Aidoneus

I have been thinking about purchasing the Arkel GT-54 panniers. Until today, they were listed at $400, and before purchasing I was hoping to see a Black Friday sale--say 10% off, like I have seen in previous Black Friday ads. Today the price went to $440. I guess it's time to reconsider and watch for a sale from Ortlieb or another maker.

tyrion

Panniers seem to get much cheaper in the winter.

autonomy

If you're looking for Ortlieb, Sierra Trading Post tends to get them in sometimes 'off' colors for many % off.

Tourist in MSN

I see you are in Indiana, not Canada.

I know that they are nice, but I was surprised that they cost that much. So I did a google search, is this the site you cited with your price of $440?
https://www.arkel-od.com/en/gt-54-gr...ling-bags.html

If so, that site lists the price in Canadian dollars.

According to Reuters (my go to source for currency info) says that one US Dollar will buy 1.267 Canadian Dollars.
Currency Quote - USD/CAD

So, 440 in Canadian dollars is about $350 in US Dollars at current exchange rates.

Some credit cards charge a currency transaction fee of up to 3 percent, so do not be surprised if you get hit with such a fee if you order them from Canada. I also have no idea what shipping would cost.

A friend of mine has the red Arkels. They fade in the sun so he always keeps his rain covers on them, which makes having all those pockets a bit less convenient than they appear. I do not know how the other colors fare in sunlight, but as a rule of thumb I expect darker colors to fade faster.

djb

and look into the details, but those gt54's are pretty darn heavy. Something to consider anyway.

Arkel make a number of very interesting other models, so look into them as well.

(looked up the 54's, and they are 3 kg a pair, compare with other panniers, including the oversized newer ortlieb model that is about 70l per pair I think)

Vintage_Cyclist

At the top of the Arkel page is a nation (flag) pull-down menu, that sets the currency for the selected nation. The GT-54s are $399.99 USC. If you're not in a hurry, also check re-sellers.

Modern Bike lists these at the same price, but frequently puts Arkel products on sale during the usual periods; they also have free shipping on these. I looked at these a while back, but ended up getting the waterproof Arkel Dolphin panniers instead.

Aidoneus

Thanks, I didn’t notice that it switched me from U.S. to Canadian dollars!

Aidoneus

Thanks for the suggestions. I plan on watching for any sale around Black Friday. Who knows, I may change my mind and get Ortlieb or Lone Peak instead and save some money.

skookum

Can you order them for the CAD price of $439? Thats $346 USD according to xe.com. If your credit card company charges 2.5% (which is what my card charges) that would be about $355 USD. Of course you would have to add shipping to that.

Aidoneus

Since they do list the price in U.S. dollars, I assume that they will not sell at the Canadian dollar rate without add some export and shipping fees?

BTW, I have seen pictures of the faded red (pink) Arkels. As shallow as this sounds, one of the attractions of the GT-54 for me is that it comes in dark green, which I hope would at least stay medium green after fading.

skookum

Well I expect there will be a shipping fee. It might be worthwhile. Wait until Black Friday if the price from a US seller doesn't come down, then give it a try.

Colour fading doesn't bother me. I look well used and I don't mind if my gear does too.

Aidoneus

Sure, I look well used, too, if not downright abused...but pink just doesn’t do anything for my eyes.

Tourist in MSN

I mentioned above that a friend of mine has the red Arkels, keeps the rain covers on them. But he does not put a rain cover on the bar bag. When the photo was taken, I think this setup had crossed USA twice, plus a few more week long trips on occasion. You can see what the bright brilliant red became on the bar bag after a lot of sunlight. It is more faded on top than on the sides. I think his bags are over 10 years old now.

Regarding Black Friday, since that is the day after Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving is not a global holiday, I have no idea if retailers in Canada have Black Friday sales or not.

I think Adventure Cycling also sells Arkels, you could check them for price too. I suspect they do not offer sale prices like other retailers.

skookum

Yeah we do everything you guys do, eventually, so Black Friday sales do happen here, despite the fact its not a holiday. Nothing to stop US retailers selling a Canadian product from having a Black Friday sale if they have stock they want to move.

indyfabz

This thread makes me want to pop "Katy Lied" in the CD player.

Aidoneus

“When Black Friday comes
I’ll collect everything I’m owed
And before my friends find out
I’ll be on the road”—Steely Dan

Tourist in MSN

I added bold for emphasis:

Keep in mind that Ortlieb (which I use) are very different from Arkel. My comments are specific to the GT54 you are considering.

Ortlieb is much more waterproof than Arkel.

Arkel has many easy access pockets that allow you to organize things in a much more organized fashion. Accessing your gear in Ortliebs is less convenient on the road, especially the roller versions. And if you do not have a kickstand or something to lean the bike against, the roller versions are quite user hostile. I try to pack everything I expect to need during a day ride in my handlebar bag or a small frame back instead of my Ortlieb panniers for that reason. I think on average I open a pannier only once a week during the day before I get to a campsite. (I usually put stuff I buy at the grocery store in a separate bag, not a pannier.)

That model of Arkel has a long skinny tube, I am not sure how long it is but I suspect most tent poles will fit in it. My tent poles do not play well with my Ortliebs. I actually custom cut some tent poles to fit in my Ortliebs a few months ago.

I am not saying one is better than the other, just that they are very different. They are a long term investment, it pays to think about which you want more, the waterproofing or the organization of many pockets.

I do not recall what the rack mounts on the Arkels are like, but that is a consideration too. I like the way that the Ortiebs have rack mounts that slide on a track so you can adjust them for different racks and adjust the pannier fore and aft on the rack. I have three touring bikes, I adjust the rack mounting hooks each time I switch bikes.

In the photo, because accessing stuff in an Ortlieb is inconvenient during the day, I tried to have all the stuff I needed for lunch in the saddle bag so I did not need to open a pannier. But the Arkels with many pockets would allow easier access.

Aidoneus

Thanks for the advice. I see the trade offs in terms of organization versus weight, rather than waterproofness as there exist rain covers for the Arkels and Lone Peaks. I think the 70 L Ortliebs are about 4.5 lbs, close to 2 lbs lighter than the GT-54. On the other hand, I believe that the LP are about 2 lbs lighter than the Ortliebs. Plus, give me 70 L and I am pretty sure I will bring too much “junk.” The Arkel tube for tent poles and sleeping pad does look sweet, though. Last summer, I strapped my poles to the top tube—not the neatest solution.

indyfabz

ACA does carry that Arkel model for $399. I recently got something in the mail about a sale on gear but didn't pay much attention to it. IIRC, it was 10% off. Don't know if the sale is over of it applied to everything. Of course, one would have to be a member.


Ortlieb Sport Packer and Back Packer panniers are not difficult to get into on the road. Release the two clips, flip the lid and undo the drawstrings if you have cinched them up. The Back Packer's also have outside pockets. And you never have to deal with rain covers.


Having "grown up" using highly compartmentalized Robert Beckman panniers, I thought I might not like the mostly single compartment Ortliebs. (The packer series do have mesh pockets inside and a dividers that create separate, albeit not deep, areas to segregate things such as books, e-readers and flatter items such as knives and eating utensils. And, as noted, the Back packers have outside pockets.) I didn't and never have trouble finding what I need. I think always putting certain items in the exact same places every tour helps with that.


As for their rollers, that is something I have never understood. Personally, I would not want to go through that process every time I needed to get into a pannier, either on or off road, especially since I don't use a handlebar bag.

indyfabz

See my response above, which crossed with your last post.


Do you not have a rear rack that can accommodate the entire tent package.


Here is my ride at the start of my June tour in MT and ID. Tent and tarp on rear rack:

Tourist in MSN

The photo in post 17 above where I had my groceries spread out, the tent pole bag was the blue bag strapped to the top of the rack under the bread.

I was using roll top dry bags for kayaking and a roll top backback for canoe trips before I bought my roller Ortliebs. So they used a system I was already familiar with which in part is why I bought that model.

I have some Nashbar panniers that I used on one trip on the front before I bought my Ortliebs, they had some pockets. I still have them and on most trips I consider using them because of the pockets, but end up using the Ortliebs.

The green bag on top of my rack in the attached photo was my poles before I custom cut new tent poles to fit in my pannier. This photo shows one other thing, the frontrollers and backrollers have a strap that goes over the top of each pannier. I usually strap my rain gear on top of the front panniers instead of putting it inside, you can see I have some black rain pants strapped on the top of my left front pannier. On top of my left rear pannier I have my cable lock. Those straps over the top are present on the original frontroller and backroller models, but not on the City models of those panniers. It is pretty clear here that I use those straps regularly.

Aidoneus

I do (Axiom Streamliner, which has a very small and narrow platform) and could, but removing the poles allowed me to use a compression sack that reduced my tent volume roughly in half. This enabled me to carry the tent easily on my front rack platform. I know, six of one, half a dozen of the other.

jefnvk

Add that to the list of things I've learned without asking. Brilliant storage solution

veganbikes

After several years of owning GT-54s I love them. Sure lighter weight would be swell but I like the organizational space when touring. Plus when I take them off I can open them like luggage finding stuff more easily. The tent sleeve is also pretty nice because I can use my top rack for other things or just leave it empty and not have to bring bungees and tie downs.

I would gladly get another set if these things ever wear out...hahaha and they are worth the money. Ortlieb makes a fine product but I would still choose Arkel.

Tourist in MSN

Sorry I missed this before, are you seriously thinking of the giant 70 liter ones? I have never actually seen a pair of them, only the photos.
https://ortliebusa.com/product/back-roller-pro-plus-3/

Mine are 40 liter rear, 25 front.
https://ortliebusa.com/product/back-...-classic-pair/
https://ortliebusa.com/product/front...-classic-pair/

Some trips I also bring the 31 liter rack top bag, see photos, I gave photos of my bags on two bikes, couple different angles. But most trips this is more capacity than I need so I use a smaller drybag instead of this 31 liter bag.
https://ortliebusa.com/product/rack-pack/

The 31 liter bag also works great as an airline carryon bag. (Last time I flew with my bike, my handlebar bag was my personal item, the 31 liter bag was my carry on and I wore my helmet onto the plane.)

If you really want the 70 liter bags, then get them. But I think you would be better off with something like the 31 liter bag on top of the rear panniers instead. That gives you more flexibility for how you pack, also my tent poles (the old full length poles) fit fine in the 31 liter bag. You can see in the last photo that the pannier strap on the backroller panniers clips into the compression strap on teh 31 liter bag.

But the advantage of the 70 liter panniers if you really need that much space would be that it puts your weight lower than on my setup where I have 31 liters of capacity up high.