(NOTE 10/31/2016: Racktime no longer has a distributor in the USA)
(NOTE 11/12/14: Since this review, Sky King has used these panniers a several trips and the performance was most excellent.)
This is not really a review- I have not had a chance to actually use the Racktime Travel-It panniers yet- more like my impressions.
Racktime is an offshoot of Ortlieb/Tubus, the go to brands for many bike tourists. The products are distributed in the USA by Ortlieb-USA so my confidence in the products and service is high.
The first thing that attracts me to these bags is the external pockets. The rear pannier boasts two pockets on the top cover, one large mesh pocket on the side and a zippered, bellows type pocket on the trailing edge. In my experience, external pockets make it easier to find whatever one might be looking for…easier than with panniers which only have one large compartment.
The aggressive elastic binding the top cover should make sure the contents are secure, especially since there is a nylon shroud with a drawstring inside the main compartment. but it also interferes with the lid opening completely, making accessing the main compartment a tad fussy.
The mounting system is the tried and true QL1 system from Ortlieb. This is one of the most secure and simple to use designs I have seen. When the pannier is lifted by the handle, the two hooks on the reverse side are opened. Then the pannier can be hooked into the rack. Once you let go of the handle, the two hooks close around the rack tube.
Fixation of the lower section of the pannier is just as important as mounting in the top section in order to prevent the pannier from sliding and pivoting. The lower fixing hook serves for this purpose; it fixes the pannier to a vertical tube of the rack and secures it in the lower pannier area. The hooks may be adjusted easily to the distance required and tightened in position with allen key size 3
The QL1 hook system is adjustable using various inserts allowing compatible mounting on standard racks with an outside diameter of 8 -16 mm. The upper QL1 hooks can be reduced in size by inserting reduction parts into the hooks for 8mm or 11mm. The hook then closes perfectly around the rack tube and securely holds the pannier in its position.
My Surly Cross Check doesn’t have chainstays as long as those on most touring bikes, but even so when mounted on the Racktime Tour-It rack these panniers had adequate heel clearance.
Overall I’m quite impressed with the design and construction of these bags and they look like a great value. The rear panniers should fit on almost any rear rack including Racktime’s. Racktime doesn’t have a low rider rack currently for the front panniers but they fit nicely as shown on the Tubus low rider racks.
5 replies on “Racktime Travel-It”
Have you had a chance to try these bags out? would they be adequate for a cross country tour?
Frank,
I have not had a chance to use them, but I think they would be more than adequate for a cross country tour. While some inexpensive panniers are made for around town use and getting groceries, these appear to be very durable with lots of well thought out features. They even use the same attachment hardware as the venerable Ortlieb bike panniers. In some ways I like them more than the Ortlieb front and back rollers. Mostly because of the external pockets for organization. I would not hesitate to use them personally.
I just got these bags and put them on the Racktime Fold-It rack (on my Giant Cypress). I LOVE the bags, they seem to be good quality. I like the outer pockets, and they sit securely on the rack. These can be found at a really decent price if you look, which is nice. However, on MY bike, these bags sit somewhat dangerously close to my heels (it’s good I have smaller feet), but I can’t move them back any further. I’m glad that they DO fit on securely, because I sometimes brush them with my heels. I am a novice commuter, and just had the bike shop put the rack on yesterday, they also adjusted the bags to fit on the rack for me. Would you know if a different rack would fix this, or do all racks sit the same distance back? Otherwise, I’ll just be aware of my feet placement.
Audra,
In the Racktime or Tubus lineup, the Tubus Logo is the only rack that is designed with longer supports to get the bags farther aft, but that rack is more expensive and there is a dearth of them in the US right now.
I assume the bags on your rack cannot be moved farther back without hitting a cross member. One nice thing about the Ortlieb attachment hardware though is the adjustability. The top two brackets can be loosened with a 3 mm hex/allen wrench and they then slide back and forth independently. If they are not already as close as possible to the leading edge of the bag, try moving them forward. This will move the bags back when the hardware is attached to the same place on the rack. Then the lower bracket can be adjusted the same way as needed to clamp to one of the rack tubes. If you don’t have the tool or desire to do it yourself, the bike shop should be able to do it in a couple minutes.
I am just beginning to be a bicycle educated person. Does anyone know of a seat mount for pannier bags. I really don’t like the bulky look of a rear frame rack. I just want panniers for commuting to work. I like the Racktime Travelit Rear Panniers and the fold it rack but I don’t think it mounts to my seat. Any advice is helpful. Thanks for your time.