crazyravr

What do you guys think? Will they be sufficient for that purpose? I will not be commuting with them on daily basis. Only for runs to the grocery store.

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00...K6Y9EEQB&psc=1

base2 

I don't see why not. With the price being what it is, what have you got to lose? I think I'd ensure the bottom of whatever grocery carrying thing I settled on would be rigid so that the bread doesn't get smashed by the beer that is smashing the bannanas.

I suppose the better question is "Will this have enough room for my groceries?" IME panniers tend to be limited in volume for utilitarian use. I thnk I'd go for a large basket (Wall) if I wanted more than a full paper-bags worth of groceries.

You could go super cheap and fashion a high sided box or milk crate and zip-tie or p-clamp it to the rack. Just drop the bag in the milk crate & go. Simple, but not good at keeping groceries dry. I think Walzmart has milk crates for about $7

acidfast7

I like Ortliebs after living Germany for a few years. However, in a dense urban area, I really like a backpack now. It's supernarrow here and the panniers aren't so good

79pmooney

Do these lift off easily? That is a feature I love about the Ortleibs. I can toss them into my shopping cart, have the checker put the scanned items in the cart, then find a quiet spot to load the bags carefully for my 9 mile ride home, return the cart and drop the panniers onto the rack and ride home. Carry them into the kitchen and set them on the counter to load the fridge. If there are any spills inside a pannier, I wash it like a pot, then hang upside down in the laundry area.

Next question - how long will you be doing this? 5 years? Ortleibs will never pay for themselves. 10 years? They start looking competitive. 20 years? They'll still be going with about $50 invested in new hardware. (My 1999 panniers are doing just fine. The 2008 ones look a lot nicer but work the same. I now use both pairs for farmers market runs. Put the greens and soft produce in back for less jarring.)

Ben

acidfast7

I've always bough good gear, even when I was a broke ass student for 11 years.

Now, I have a lot of disposable income and feel the same way, good stuff costs good money and lasts forever. One just has to use it up!

crazyravr

I bought them to try. For $40 cant really go wrong and if anything I will just send them back.

Bahnzo

Sorry I didn't see this earlier. I actually had a pair of these, and wouldn't recommend them. They wound up tearing quite easily. I mean when you think of all the hooks and ends and whatnot on your bike, even when you are careful you wind up snagging or scrapping your bags.

I wound up buying some Banjo Brothers bags, which were x2 the price, but I've had them for 5+ years now and I use them constantly. Some products are cheap and work well, the MWave bags were not in that category for me.

hermanchauw

PaulRivers

The problem with the cheap stuff is that it breaks and you're left with no money and also nothing useable.

The Banjo Brothers market pannier was the best/biggest pannier I could find for groceries when I was shopping for a grocery pannier. It was a hard requirement that my grocery pannier could fit a frozen pizza in it and it was the only one big enough to fit it that also had a top cover to ensure nothing would bounce out of the bag on the way home.
https://www.amazon.com/Banjo-Brother...dp/B003D4GS74/

It looks like the OP is in canada, the price is weird though because it's $50US in the US, but a lot more expensive at $100CAD on the canada site:
https://www.amazon.ca/Banjo-Brothers...dp/B003D4GS74/



Good suggestions, another one if I wanted to go cheap would be folding rear bicycle basket (Wald 582 Folding Rear Bicycle Basket):
https://www.amazon.com/Wald-Folding-...dp/B0012DVQVQ/

crazyravr

Welcome to Canada, enjoy the pricing

These folding baskets would fit the bill for groceries for sure, but how do you easily attach and remove them? Also, dont they hit your rack and scratch it etc?

RubeRad

I bought those panniers (or maybe a previous version, looks pretty much the same). Not long after putting them on, I had a back corner get caught in a spoke, causing an unexpected skid. Too scary for me, so I never used them again, and sold them on craigslist for probably $20.

However, there's every chance it was my fault for improper setup, I was a newb back then. Either way I recommend you be careful and ensure they can't swing into your spokes.

Khb

Love panniers, have at least 4 sets (ortlieb, thule, bit of arkel, timbuk2, axiom) ... but if the ONLY time you need the storage is shopping ... I'd go with baskets or a Burley Travoy.

Of course, for bigger shopping trips, I have panniers front and back, as well as a cargo trailer. Costco runs fill 'em all...

Baskets can be quite cheap and still be effective. A bit small, and the provided hw needs to be supplemented with bungies:
https://www.sierratradingpost.com/xl...ng=s~basket%2F but at $8 each, worth considering (especially if you don't care about your rack's paint job).

PaulRivers

I think they're meant to be installed permanently on the bike, but they fold flat when you're not using them.

noglider 

Yeah, if you're on a budget, get the baskets. And they're more versatile than panniers. You can drop any bag in the basket, especially a bag that is easy to carry. Panniers are not pleasant to carry.

crazyravr

And so they came in. So far I am pretty impressed. The quality is not what I was expecting for this little $$$$. I put them together and they are. They attach with straps and buckles. If anything goes wrong will be easy to replace or upgrade / improve on. They are not water proof but will be rain proof for sure if I add couple Velcro strips to the top. The real test will be when I go shopping andc actually carry stuff.
And here are some pics.



On the bike. Notice the reflecting strips.


From the top.


From the buttom. This is how they attach.

travelinhobo

Totally would suggest foldable baskets as pictured above. I used them for a few years and they were awesome. Carries a gallon of milk plus some, a large pkg of toilet paper, etc. Then u fold them up when not in use.

52telecaster

How has your experience been with these panniers? I have a set like them but don't use them much because they are a hassle to remove. I will say if I left them permanently in place, they would be pretty good. Lots of capacity!

crazyravr

Use them weekly or whenever I need to bring home some groceries. Very simple and quick on and off with the velcro. Once loaded they dont budge. I would not want them on the bike all the time, just way to large. They have these rigid inserts that make them spread out and are not meant to be removed once installed. They are great for what they are, a grocery hauler.