Panniers with shoulder strap help!

Will Ingram

Hello,
I cycle very regularly everywhere, and I used to use Altura panniers to go to the sports club/ get shopping etc. They were good but without a shoulder strap I had to carry them around with one hand, and they were very ugly (yes I am vain- so what?).
I live in London so I absolutely must take the pannier with me or it will get nicked.
I recently bought a new rack and pannier bag, a Hamax basic rack and pannier bag.
The system is effective at carrying luggage, the top-opening is easy and it is a very convenient size for carrying groceries and sports kit, and, most critically, it has a shoulder strap so I can carry it around comfortably and stylish. Looks nice too.

Unfortunately it does not respond at all well to being overloaded (the top will not close as it is velcro), it is fiddly to install ( I had to file down the lug to get it to fit the Hamax rack) and there is a paininthe arse hook underneath to fix to the rack stay. Also the BASIC rack is bloody heavy, it is slowing me down and I recommend anyone thinking about this system to get the premium rack. (It is rated for 25kg net load, more like 40kg IMHO)

SO:
Can anyone recommend to me a medium-sized bicycle rear pannier that has a shoulder strap, and is not too narrow (I need to put shoes and a squash racket in) and easy to remove. Good looks would be nice.!

Cheers
Will

P.S. does anyone know where I can get a Shimano Nexus 8-speed rear hub serviced in west/ central London?

choirboy

Ortleib

alfablue

choirboy wrote:

Ortleib

Yes, the Back Roller Classic - simply the best!

nicktheluddite

vaude aqua back if you want to get something as good as the ortlieb, but not have something everyone else has? Although squash racket is a bit long for most pannier I guess? Maybe you don't want a roll-top pannier like we've all suggested so far?

g00se

My other half has a pair of Konnix bags for a good few years. Very light and very waterproof. I've even cycled with it over my shoulder with two rear racks, a pair of mudguards and a track pump in it.... Has a shoulder strap. It doesn't look like they do the same model anymore but have some similar:

http://www.konnix.com/Film3.html (black bag, top right)

They also do regular pannier bags and waterproof rucksacks with pannier-like clips.

http://www.konnix.com/Rack-Bag.html

http://www.konnix.com/Pannier-Bag.html

apreading

I have Altura panniers which have a shoulder strap - I think they are the Dryline. However I have never used it and am not sure how comfortable it would be as the fixings for the rack would presumably press against your sides...

Roastie

It may be worth paying Bikefix in Holburn a visit, they have a lot of unusual stuff, including some nice pannier bags. A visit there managed to convert my style conscious missus to pannier use.

Kieran_Burns

apreading wrote:

I have Altura panniers which have a shoulder strap - I think they are the Dryline. However I have never used it and am not sure how comfortable it would be as the fixings for the rack would presumably press against your sides...

turn it around?

The drylines do have a shoulder strap, and the fixings can be hidden behind a zip down cover.

I have the 17" laptop pannier, it's perfect for shirts and pretty capacious - it's fully waterproof and the top locked down by dual clips, which can be adjusted

Jay dubbleU

Try Carradice of Nelson - They produce a variety of panniers

davmaggs

+1 for the Vaude panniers

They have the strap you want, and also have an outside pocket. Very useful for avoiding having to unpack the whole thing to get keys out. The pocket is big enough to put lots of small odds and ends in, so I'm constantly glad I didn't get the Ortliebs.

The hard back to the pannier also means you can put paper inside the inner zip pocket and avoid it getting wrecked.

I got mine new off eBay and can post the name of the supplier (as they took a best offer rather than list price) if you want it

monkeycowboy

davmaggs wrote:

+1 for the Vaude panniers

They have the strap you want, and also have an outside pocket. Very useful for avoiding having to unpack the whole thing to get keys out. The pocket is big enough to put lots of small odds and ends in, so I'm constantly glad I didn't get the Ortliebs.

The hard back to the pannier also means you can put paper inside the inner zip pocket and avoid it getting wrecked.

I got mine new off eBay and can post the name of the supplier (as they took a best offer rather than list price) if you want it

+1

I also bought from eBay, they came from Germany only a couple fo days postage, also took a best offer, maybe you can offer slightly less than I did. More info on request

RufusA

Kieran_Burns wrote:

The drylines do have a shoulder strap, and the fixings can be hidden behind a zip down cover.

I have the 17" laptop pannier, it's perfect for shirts and pretty capacious - it's fully waterproof and the top locked down by dual clips, which can be adjusted

+1 for the 17" dryline altura. I can easily get a laptop, work clothes (folded in a Eagle Creek 15) and whole load of paper, lights, bike bits, umbrella etc in it.

The fixings are a pain, until I discovered that a Metro newspaper fits perfectly under the zip and stops your side being gouged out by them!

However the 15" dryline was not so good - had two fail on me with zip / clasp problems and the position of the clips ruined a lovely Merino top!

HTH - Rufus.

Will Ingram

In the end I tried the Hamz plus carrier and bag, because the bag looked like an ordinary bag not obviously cycle-type.
My error, it was a pain in the arse, had to modify them soon after getting them to get them to work, wore out quickly and the clips were really a pain in the first. Will get Altura from now on

lost_in_thought

Could you not just put a spare shoulder strap onto the Altura panniers?

My Altura Orkneys came with a shoulder strap. :smug:

Aidy

Yeah, I'm a fairly recent pannier convert, and the biggest annoyance with mine is that there's no shoulder strap.

Having said that, I only carry them between my desk and the toilets - it would feel a bit excessive to splash out on a set of Ortliebs just to solve that annoyance!

Old Pedaller

Waterproof panniers with shoulder strap were £10 each from Lidl - their cycle week should be along soon.