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Make your own panniers

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Make your own panniers

Old 06-30-19, 05:24 AM
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andychrist
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Cool Make your own panniers

With J-Hooks and Bungee Straps from JANDD Mountaineering


Recumbent Bicycle Kitty Litter Panniers by andyXchrist, on Flickr


Kitty Litter Panniers by andyXchrist, on Flickr


Kitty Litter recumbent Bicycle Panniers by andyXchrist, on Flickr


Igloo island Breeze Recumbent Bicycle Panniers by andyXchrist, on Flickr
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Old 06-30-19, 10:52 AM
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Bike Buckets even sells the mounting parts kits to DIY https://thebikebucket.com/index.html







...

Last edited by fietsbob; 07-20-20 at 04:08 PM.
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Old 06-30-19, 01:37 PM
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That's a mighty clean mod and install. Well done.

Those red Igloos make me think you're transporting organs. Or beer.
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Old 06-30-19, 01:58 PM
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Thanks 56 but I’m a non-vampire teetotaler.


Igloo Bicycle Panniers by andyXchrist, on Flickr
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Old 06-30-19, 07:08 PM
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Originally Posted by andychrist
thanks 56 but i’m a non-vampire teetotaler.
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Old 07-01-19, 08:37 AM
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I love the idea of this.
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Old 07-01-19, 09:29 AM
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Thank You. Great idea's. I like the canvas bags that drop into the buckets.

Do you have a "drain hole" in the bottom the yellow buckets? I had an issue with collecting rainwater during a long distance touring. Learned my lesson (stuff into plastic bags to keep dry, but a weep hole to prevent water from collecting in the bottom).

I am still working on ideas for my Catrike Dumont (shocked rear arm, rack needs to attach to the mainframe, not a sprung arm!).
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Old 07-01-19, 09:55 AM
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Originally Posted by roundrocktom
Do you have a "drain hole" in the bottom the yellow buckets? I had an issue with collecting rainwater during a long distance touring. Learned my lesson (stuff into plastic bags to keep dry, but a weep hole to prevent water from collecting in the bottom).

I am still working on ideas for my Catrike Dumont (shocked rear arm, rack needs to attach to the mainframe, not a sprung arm!).
Didn’t bother putting drain holes in the kitty litter panniers because I only use them for shopping in fair weather; touring would be a different story. Besides, they are ridged on the bottom so would need several holes a piece. Now those pink tubs I have under the seat could really use holes because they’re not easily removable and do gather rain water from the bike being stored outside under the porch. Gotta remember to break out my soldering iron when I get a moment.

Yeah I’m also trying to figure out how to add a rack to my ‘bent with a Shockster installed, that thing monopolizes the eyelets over the rear drop outs where the rack stays would normally screw on. Grrr.

Last edited by andychrist; 07-01-19 at 10:04 AM.
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Old 07-01-19, 10:18 AM
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Nicely done! I like. Not for me but I admire your creativeness. (Says he who has made a triple chainline fix gear with three very different gears so he could ride a road bike fix gear in serious mountains as a 60+ year old. All three gears offer velodrome worthy rides - except for the ratios chosen!) Pannier-wise I just use those so-Portland Ortleibs. Work really well in our typical weather.

Ben
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Old 07-01-19, 10:40 AM
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I’ve used Ortliebs too but they’re not perfectly compatible with every type of rack, had to invert the lower tongue to catch on the horizontal member. Also not great for unloading because they don’t stand up on their own. But for touring they can’t be beat.
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Old 07-01-19, 11:12 AM
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I still have my Kirtland Panniers I bought new in 1983.

Not a clue if they are still around, but I still have them.
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Old 07-20-20, 02:57 PM
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Sorry for the necrothread bump, but figured my addition didn't really warrant a whole new thread, PLUS I used the same jandd hooks as O/P did.

I just made my set yesterday, and took them for their maiden voyage today. I'm a big fan, but there's improvement to be had in mine. I've not yet decided how I want to deal with the bungee straps yet, or if what I'm doing is sufficient (see below). I took it out on the local rail trail today and they didn't miss a beat. Had one side loaded with as many towels as I could stuff in it to replicate clothes; the other side was loaded with tools of an equal weight. I paced my PR for this ride, so they're not slowing me down.

Oh, and NO HEEL STRIKE! I mounted them high and rearward after careful measurement.





I've got $20 into this entire project so far.

Next step: remove the Tidy Cat logos and stickerbomb the hell out of this thing.
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Old 07-20-20, 03:13 PM
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Originally Posted by a_d_a_m
Next step: remove the Tidy Cat logos and stickerbomb the hell out of this thing.
Nice job!

You can remove the labels with acetone and some kind of mild abrasive pad such as 0000 steel wool.

Also there’s a vendor on eBay who carries self adhesive reflective tape in various widths that will fit inside the recesses.


RANS XP Ibera Disk Rack MTB Reflector Rear Planet Bike Grateful Red Tail Light by andyXchrist, on Flickr


RANS Stratus XP Ibera Disk Rack w/ Marine D-Clips JANDD Mountaineering Kitty Litter Panniers by andyXchrist, on Flickr

Last edited by andychrist; 07-20-20 at 04:28 PM.
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Old 07-20-20, 04:05 PM
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I've Sewn Cordura nylon on a Home Sewing Machine.
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Old 07-20-20, 05:07 PM
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Originally Posted by andychrist
Nice job!

You can remove the labels with acetone and some kind of mild abrasive pad such as 0000 steel wool.

Also there’s a vendor on eBay who carries self adhesive reflective tape in various widths that will fit inside the recesses.
Thanks for the tips. Definitely plan on tossing some reflective stuff on here. Safety third!!!
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Old 07-21-20, 06:53 AM
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Originally Posted by a_d_a_m
Thanks for the tips. Definitely plan on tossing some reflective stuff on here. Safety third!!!
If you PM me your mailing address I’ll send you enough of that reflective tape to do both buckets, still have oodles of it here that would otherwise just go to waste.

BTW if you carry the kitty litter buckets around by those handles they won’t last long, which is why I got those [exorbitantly priced!] canvas liners for mine. Amazon also sells fairly inexpensive
ripstop bags that fit the buckets pretty well, though they don’t have enough body to stand up on their own like the canvas ones do. But at least their handles can be tied/untied easily and as they come in sets of five there’s more than enough capacity to fill up both buckets.
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Old 07-21-20, 12:53 PM
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If you're worried about the durability of the buckets, you shouldn't rub acetone on them. That greatly weakens plastic. I did that to a pair of high-back snowboard bindings once and they broke while just sitting in storage, before I ever got a chance to use them.
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Old 07-21-20, 01:10 PM
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Originally Posted by Nyah
If you're worried about the durability of the buckets, you shouldn't rub acetone on them. That greatly weakens plastic. I did that to a pair of high-back snowboard bindings once and they broke while just sitting in storage, before I ever got a chance to use them.
There are many different types of plastic, and acetone nail polish remover even comes in plastic bottles. I wiped off all the print from one of my buckets and it still lasted years. Just the handle broke and that part of course had not been touched with acetone.
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Old 07-22-20, 08:15 PM
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I rarely if ever use acetone to remove adhesive, stickers, paint, etc. I almost always use WD-40 and it again worked spectacularly on these buckets, when coupled with 0-grade steel wool. After removing all of the Tidy Cats graphics, I sprayed each with full-tilt Simple Green, hosed them off, then washed with soap and water. They came out rather decent if I say so myself.

I didn't have enough stickers on hand to make them look super cool, but I did get started, at least.
Reflective tape is on the way to my house as we speak, in the interest of visibility.









Last picture censored for the sensitive folk.
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Old 07-22-20, 08:41 PM
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Originally Posted by andychrist
If you PM me your mailing address I’ll send you enough of that reflective tape to do both buckets, still have oodles of it here that would otherwise just go to waste.
Ah, crap, I just saw this, too. I really appreciate the offer. Had I not already ordered, I'd have taken you up on it.

Maybe this thread will inspire someone else to make a set and they'll take it off of your hands.

Cheers.
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Old 08-03-20, 09:46 AM
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I love these but I don't have pets and I have not been abler to locate some of these used cat litter buckets so far. I have seen pricey ones on ebay. But that's it.
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Old 08-04-20, 12:27 AM
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Originally Posted by Harhir
I love these but I don't have pets and I have not been abler to locate some of these used cat litter buckets so far. I have seen pricey ones on ebay. But that's it.
You probably know someone who owns a cat, right? Alternately, plunk down $30 for a couple of buckets and donate the litter inside to a local cat rescue?
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Old 08-19-20, 04:05 PM
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I saw a guy using cat litter boxes probably 12 years ago in Oregon and I want to make a set to use on my bike, but can't find them in Spain!!.. Lol.. Really..i found similar plastic containers for sale online but haven't yet make my move to order....
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Old 10-14-20, 08:27 AM
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Bolted 3/4” J-Hooks and Long Pannier Bungee Straps from Jandd Mountaineering to these 30Q Igloo Coolers for use on my new blue RANS Stratus XP.

Too bad T-Cycles, the company that manufactures Easy Reacher under seat racks for that bike is located in Portland. Fires there have set them back a number of weeks so will be a while before I can mount an additional blue, 2-tub caddy directly below the saddle.
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Old 10-14-20, 10:53 PM
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While we’re on the subject, I’d like to post a few pictures. I built Coroplast panniers in 2015 and 2020. The 2015 version survives on another bike. But I learned a thing or two, this concerns the cutout for the anti-heel-strike.



New panniers, 2020

2015 panniers

2020 left, 2015 right

NOT a complete diagram. Panniers are 19 and a half inches wide by 12 inches deep, by 24 inches long. Home builders should base there center line on the width of their bikes own rack.
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