Sharpshin

I've been riding around with a full complement of touring stuff for a couple of months, including clothes, keeping changes of clothing in them.

Took me a while to make the connection, only just came to the full realization today in fact, but if I leave clothes packed in them I get a burning sensation at pressure points (waistband underneath the belt, tops of socks, inside shoes etc...) when I wear them.

Well, hey, its a good thing that I keep a spare change of clothes at work and that the relief is pretty quick after changing or this woulda been a loooong day indeed

Clearly there must be some volatile chemical or coating seeping from the rubberized fabric.

I would expect sooner or later the "new" will wear off and any volatile subtances will have disspated. I have never washed them since I bought them, would a regular machine washing/hang to dry work?

Any other advice would be much appreciated.

Mike

gorshkov

Which kind of panniers do you have? The roller- varieties have PVC coatings, while the packer- varieties have Polyurethane coatings. PVC allergies have been documented and that may be what's occurring. I couldn't find any documented cases of Polyurethane allergies, but some of the chemical precursors to polyurethane are irritants and if there are any residues from manufacturing, that could cause your symptoms.

But before you toss your panniers, make sure that they are actually the cause of the problem. Have you had these problems with these clothes on the bike when they've been freshly washed and haven't sat in your panniers? Some of the symptoms you describe sometimes happen just from sweaty clothes rubbing against your skin. Also, does the length of time in the panniers affect the severity? If it is caused by the panniers, I'd expect that it would be worse if they had been in there for a full day as opposed to half an hour, and I'd also expect that it would be worse if the pannier is sitting in the sun and heating up than if the pannier were kept cool.

egear

I had a similar problem with an old Arkel pannier I had. Try putting your clothes in a trash bag folded tightly with all the air out and then pack your clothes in the pannier. Fixed the issue for me. Just get the air out of the bag 1st.

Sharpshin

Thanks for the informative replies, I was thinking I must be the only one who had experienced this.

The situation is I had loaded up the panniers as if I was touring to train that way and once in a while needed the clothes I had packed. I had come to the conclusion the Ortleibs were a problem a couple of weeks back but forgot that this morning when I needed to grab stuff in the morning rush. The symptoms may not always appear for some hours but are definitely a problem when they occur, and quite unlike anything I have experienced before, including on long rides.

I am quite certain the panniers are the problem. The clothes in question had been left in there for weeks,

Anyways the rear panniers are packers and the front are rollers. It is indeed the front PVC ones that are the problem.

I'm thinking it couldn't hurt to fill them with hot soapy water, leave them sit for some hours, rinse them out and then let them dry in our already hot sun down here.

Mike

djb

if you do the hot soapy water thing, I'd give the insides a good rubbing with a cloth while the water is in there, just for good measure, won't hurt in any case.
for whats its worth, the "off gassing" or whatever it is with this material does go away with time, I noticed it diminished over time when I got some new Ortliebs a while back.
(Ive filled my old pair of Ortliebs with water when my spare tube had a split in it and had to figure out where the hole was in my original tube so I could patch it, handy feature of waterproof bags)

fietsbob

Actually the 'classic' is PVC , the Plus is is a thicker Polyurethane coating on Cordura fabric, packer or roll closed .


Id store them open for a while so the vapors dissipate.

pdlamb

1. Don't leave clothes in panniers for weeks.

2. Use those plastic grocery bags to hold the clothes, and see if that extra barrier stops whatever is causing problems from rubbing off onto your clothes.

spinnaker

I say why stress it? I pack everything in those vacuum bags, I supplement with zip lock bags. It helps to save space and really helps with organizing my gear. Using plastic bags will help you there plus it might help out with your rash issues.

spinnaker

I would not leave them in the sun. While they are in the sun while on tour there is no need to add to the problem by trying to dry them. Just hang them upside down in the shade or in the house. They will dry just fine. I have cleaned mine like this one or two times in the past.

Sharpshin

My thinking was the heat from the sun would speed the evaporation of whatever volatile compound might be in the fabric.

Thanks for the input all.

Mike

hybridbkrdr

I don't know if this helps but the Racktime Travelit panniers have the same hook-up system as the Ortlieb and aren't fully sealed. The top is rain-proof so you can put items in a plastic bag if you want them away from the rain.

pamaguahiker 

Sometimes, clothes that just sit dormant in a suitcase, or bike panniers, can lead to this type of reaction. dust mites, allergens, molds, etc. Just like anything else, i would open them up on occasion, hang em on the line like clothing to air out. I definitely agree regarding not just leaving them in the bright sun. As long as it is open with some breeze and airflow, they will dry after rinse or wash. But i would also do this on occasion even if not washing them. And put a garbage bag around delicate and wearable items. You might want to try using Dreft laundry detergent or stuff some dreft dryer sheets in it also.

dwmckee

If you put your hand against the inside of the pannier for several minutes do you get a similar reaction?