Why front panniers?

[jags]

 

[sdg_77]

Well I cycle toured about the U.K for 8 to 10 weeks with Just front panniers on my Top End road bike! Back in late 1980's

It just handled so so good, light and fast  Why because my bike had a 50%front/50%rear once I was on and riding it.

Pete . .
 

I tried loaded front panniers with nothing on the rear rack, on my Sherpa, just as an experiment and couldn't tell any real difference to the handling,  also tried front panniers and our 18 month old daughter in a rear rack seat on my old CB tourer back in the late eighties,  she and I both survived, the back wheel was replaced soon after we returned home ;-)

sdg.

[NZPeterG]

I tried loaded front panniers with nothing on the rear rack, on my Sherpa, just as an experiment and couldn't tell any real difference to the handling,  also tried front panniers and our 18 month old daughter in a rear rack seat on my old CB tourer back in the late eighties,  she and I both survived, the back wheel was replaced soon after we returned home ;-)

sdg.

Yes this is why I just run with Front ones. Good handling and wheels last.
I was Green Lane, MTB tracks, Back roads, etc on my very light Topend Road Bike.
I stayed at YHA's all over the UK.

Pete . .
 

[E-wan]

Think front pannier are essential but these ones are badley designed.

While touring round Holland a couple of years ago my wife brushed her front wheel against my pannier, the spokes got caught in the hook that’s designed to hold the shoulder strap in place. This threw both of us onto the road and required about 45mins with a spoke key to get her wheel rideable again, and ripped the hook for the shoulder strap out of the pannier, flipped the fork round so that some holes were worn in the other front paniear and also made a hole in my Ortlieb back roler rear pannier.

I have since removed the shoulder strap hooks form my Ortlieb front rollers and patched the holes left by the plastic hook that holds the shoulder strap as I did not feel this hook was very safe!

Ewan

[Danneaux]

Yikes, Ewan! What carnage, and in just a moment's time!

Your tale is instructive to all of us, and a reminder that even seemingly innocuous items can be the catalyst for Much Larger Things if it all comes together wrong. So sorry for the bad experience, and hope no one was injured (apart from the wheel and the panniers).

My Dutch touring partner had front rollers (has since added them to the rear as well, replacing an older set of bags by another maker) and was spooked by the possibilities of the straps hanging in their keepers, so he removed the straps and simply clicked the Fastex buckles to each other at the top, after rolling. That little hook was still there on the face of each bag, though, and I sometimes wondered if...! Now I know. No matter how unlikely or infrequent, Things can Happen.

I went with the cap-top SportPacker and BikePacker series, but still take great care to "safety wire" all items I carry outside my bags or under the lid: I use a little mini-carabiner to secure any loose drawstrings (say on my chair stuff sack, tent carry bag, etc.) so a) the drawstrings won't feed into the spokes and get caught with horrible outcomes and b) so I won't lose these items if they should work loose from their regular straps. Also, thanks to Ortlieb's most recent warning, I have stowed my HB bag strap inside the bag, rather than wrapping it 'round the bottom.

Best,

Dan.

[il padrone]

Dangling straps and cords are always something to be very wary of. Having had to do a roadside removal of my son's cassette, wheel bearings, axle and freehub body, all because of a dangling bungy cord, it's something I know all about it!!

I am not a fan of the Ortlieb Rollers for several reasons. I have one pair, but don't even bother using the straps. Any time a spinning front wheel comes into contact with any stationary part of another bike it is not going to be pretty, same for any dangly straps. It  is possibly another virtue of front panniers that if you and your travelling partners have them, when riding along you may bump panniers but the front panniers substantially shield the front wheel from contacts.

Back in the 80s and early 90s I used to strap different items on  top of the rear rack - tent, thermarest, shoes etc. Now the gear that I strap on top of the rear rack is always packed into an Ortlieb roll-top bag. Helps to keep it cleaner and protected from any effects of UV as well.

[E-wan]

I would never leave the shoulder straps on front panniers when riding any way.

[il padrone]

The thing is, all the Ortlieb promo shots show them packed up with the strap looped down and tightened under the external hook - completely unnecessary for secure packing of course   Newcomers to the brand often think this is how they need to be used.

[Matt2matt2002]

I bought front Ortlieb panniers and have yet to use them on tour. In fact I am having great difficulty tying them up at the top.
Could you post a picture of your method il pardre?

[JWestland]

The manfriend has Carridice Super C...we didn't get around yet to cycling so far that we needed to resort to low riders + front bags, but how do these hold up?

Any SURPRISE WHEEL TANGLE straps to be careful of?

(It seems just because you are paranoid about bungling straps doesn't mean they're not out to get you)

[strictnaturist]

Hi all,
I just purchased a full set of Super C panniers for the Sherpa. I am sure there must be a lot of thorn riders out there with front Carrradice panniers on their Thorn low loaders. I found it a nightmare trying to get the clips opened to release the bag. There is hardly any room in there between the two top bars of the carrier to get your finger in to clip open the locking devise. The Ortlieb release system seems like heaven now. I await your advise 
Strict Naturist
 

[Joatamon]

There are occasional posts about Ortlieb panniers being a faff to strap up and I wonder if this is because users are trying to replicate the arrangement of that folded down carrying strap.  Which is a faff.

Get rid of the carrying straps.  Just hold the two long edges of the bag in line at the top, tightly fold over three times, then bring the two mating fasteners together over the top.  It really is very quick and secure. 

Then there's another fastener across the short dimension which can be used and tightened if the panniers are really packed and bulky, that strap can also be used to hold a rain jacket down on the outside aka Carradice saddlebag straps.


I have to say, though, that I use Roller Plus versions which are made of thinner and lighter fabric than the standard versions.  I toured with someone who had the standard ones, and the fabric is very thick and isn't at all easy to fold.  My buddy had a much harder time getting his pannier tops folded over.  Vaude are like that, really thick tough plasticky material which is hard to fold neatly.  Plus Vaude have the straps fastening into the sides of the pannier which is another innovation to foil a quick fasten up and getaway.

[il padrone]

I bought front Ortlieb panniers and have yet to use them on tour. In fact I am having great difficulty tying them up at the top.
Could you post a picture of your method il pardre?

As I said, I don't generally use the roller panniers, I prefer the bags with the top cap flap. However the rollers are supposed to be much more waterproof. This guy shows you the correct method(s) for closing them to be fully waterproof.

[JimK]

There is hardly any room in there between the two top bars of the carrier to get your finger in to clip open the locking devise.

Strange. I can get my thumb in there without any trouble. I would say I have a rather medium thumb - looks about 15 mm thick from the base of the nail to the pad. The distance between the rails looks about 25 mm. The clip seems to take up about half that space, so there is maybe 12 mm to squeeze a finger in. So my thumb gets a bit of a squeeze fitting in the space, but not tight at all.

I am working in the electric power industry these days. A month ago or so I was in San Diego for the DistribuTech trade show. I met a couple guys there who repair equipment out in the field. These guys were like 230 pounds and no flab. I shook their hands. YEOW! I think they would be frustrated try to release the SuperC clips on the low rider racks!

[E-wan]

I found it a nightmare trying to get the clips opened to release the bag. There is hardly any room in there between the two top bars of the carrier to get your finger in to clip open the locking devise.

Strict Naturist
 

don't have these panniers but if I recall correctly they used to be available with 2 types of clip to attach the bag to the rack, a carradice one or KLICKfix® clips but I may be mistaken. Perhaps 1 type of clip releases from the lo loaders more easaly.