good number of miles and house on their bike is just running their errands around town. The bike pannier they will need of course is a lot different than someone going touring in a foreign country. That is just kind of common sense isn’t it. For a around town bike pannier that will carry groceries and other assorted items you want something with a good deal of room. You will also want something most likely with an open top and it doesn’t really need to have any closure or weather proofing features. The two big saddle bags in the back that are open and easy to access is probably best for your situation. One alternative you might want to consider is looking for a convertible bike pannier that can be a saddle bag while you are riding but then comes off from the pannier rack and turns into a backpack or messenger bag.
The Bike Commuter: Bike Panniers
Now the bike commuter is typically making a bit more serious commitment to the number of hours they will be riding and also the amount of stuff they will be caring in their bike panniers. In this case they might need a closure on the top and some light weather proofing for those mornings with fog or a slight drizzle out there. In this case they don’t need the biggest saddle bags for the bike ever but something in the mid range size that does have some closure. Often they are looking for something that can carry the contents of a briefcase in other words some papers and books etc and then also maybe a place to store a jacket and even a change of clothes. In this case for the commuter the pannier should be medium size, with light weatherproofing and a closure on top so things don’t fall out.
The Touring Bicyclist
The touring bicycle rider probably needs a medium to very large capacity saddle bag with at least light weather proofing if not full bombproof water tight saddle bags and bike panniers. It really depends on the conditions of the ride but most likely if you are looking at this level or riding you are pretty serious and spending a good deal of time on your bike so it pays to spend a little extra money and go for the bike bike panniers that are bombproof and water tight. That way on your back road trip through China you don’t have to worry about a little mud or rain running your sleeping bag.
So What?
Well, you might be asking so what is the best solution and which ones should I buy. Essentially it comes down to projecting how you will use the bike panniers and finding the best option for your intended use that you can afford. Of course more expensive is better and many, (myself included) think bigger is better as you have room to grow. In the end you are likely to get bitten by the cycling bug once you start and inevitable you will end up with two or three sets of bike panniers depending on the situation. So how does the story end? What did I get? As I mentioned they were bought for me as a gift so I didn’t have much choice. With that being said my wife bought a nice mid range with light weather proofing and moderate size. It is a middle of the road set of bike of bike panniers but it works perfectly for me. I might have gotten something more expensive and bigger if I purchased them myself but the fact of the matter is I have not needed anything more and I have done all three of the activities listed above with the bike panniers
I have.