Ortleib vs dhb panniers

mostly harmless

Due to a change in circumstances the commute has got longer and a rack and pannier will be in order.

Two panniers have are currently under consideration, the dhb Marstens (for ~£44) and the Ortlieb Rolltop Classics (for ~£74). Price is not really an issue but in saying that I'll happily save £30 if I was sure that I was buying an equivalent product. Does anyone have any opinions on either or both. In particular how do the fixing mounts compare? Are spares availble for the dhb as I'd hope to get 10+ years out of a setup. Having said that I've been impressed with the dhb stuff (mostly clothing) that I've got.

In addition, are there any panniers that would give similar performance that I may have overlooked?

Thanks in advance for you help.

Dave

Jamey

Have a read of this thread. Might help:
http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12602207

mostly harmless

That's useful thanks. As you seem to be a fully paid up member of the Ortlieb club, could you tell me if they have an internal pocket of any sort to keep wallet and phone etc handy?

Cheers

Dave

Jamey

Well I've got the Bike Packer Classic panniers, as opposed to the Back Rollers that most people seem to go for but yes, they have two internal pockets (but no external ones)

One of the internal pockets is sort of flat against the whole of the back, so you could put sheets of A4 paper in it and they should stay flat (not quite big enough for a laptop though) and the other pocket is a net/mesh zip-up one on the front side of the flap that forms the first pocket I mentioned.

Does that make sense?

Specialized Needs

Jamey wrote:

Well I've got the Bike Packer Classic panniers, as opposed to the Back Rollers that most people seem to go for but yes, they have two internal pockets (but no external ones)

One of the internal pockets is sort of flat against the whole of the back, so you could put sheets of A4 paper in it and they should stay flat (not quite big enough for a laptop though) and the other pocket is a net/mesh zip-up one on the front side of the flap that forms the first pocket I mentioned.

Does that make sense?

I've the Back Roller Pluses - which I assume are the same set up as the classics. The pockets are the same as Jamey has said for his. The netting pocket I use for lights, bike clips, batteries etc. Should hold wallet & stuff, unless you carry around a LOT of money :shock: Personally, I carry my wallet, keys etc in a bum bag in the pannier, so it is easier to retrieve if I am not cycling in.

fonty1978

I bought the dhb marsdens mainly as a cheaper alternative to the Ortlieb panniers, but i have to say they are a steal for the money.

They have plenty of internal pockets for wallet, keys etc and i find them pretty durable as well.

The only thing is i need a pannier rack that fits my bike correctly.

fonty1978

I bought the dhb marsdens mainly as a cheaper alternative to the Ortlieb panniers, but i have to say they are a steal for the money.

They have plenty of internal pockets for wallet, keys etc and i find them pretty durable as well.

The only thing is i need a pannier rack that fits my bike correctly.

CanterburyTailwind

To throw another option into the ring...have you thought about the offering from AGU (http://www.ukbikestore.co.uk/Product/0/agu_xrain_850/agux-rain850klick-fixrearpannierbags.html)? I had a Karrimor pannier, which was great, but finally gave up the ghost. Tried an Ortlieb for a while, which was good and light, waterproof, and had a good fixing mechanism, but was fiddly and I could never get to grips with using the shoulder strap and looking like anything other than an idiot.
Now got a pair of Agus, which are great: heavier than Ortliebs, but just as watertight, and got a pocket in the lid, which is really, really useful.

I bought them a couple of months ago for about £50, but now they all seem to be around £70-80. But maybe a web search can turn up more...