Bicycle Touring 101: Choosing a set of panniers/saddlebags

Red Arkels and Silver Vaude's are just two of many saddlebag choices available to you. Picture taken by Bob Vanderhoek.
Click to enlarge.

Choosing your first set of saddlebags/panniers can be tricky since you are usually coming into touring for the first time and you don't really know exactly what you are looking for. Since this question is a relatively common one I present the following message thread. Thanks to the three people identified in this thread for contributing their comments here as well.

"I am in the market for my first set of panniers and I need to know what size is really needed for self contained touring. My goal is to keep the load to around 40lbs but that may be exceeded depending on the tour destination itself."

"You leave off an important point, two or four panniers? 40lb is not too much for two panniers; but, as you say, you might exceed 40lb. I got 90-100lb nicely into four Madden Baby Buzzards, with tent and sleeping bag atop rack. I am now using Ortlieb Bike Packer Plus bags, slightly larger than Baby Buzzards. With Baby Buzzards I was using front panniers front and rear; with the Ortliebs I am using rear panniers front and rear."

Gilbert Anderson responded with the following answer that goes a long way towards discussing the various items that you should consider when trying to choose a set of panniers that will work well for you:

"Demetri makes a good point on the two or four pannier thing. I'll tell you if you can get everything in two panniers your life gets better in airports and off the bike carrying things around. In one dramatic afternoon on an overseas trip I was told that my international flight was canceled and the only plane I could get was scheduled to leave the ground twenty minutes from ....now!

The counter agent that re-ticketed us comforted me a little by adding that the new tickets were from another airline, in another terminal ( shuttle bus required) and added the words; "you will never make the plane with those bikes." HA!

I've toured on all kinds of bikes but lately have been traveling with small wheel Alex Moulton bikes. While they pack smaller than large wheel bikes I enjoy the way they carry a large camping load like a little mule. Anyway to speed assembly at the destination; Gatwick airport in the UK, I used the normal full size bike shipping boxes for the bikes and most camping gear. My carry on was a large front and rear bag (the Moulton can use panniers in the front but forgoes them in the rear for a huge unibag of similar size to a large pannier
set). Anyway I brought along some cash for ready exchange on arrival and a few $5 bills to tip the Skycaps with our bike boxes. When we found we needed to change terminals those first two fivers went to this one happy fellow turned out to be prudence. We hurriedly explained our situation and pulled out my remaining bills; nothing but $20's and gave him one. To our surprise he stopped unloading a car without a word came over, loaded our bike and luggage, transported them across traffic and into the shuttle bus. As we got on he had some words with the driver and gave some assurance that we were in a hurry. The bus pulled away with people screaming after it as we were the only passengers on board and pulled up to the proper terminal in a jiffy. We were immediately greeted by a new skycap and he with a fresh $20 in hand guaranteed the bikes would be on the plane when we arrived in London with 12 minutes till takeoff.

With 10 minutes to take off we were issued boarding passes at the empty ticket counter and were then running through the concourse to the luggage screeners. As we exited security I realized the only problem now is the plane was due to depart in 3 minutes and I have little of my required luggage for the trip. We had them call to the front counter and such but ultimately I was able to board the plane unencumbered by anything more than basically a handlebar bag. And they said the bikes wouldn't make it, Ha?

They arrived on time with us. After we returned the bags (and my precious cycling shoes) were found in the Lost and Found having been left on the shuttle bus. So much for the discount ticket after all those tips.

This silly story just shows how hard it is to keep your eye on multiple bags when traveling. With a bike box under one arm and four panniers, a tent, pad and sleeping bag dragging along you're also very open to snatch and grab thievery as well as your arms are well; occupied.

Now there is a downside and I'll make my recommendations on the Pannier thing now. On size I would select the largest front and rear panniers (or rear and rear) I could find that fits your rack properly. I would try to carry as little as possible and avoid over packing and overstuffing. Why use so many large bags you ask?

One, using front bags often (it should be all else being equal) improve the tracking and stability of the loaded bike and off load the trouble prone rear wheel of weight.

Second, large bags can allow packing things out of a high mounted handlebar bag and top of rack and place them in a more stable, lower position improving stability and handling, keeps gear cleaner, eliminates exposure of delicate nylon to UV light and rain and is less likely to fall off the bike and should be much quicker to load. Tying down a tent, pad and bag to a rack top can often
take considerable time each day compared to latching a pannier on. So if you can get your gear inside your pannier bags you have less bags to keep up with and the gear is more protected from the elements. A side benefit is if the rear rack top is free you can quite easily lash on groceries or other handy items you pick up in your travels (I've been needing a hubcap like that for a long time).

Gear seems to expand on trips since after a while it is not folded just so, packed this or that way or simply cluttered. Your need for room unless you discard or ship home always tends to expand on trips so having some extra room is great. With large bags as opposed to small ones everything can fit in easily without the zipper busting tugging and squeezing to pack the panniers each morning. This is real handy when you wake up late for your plane that's leaving that day, when the farmer is coming across the field with the shotgun or when your words sound like this, " Well officer, just plan on me just moving along right away then."

Almost all panniers on the market today (USA) are of adequate design for occasional use. Long term and regular use will separate the better ones. Having said this the better ones can be much better with regular use; no seam failures, tough fabric is more abrasion resistant, better coating and seals, heavier tougher zippers and buckles that don't break.

Now what is really important and yet few people talk about it? It's always capacity or even weight that folks talk about. This is natural as these things are very easy to measure and are tangible.

The thing that you use the most and is most critical is not the pannier at all. It is the rack system and the pannier attachment system. Many if not most are somewhat incompatible (rack to pannier) with each other from my experience. I've heavily modified most of the panniers I've ever owned. I am told Arkel is an excellent system but have never used them. I do know Ortlieb, Vaude and Carradice have excellent lock on hooks and a system that is very universal to fit most racks. Racks for panniers are the most overlooked component on a bike for touring and they fail often. One thing is that good name brand racks with excellent reputations often have a carry rating that is 2.5 times less than other less known brands like the tubular steel Tubus. Tubular steel racks (list member Bruce Gordon makes one of the best) seem to be universally more reliable but there are many excellent aluminum alloy carriers on the market. The over design of a better carrier is not wasted as it will stabilize heavy loads, is more reliable and is more likely to survive a crash."

Gilbert Anderson is a regular and very valuable member of the International Bicycle Touring Mailing List. He also owns a bicycle shop. Gilbert sold me my very handy Stein rear cassette remover and I have to say that if the opportunity arises at some point in the future then I will certainly give Gilbert more of my business!