TopPeak bike bags - anyone use them?

gb2gw

Hello

Have finally managed to get my employer to sign up to a cyclescheme and am finally going to pick up my new bike on Sunday. The tight-fisted burgers capped it at £600 each though, so I've ended up with a Specialized Rockhopper Disc as I'll be riding both on and off-road on my route to work, with no money left over for extra goodies. Thankfully I've already got a lot of kit due to mtb'ing at weekends, but one thing I don't have that I think I'll need is some sort of luggage carrier.

When I cycled in a bit last year I used my camelbak, but it's not that capacious and I really didn't like having to put on that horrid damp-backed top again at the end of the day to come home in).

Hubby has bright yellow gay panniers on his bike because he needs the room to take a lot of stuff in with him. I'll keep my shower stuff at work though so will only really need to take a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, undies and shoes with me (and praps some hair straighteners) so I'm thinking I could get away with something a lot smaller (plus I hate the look of panniers!).

(Huge lot of waffle to get to the point, I know, but here it is!)
I've been looking at this rack
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=32816

and one of the bags to go on it. But I'm not sure which might be big enough / small enough? Has anyone used one of these? Are they any good?

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=28664
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=28705

Cheers for any advice

lost_in_thought

gb2gw wrote:

Hubby has bright yellow gay panniers on his bike because he needs the room to take a lot of stuff in with him. I'll keep my shower stuff at work though so will only really need to take a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, undies and shoes with me (and praps some hair straighteners) so I'm thinking I could get away with something a lot smaller (plus I hate the look of panniers!).

No idea, never used them, but that made me chuckle...

I know someone on here uses them with a beam rack - but can't remember who. Anyhow, welcome!

EDIT: My topeak rack is an ultralite - more than tough enough for my panniers. Never used the bags. Have made a note to be more clear in future.

AndyManc

I’ve got the rack and bag .... both are very good but I found I wanted more room , so I have added a side pannier .

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend topeak gear, it's very good, but get the biggest bag with fold out side panniers ..... you will use the extra space.






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tardington

Don't play with the poor girl!

Go here http://carradice.co.uk/ and don't close the window till you spent at least a hundred quid on a ludicrously huge saddle bag. 8)

sarajoy

I don't have a Topeak rack pack, but I do have this one: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=28961

Lately I've managed to much lighten the load of things I take to work, but this thing is very handy when I have a load of stuff and a lunch etc. to carry. It expands upwards a bit, you can shove stuff under the bungees, and the two side panels flap down and turn into two extra roomier compartments (each easily fitting a pair of jeans or a jumper, for example).

AndyManc

tardington wrote:

Don't play with the poor girl!

Go here http://carradice.co.uk/ and don't close the window till you spent at least a hundred quid on a ludicrously huge saddle bag. 8)

or you could do that.

Having a rack gives you greater scope for expansion though.


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lost_in_thought

AndyManc wrote:

tardington wrote:

Don't play with the poor girl!

Go here http://carradice.co.uk/ and don't close the window till you spent at least a hundred quid on a ludicrously huge saddle bag. 8)

or you could do that.

Having a rack gives you greater scope for expansion though.


.

True, and what's more you can attach stuff to it with bungees etc should the need arise - I certainly do.

Can't do that with a saddlebag!

tardington

Maybe I was put out, as a 'bright yellow gay pannier' owner. 8)

gb2gw

tardington wrote:

Don't play with the poor girl!

Go here http://carradice.co.uk/ and don't close the window till you spent at least a hundred quid on a ludicrously huge saddle bag. 8)

Ludicrously huge saddle bag? Ere, how big d'you think my pants are anyway??! :shock:

Thanks for all the replies (and welcome!). Am looking forward to pedalling in again I have to say.
Andymanc - what size bag did you originally get that you found to be too small? I'm honestly can't see that I'll want or need to be carrying anymore than jeans/t-shirt/shoes though (aside from few bits of toolkit) which I guess can roll up pretty small.
Guess I might just need to go and hunt one down in a shop somewhere so I can visually see just how much room they all afford you.

gb2gw

tardington wrote:

Maybe I was put out, as a 'bright yellow gay pannier' owner. 8)

Oops, one post in and I'm causing offense already!! I actually made hubby go for the yeller ones, he was going to go for a more subtle black. But I thought every little bit of visibility helps given he has to commute along a stretch of road that has such ridiculously heavy traffic, and I'd rather he didn't get squished.

Him: he couldn't care less what it looks like. Does what it needs to and he still gets there quicker on two wheels than he could if he went in on the bus, sat among the great unwashed. (and before anyone gets offended because they also sometimes travel by bus, I'm meaning HIS bus in particular. Only last week he was sat opposite somebody who sneezed, wiped their nose on their fingers and then 'subtley' (except it wasn't) wiped their fingers on the bus seat).

AndyManc

gb2gw wrote:

tardington wrote:

Don't play with the poor girl!

Go here http://carradice.co.uk/ and don't close the window till you spent at least a hundred quid on a ludicrously huge saddle bag. 8)

Ludicrously huge saddle bag? Ere, how big d'you think my pants are anyway??! :shock:

Thanks for all the replies (and welcome!). Am looking forward to pedalling in again I have to say.
Andymanc - what size bag did you originally get that you found to be too small? I'm honestly can't see that I'll want or need to be carrying anymore than jeans/t-shirt/shoes though (aside from few bits of toolkit) which I guess can roll up pretty small.
Guess I might just need to go and hunt one down in a shop somewhere so I can visually see just how much room they all afford you.

I bought the biggest one, but on the way home I stop off for milk and bread, then of course I would buy bike gear from Aldi and Lidl .... it all mounts up.

My bikes are mostly utilitarian , if I was you I would buy the one with fold up side panniers, they are always there if you need them ... if not, keep them folded up.



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AndyManc

This is the one I have .............



It all folds back together to make it look compact .


http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Topeak_Trunk_RX_DXP_Bag_with_Pannier/5360043342/


BTW , I also bought a water proof (yellow) cover for it , essential for me.


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dilemna

http://www.topeak.com/products/Bags/Tou ... ndlebarBag

I've got the above Topeak bar bag which has been ok although haven't used it much.