Category: Panniers

Front panners, rear panniers, big or small. We will help you pick the best for you & your bike.

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Bags/Panniers/Racks Handlebar Bag Panniers Touring Bike Accessories

New Products From Lone Peak Packs

made in USA

Lone Peak, in Salt Lake City, Utah, has long been a maker of high quality bike touring bags. Gary Hubbert bought the company a few years ago and moved operations to Marysville, WA. We like the fact that Lone Peak is fairly small and so Gary is able and willing to consider our input into products and design. Last year he took his growler pack and added pannier clips to it. Then he made us a run of the packs with our logo silkscreened on the front. As far as we know, this growler pack with pannier clips is a Bike Touring News exclusive! We have a few left and they are now on sale….even better!growler pannier

Micro Rack Pack. We have been looking for someone to make a small bag to fit on the Nitto M-12, M-18 and Mark’s Rack for a while, and Gary exceeded our expectations with the Micro Rack Pack. The bottoms are fairly rigid and the sides are reinforced too, so the bag maintains its shape. Four long hook and loop straps secure the bag to the rack rails. Also new are the welded zippers which makes the bag more weather resistant.

rack top bag
Lone Peak Micro Rack Pack
small rack top bag
Lone Peak Micro Rack Pack

Also new for 2014 is the Swayback Rack Pack. This is a sleek, versatile rack top bag for a rear rack. It has a total capacity of 725 cubic inches/ 11.9 liters. The top opens fully for easy access and there are two large side pockets. The sides and bottom are reinforced with a dense foam for rigidity, and all the zippers are welded.

buckles
Fastex buckles for a secure attachment on the Lone Peak Swayback
rack top bag
The Swayback Rack Pack
rack pack opening
Fully opening top with welded zippers.

New pannier shock cords. Gary has also modified the lower shock cord attachment on all the panniers. Previously the shock cords were anchored near the lower part of the bag and there was no way to adjust the tension on the s-hook if the lower rack rail was not in quite the right position. The result would be a floppy, rattling attachment. Now, each end of the shock cord passes through a barrel clip anchored directly underneath the upper pannier clips. The longer cord loop with s-hook attached goes underneath a web strap near the bottom of the pannier. The tension on the cord and s-hook is adjustable because the cord is simply knotted above the barrel clips. Older bags can be retrofitted with the new hardware since the retrofitting kit includes a web strap which bolts into the same holes used by old style shock cords.

rear of Lone Peak pannier
The new shock cord attachment. This can be retrofitted to older bags too.

We have used Lone Peak products extensively over the last few years and have found them to be extremely durable and functional. The panniers secure to most racks with less sway and bounce than panniers from better known and much larger manufacturers. Gary is not resting on the company’s laurels either. He even has a fully waterproof pannier which he showed us at Interbike 2014 and as soon as those become available we will stock them.

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Panniers

Millcreek Panniers from Lone Peak

In case you aren’t  familiar with Loan Peak Packs – They are a made in the USA, previously based in Salt Lake City but recently relocated to Marysville, Washington.  The craftsmanship has always been top notch and the panniers are well worth the price.  We have stocked the Mount Superior Pannier since we opened.  A large capacity pannier that is perfect for the long distance traveler.

Recently we were discussing the Lone Peak product line with Gary and expressed our interest bringing in a smaller pannier that could work either on the front or on the rear.  Gary suggested we consider the Millcreek.  Our first set arrived just in time for the Wandering Wheels  S24O to Sheep Creek Reservoir.  For this trip, the Bike Hermit decided he would take Norm – the Surly Crosscheck with the large Paul Components basket.

Norm also was happy to be a tent pole for the Hennessy Hammock

Norm has a custom bag that fits perfectly into the basket and the Bike Hermit was quite pleased with the items he could carry.  While he had the stove and his hammock, fitting food and the sleeping bag were a challenge.

Normally, on a S24O I take my Gilles Berthoud front bag and a Zimbale 18 liter but the Millcreeks were calling to me and we wanted to try them out before we offered them in the store.  Suffice it to say, we need to order more Millcreeks for the store as I will be hard pressed to relinquish the pair I tried out.

The Millcreek Pannier

Right off the bat, packing the Millcreek’s are a breeze. The main compartment unzips completely, like a suitcase, making layering and adjusting and FINDING items easy.  No more pawing through the pannier or needing to dump half of your items on the ground to find something.

Main compartment

The secondary pocket, also called the large front pocket was a great spot for my camp shoes, camp jacket and assorted small camping necessities. It has a 3/4 zip so again easy to access.

Large front pocket, 3/4 zip

The final “pocket” is mesh, with a zipper so great for damp items, gear you want to use during the day, etc.

zippered mesh pocket is also ample in size

I had more than enough room for all my gear (except the tent) – but my hammock would have fit had I chosen to take it.  I also packed enough food for the two of us and still had room left over.

Other features that impress me – the panniers stand alone, so nice when taking on and off the bike.  The nylon compression strap can be used for extra security by attaching it to the rack but even on dirt and gravel roads the pannier’s didn’t bounce around at all.  The locking system was easy to use.  A minor issue for me and my Nitto Rack is the bungee with the s-hook that attaches at the bottom.  With my rack I just need make sure it stays in place as I pull the pannier up to hook on the top.

The nylon fabric is high quality and very water resistant (tested by riding through a creek) but for those who ride in wet climates Lone Peak makes a rain cover as well.

I know I will be recommending these to many fellow bike travelers.

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Panniers

Ortlieb Panniers – Back Roller Classic

Ortlieb Back Roller panniers mounted on rack
The Ortlieb Back Roller Classic in red.

The German maker of Ortlieb Panniers is a well known and highly regarded bicycle pannier maker. The company also makes motorcycle dry bags and panniers, horse panniers, drybags, messenger bags and rucksacks, water containers, protection bags for electronics and documents, coffee filter holders and , my personal favorite accessory, a waterproof, toilet paper holder/dispenser.

The Ortlieb catalog points out that sustainability of their production is due in part to how long the products are expected to last and the fact that they are easily repairable if damage occurs. To that end they offer replacement parts and patch kits and back up durability claims with a 5 year warranty.

The Back Roller and Front Roller panniers are no frills bags made from pvc coated polyester fabric with welded seams rendering them waterproof. The roll top closure system keeps out dust and water. There are no external pockets on these panniers and only one side pocket inside.

Rear view of Ortlieb bag showing mounting system
Ortlieb's QL1 mounting system. The hooks on the top rail adjust side to side and the lower arm pivots as well as slides.
rear view of mounted Ortlieb back rollers
From the top rail of the rack to the bottom of the bag measures 34 cm.

These panniers fit fine on the MT-Campee rack with the bottom edge trailing only slightly below the rack, but not so low as to interfere with the rear derailleur cable. Made to fit on almost any rack such as, besides this one, the Tubus Cosmo, Tubus Logo, both sizes of the Tubus Cargo and the Racktime TourIt.
In the next post I want to try the Racktime TravelIt pannier and then I should be ready to announce the winner of this little comparison and the lucky bag which will be traveling with us on the Olympic Peninsula the first week of August.

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Bags/Panniers/Racks Panniers

Lone Peak Mt. Superior Panniers

Preparing for our upcoming 3 day tour on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula, I did a dry fitting of a few different panniers on Sky King’s bike.
First, a word about the bike and the rack. The bike is a Rivendell Bleriot with 650b wheels and I selected the Nitto MT-Campee rear rack which is made for 26″ wheels but which also fits nicely over the fendered 650b tires. I wanted a rack that mounted with the top platform close to the top of the wheel, for a low center of gravity, and that had side rails for pannier support.

side view of Lone Peak panniers
The Lone Peak P-500 Mt Superior pannier

First up is the Lone Peak Mount Superior pannier. Lone Peak is based in Salt Lake City, Utah and their products are made in the USA. The company has been around since 1979. The website is very minimalistic and it’s short on specific information about the bags they make….information like mounting systems and materials.
With a nominal capacity of 3200 cubic inches or 52 liters per pair the P-500 Mount Superior panniers are the most capacious panniers in our store. With zippered pockets on the face, trailing edge and top, there should be plenty of room for items which need to be readily accessible. The zippered mesh pocket on the face of each pannier is perfect for carrying damp clothes while they dry out. There is no claim to waterproofness of the cordura fabric which forms the body of these bags but rain covers are sold separately.

Two composite hooks are bolted onto the back outside of the bag through the plastic stiffener inside the bag. The hooks go over the rack rail and are held in place with a pivoting thumb lock.

top hook on the lone peak pannier
Two of these composite hooks hold the bag on the top rack rail. They are held in place with the little pivoting thumb lock.

The horizontal compression strap can be adjusted to keep the load from shifting and can even be wrapped around the rack frame to keep the panniers hard against the rack. On the bottom portion of the back is bolted an elastic cord, strung through a metal s-hook which is meant to hook to a bottom rail or clip on the rack, keeping the bottom of the bag secure.

a rear view showong attachment points on a Lone Peak rear pannier
The Lone Peak attachment system. The compression straps can be routed around a rack rail for a super solid system.

With the upper hooks hanging on the Nitto MT-Campee I discover that there is no place to hook the lower s-bolt and pull the elastic cord taught. From the top, inside, of the composite hooks, where they rest on the rack rail, to to the s-hook, the part that will hook on a bottom rail, with the elastic cord being flaccid, measures 295 mm. and to the very bottom of the bag measures about 320 mm.

bottom hook and elastic cord
The elastic cord needs to be tighter than this!

I hooked the bags on some other racks to see how they fit:
-The 26″ Tubus Cargo rack is a perfect fit and I’m sure the 28″ cargo would work as well.
-The Tubus Logo and Cosmo racks work as long as the bags are attached to the upper rail, which sort of defeats the purpose of the lower rail on these racks.

rear view Lone Peak pannier
When full the panniers extend well above the carrying rail. A rack with a secondary, lower rail might be preferable.

In the next installment: Ortlieb Back Roller Classics.

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Bags/Panniers/Racks Panniers

Racktime Travel-It

Racktime Travel-It rear pannier
Racktime Travel-It front pannier

(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.

Racktime Travel-It rear pannier main compartment. Notice the nylon shroud with drawstring.
Front mesh pocket on Racktime Travel-It
Front pannier top pocket
The attached rain cover goes in this pocket with room left over for gloves and a cap
The large rear bellows type pocket on the Travel-It rear pannier
QL1 mounting system on front Travel-It. Rack is the Tara from Tubus

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.

The Ortlieb QL1 mounting system

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.

Reduction spacers can be clipped into the top hooks of the Ortlieb QL1 mounting system to adapt to different rack tube diameters.

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.

Surly Cross Check, Racktime Tour-It rack and Racktime Travel-It rear panniers

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.