Krazy Koz

I have been doing a thirty mile commute (fifteen each way) for a while now. I crashed at a friend's house near my job on Thursday, so I had to pack to day’s worth of food/clothes into my bike messenger bag for the trip. NEVER AGAIN!!! My bag must have weighed twenty pounds (at least). My low back hurt really badly that night and hurts even worse now. So, now I need to serious and get a rack and pannier system.

I have never owned or thought of owning a set. I definitely need a trunk system, but don't really know anything about them. Is there anything that I should know before buying one? Can anybody make recommendations about particular trunk/racks/panniers? I ride a flat-bar road bike, but would prefer to avoid a handlebar bag. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

ViciousCycle

I regularly carry 20 pounds or more in one of my Ortlieb panniers, and they fit easily onto the standard rack. If you go into a good bike shop, you'll find that a lot of the racks are on par with one another. Just don't get one of those racks that only attach to the bike via the seat post -- they are no good for handling the loads that you are talking about.

Cyclist0383

Arkel makes top notch panniers. They're pricy, but well worth it if you plan on giving them some serious use. I use the Bug from their commuter line. All Arkel products have a lifetime guarentee and their customer service is the best I've ever encountered in any business, period.
https://www.panniers.com

As for a rack I use a Jannd Expedition and my wife uses a Blackburn. Neither of us have any complaints with these racks. Aviod cheap no name racks if you plan on loading it up with some serious weight, such as 10kg or so.

Walkafire

Yep, You gota get that stuff OFF your Back!

I weighed my bike last night... I had to bring extra stuff, shoes... etc... weighed in at 43 lbs... YEEEEEOUCH... but I have a rear rack and 2 panniers.

I love my old Kirtland Panniers... but alas, they are out of business. But there are plenty of companies out there that are just like them. Or.. you can do a search for some used Kirtlands. I have a old Blackburn Expedition Rear Rack. Here is a couple pics before I put Slicks on my bike:

Longhorn

Here's what this newbie knows about them:

There are racks that attach to your seat post and racks that attach to your bike but your bike has to be designed to accept them. For example, my Trek 7200 has a rack that attaches to the axle and the frame but the motor gets in the way on my electric bike so I have a seat post-mounted rack.

Trek, Topeak, and others sell systems in which the trunk bag slides onto the rack in a quick-release manner. I didn't get one of those systems so my trunk bag attaches to the rack with several Velcro straps, which means it takes a little longer to attach and remove. I actually don't remove mine but I park in a fairly secure location. My trunk bag has zip-out side panniers for even more storage if I need it. I can't remember its name -- starts with "Sun."

Panniers come in all sizes and prices. I have some Inertia Design panniers that have rubber-coated hooks that fit over the side rails of the rack and a hook on a bungee cord that hooks under the bottom support of the rack. They have waterproof liners and a waterproof top cover. You can use them separately or attach them to each other with a Velcro handle cover to make it easy to carry them. A helmet fits in the mesh side pocket. They were pricey though -- about $120 for the pair. But they are very sturdy and the hooks are attached to a sliding metal bar so that you can adjust where they attach to the rack.

Though I'm happy with my purchases, if I had it to do again, I'd get the racks at the LBS (because I'm not one to install things myself) but I'd shop online for the bags/panniers because there is much more selection online than either of the two LBSs I went to. I'd at least do my research online and then call around and see who has them in stock if I wanted to buy locally.

jamesdenver

90% of time i use rack trunk for everything, often tho i'll use a grocery pannier, which is great for bulky stuff like shoes, food, ever 2 liters of soda. i also have a handlebar bag but rarely use it, but it's nice to have if i need

i think a "mix and match" approach works great. have your bike equiped for a few different options, and just click on what you need before you leave. the grocery pannier has a nice carrying handles, and i use a shoulder strap for the rack trunk, so if i'm in a store of going places it's more like a big bulky messenger bag, or if just biking a few blocks i don't have to strap it back on (even tho that takes all of five seconds)

here's some pics with everything: https://tinyurl.com/davez

one complaint about the trek grocery pannier, if not full (or weight down with the rack trunk), it has flow off at bumps before. i think i need to hook the little ring at the bottom into something.

bsyptak

On 1 bike we have a Blackburn Mtn rack with REI Keystone panniers. On another we have a Delta rack with Performance Transit Pro panniers. Honestly, both systems work perfectly. The Performance ones seem to be made of a lot heavier fabric, so they will probably last longer. Both have flaps that clip over large sacks. I believe this is the way to go. Main compartments that zip are asking for trouble when the panniers get full. Both have clips that mount on the top of the rack and either a bungee/hook or strap/hook that clip to the bottom of the rack.

I got the Keystone panniers for about $60, and that's why I bought them (regularly $134, though on sale right now for $99). We got the Performance panniers for about $40 after a 20% coupon and a price drop to $49 one weekend. Great deals for both.

The Keystones are huge, but they cinch down for those times I don't carry much in them. The Pro's are almost as large. The Epics (one step up in size) are probably similar.

jnbacon

The rack doesn't need to be super expensive, but one suggestion is to get one that has wide sides rather than narrow ones. For example, this Blackburn rack has a triangle for sides. Whereas, this Tubus rack is rectangular. The price difference between these two is pretty big, but there are some US manufacturers that make the rectangular shape. I've used both, the rectangular shape steadies my panniers much more effectively.

I use front panniers from Lone Peak on the rear. They are small, but big enough for clothes, food and water, books, personal stuff, repair gear, and a chain and lock. Try to gauge whether your heel will hit the panniers, and if it seems like it will, get some panniers that are cut to make room for your heel.

tacomee

Sometimes a person's heel hits the panniers when you petal-- really bad. Go to a couple of LBS and look at what they have. Install and test ride before you spend that 200 bucks (or more).

michaelnel

... Pedal ...

jimmuter

I second the recommendation for Arkel -- www.panniers.com. They have T-22's listed on their web site that they have actually upgraded to T-28 (28 liters) at the same cost. You can attach them to your rack and still attach a trunk bag. Arkel's trunk bag (the Tail Rider) may be too small for your needs, but it works really well for me. They also have great customer service and guarantees. They cost more, but you get what you pay for.

filtersweep

We picked up the Performance Delta rack- like a cheap one that is pretty good, and it installed well without any seat tube bosses and the TransIt panniers- the 2480 cubic inch set- a great deal at less than $60/ tax- as mentioned. Well made and easy to use.

cyccommute 

One way to avoid the heel strike problem all together is to use front low-riders. If I have to carry bulky stuff, I always use front bags. The bike handles better too.

roadfix

For what you're looking for you can start out with an inexpensive rack similar to my Delta rack for $20 and a rack trunk. At least for commuting with panniers, this Delta rack has held up just as well as my other pricier racks.