Spend a lot on panniers compared to bike and tent?
02-18-16, 03:39 PM
#26
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I am pricing up gear for a bicycle tour around the perimeter of the UK or Spain & Portugal. I think it makes sense to spend the most on the bike (get a good bike) and second most on the tent and sleeping bag (to sleep comfortably). I have budgeted €1500 for the bike and €300 - €400 for a light one man tent. I am now looking at panniers. I was surprised at how a full set including handlebar bag can be as much as €500. My question is, is it worth spending €500 on panniers or is it a logical place to save a few hundred euros and use that money to extend the trip for another week or two? I figure they need to be waterproof but €500 seems too much. What are your thoughts?
I am not sure how your location may affect this, but you can get by cheaper on all items if you choose. For my first long tour (4,244 miles across the US) I went pretty cheap and for the most part didn't regret any of my choices. I spent $600 on the bike, $100 for a tent, $70 for a sleeping bag, and $70 for panniers. I have since toured a good bit more and upgraded a lot of items.
Places where I personally would stay with lower priced stuff are the bike, the panniers and the tent. I'd either go cheap or skip the lock/alarm altogether.
Places where I have splurged and definitely felt it was worth it are the sleeping bag and sleeping pad. Other places where I tend to splurge are anywhere that I can go lighter by spending a bit more.
02-18-16, 03:39 PM
#27
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A reasonable pair of panniers starts at about $150 where I am, times two for front and rear, plus racks, handlebar bag and other stuff can easily hit $500 (about 350 euros), but that it pretty basic stuff. Shop around and you can probably find better deals, but it really does sound like your expectations were out of whack.
02-18-16, 04:57 PM
#28
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Another UK bike forum worth keeping an eye on: LFGSS. (London fixed gear and single speed.) So not touring specific but a very busy classifieds section, where I recently picked up a barely used set of Ortlieb backroller classic panniers for £60. Similar items seem to pop up every now and then. The classifieds section of the CTC forum already mentioned is also worth keeping an eye on.
On the tent front, I'm in the process of buying this one from Decathlon: https://www.decathlon.co.uk/quickhik...d_8245650.html Just over £100 for a sub-2kg tent sounds pretty good to me. I've only got as far as holding the packed tent in my hand but it gets good reviews. Finally I'm investing in sleeping bag/mat from Alpkit, which seems to hit a similar sweet spot of good value for money and still pretty lightweight.
All in all I agree with assessments that you can significantly slash your budget and still get good quality stuff.
On the tent front, I'm in the process of buying this one from Decathlon: https://www.decathlon.co.uk/quickhik...d_8245650.html Just over £100 for a sub-2kg tent sounds pretty good to me. I've only got as far as holding the packed tent in my hand but it gets good reviews. Finally I'm investing in sleeping bag/mat from Alpkit, which seems to hit a similar sweet spot of good value for money and still pretty lightweight.
All in all I agree with assessments that you can significantly slash your budget and still get good quality stuff.
02-19-16, 08:41 AM
#29
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Ortlieb Sport Packer Plus Front Rollers, 35L they are great. better spend more money on a good tent, light sleeping bag, and light mattress.
02-19-16, 09:09 AM
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Waterproof 100L Canvas Cycling Bicycle Bag Bike Rear Seat Bag Double Pannier Bag - £55 Buy It Now
Waterproof 100L Canvas Cycling Bicycle Bag Bike Rear Seat Bag Double Pannier Bag | eBay
Waterproof 100L Canvas Cycling Bicycle Bag Bike Rear Seat Bag Double Pannier Bag | eBay
02-24-16, 01:24 PM
#31
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https://www.evanscycles.com/bikes/to...iceIncMax=1592
No idea if you want drop bar, flat bar, or trekking/butterfly.
The Dawes Galaxy Plus 520 looks like a decent mix of components and quality.
The Dawes Galaxy Cromo 2015 is similar to the above, but cheaper cost and canti brakes instead of disc.
Ridgeback Voyage 2016 is under $1000 euro and comes with a rack and fenders. And if you fit the remaining size, the 2015 version is dirt cheap.
There are a ton of other bikes, i just used Evans since I know its Euro based and has a good number of touring bikes. There are more on the site that I didnt mention too.
No idea if you want drop bar, flat bar, or trekking/butterfly.
The Dawes Galaxy Plus 520 looks like a decent mix of components and quality.
The Dawes Galaxy Cromo 2015 is similar to the above, but cheaper cost and canti brakes instead of disc.
Ridgeback Voyage 2016 is under $1000 euro and comes with a rack and fenders. And if you fit the remaining size, the 2015 version is dirt cheap.
There are a ton of other bikes, i just used Evans since I know its Euro based and has a good number of touring bikes. There are more on the site that I didnt mention too.
The only UK forum I am familiar with is specific to one brand of bike, so not bothering to list it here.
If you have not checked out crazy guy on a bike (website), you should. There are a lot of trip logs there where others that have already been somewhere documented their trip with lots of photos. A lot of their trip logs include foreign countries.
https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/
I brought a netbook on the first few tours. After that either brought a 7 inch Android tablet or a 4.7 inch Android phone. Big advantage of a tablet is that it takes less power to charge it up, often when I walk into a restaurant I tried to find a seat near a power outlet to plug into while I was there. The tablets that I used had the same apps that my phone had, so I did not carry both. The advantage of the tablet was I could see the big screen better with my older eyes. But my next trip, I am bringing the phone instead since I might buy a SIM card when I get to my destination, my tablet can't use a SIM card.
If you have not checked out crazy guy on a bike (website), you should. There are a lot of trip logs there where others that have already been somewhere documented their trip with lots of photos. A lot of their trip logs include foreign countries.
https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/
I brought a netbook on the first few tours. After that either brought a 7 inch Android tablet or a 4.7 inch Android phone. Big advantage of a tablet is that it takes less power to charge it up, often when I walk into a restaurant I tried to find a seat near a power outlet to plug into while I was there. The tablets that I used had the same apps that my phone had, so I did not carry both. The advantage of the tablet was I could see the big screen better with my older eyes. But my next trip, I am bringing the phone instead since I might buy a SIM card when I get to my destination, my tablet can't use a SIM card.
First that sounds like a generous amount of money for the gear and tour.
I am not sure how your location may affect this, but you can get by cheaper on all items if you choose. For my first long tour (4,244 miles across the US) I went pretty cheap and for the most part didn't regret any of my choices. I spent $600 on the bike, $100 for a tent, $70 for a sleeping bag, and $70 for panniers. I have since toured a good bit more and upgraded a lot of items.
Places where I personally would stay with lower priced stuff are the bike, the panniers and the tent. I'd either go cheap or skip the lock/alarm altogether.
Places where I have splurged and definitely felt it was worth it are the sleeping bag and sleeping pad. Other places where I tend to splurge are anywhere that I can go lighter by spending a bit more.
I am not sure how your location may affect this, but you can get by cheaper on all items if you choose. For my first long tour (4,244 miles across the US) I went pretty cheap and for the most part didn't regret any of my choices. I spent $600 on the bike, $100 for a tent, $70 for a sleeping bag, and $70 for panniers. I have since toured a good bit more and upgraded a lot of items.
Places where I personally would stay with lower priced stuff are the bike, the panniers and the tent. I'd either go cheap or skip the lock/alarm altogether.
Places where I have splurged and definitely felt it was worth it are the sleeping bag and sleeping pad. Other places where I tend to splurge are anywhere that I can go lighter by spending a bit more.
A reasonable pair of panniers starts at about $150 where I am, times two for front and rear, plus racks, handlebar bag and other stuff can easily hit $500 (about 350 euros), but that it pretty basic stuff. Shop around and you can probably find better deals, but it really does sound like your expectations were out of whack.
Another UK bike forum worth keeping an eye on: LFGSS. (London fixed gear and single speed.) So not touring specific but a very busy classifieds section, where I recently picked up a barely used set of Ortlieb backroller classic panniers for £60. Similar items seem to pop up every now and then. The classifieds section of the CTC forum already mentioned is also worth keeping an eye on.
On the tent front, I'm in the process of buying this one from Decathlon: https://www.decathlon.co.uk/quickhik...d_8245650.html Just over £100 for a sub-2kg tent sounds pretty good to me. I've only got as far as holding the packed tent in my hand but it gets good reviews. Finally I'm investing in sleeping bag/mat from Alpkit, which seems to hit a similar sweet spot of good value for money and still pretty lightweight.
All in all I agree with assessments that you can significantly slash your budget and still get good quality stuff.
On the tent front, I'm in the process of buying this one from Decathlon: https://www.decathlon.co.uk/quickhik...d_8245650.html Just over £100 for a sub-2kg tent sounds pretty good to me. I've only got as far as holding the packed tent in my hand but it gets good reviews. Finally I'm investing in sleeping bag/mat from Alpkit, which seems to hit a similar sweet spot of good value for money and still pretty lightweight.
All in all I agree with assessments that you can significantly slash your budget and still get good quality stuff.
Last edited by Sam Leach; 02-24-16 at 01:27 PM.
02-24-16, 01:32 PM
#32
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I doubt it very very much. Most if not all components are made in Japan or Europe so there is no intrinsic American advantage. Quite the opposite in fact.
I've shopped extensively for various bike parts -- which means a full set of components for 3 bikes including rack and panniers -- and couldn't find anything close to what online German retailers offer. (with the exception of the Ergon grips, that were on fire sale -- and no longer carried -- by an American online retailer). Try Rosebikes and bike24. Do not forget to deduct 19% VAT if you live outside of the EU (and to add customs and shipping charges)
I've shopped extensively for various bike parts -- which means a full set of components for 3 bikes including rack and panniers -- and couldn't find anything close to what online German retailers offer. (with the exception of the Ergon grips, that were on fire sale -- and no longer carried -- by an American online retailer). Try Rosebikes and bike24. Do not forget to deduct 19% VAT if you live outside of the EU (and to add customs and shipping charges)
02-24-16, 01:34 PM
#33
Senior Member
No but honestly, you can get a four set of ortlieb classic rollers (front and back rollers) for 230 euros in Europe. Check german online stores. It's the only place I even buy bike stuff anymore because it's so dirt cheap.
02-24-16, 02:28 PM
#34
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Echoing most people on here so far, I'll say that Ortlleibs, while expensive, are a worthy investment. I also use them every day for general commuting in addition to a number of short- and long-distance tours. Honestly, go for the best in all areas - panniers, sleeping bag, tent, sleeping pad, bike, etc. If you're smart and take your time, you can find some amazing deals and really not need to spend a ton of money on this stuff. Most importantly, rely on user reviews to guide you in the right direction.
02-24-16, 02:31 PM
#35
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My bike (a used Koga WTR) was $2000 how much would my panniers cost if they were more than the bike and tent?
02-24-16, 05:17 PM
#36
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Thanks for all the advice. One thing to note is that in the US (from my experience) you can't apply the exchange rate from USD to EUR because things are more expensive in Europe. From my experience it's more 1:1 with retail things. So if something is $500 it's roughly €500 in Europe. Things like technology is even more expensive in Europe compared to the US. Just look at the Apple Store in the US compared to European stores. So when I said €500 for panniers it's more like $500. This sucks, but is pretty much how it is.
If you order bike parts on-line from Europe for shipment to USA, you usually do not have to pay VAT. I have bought a lot of stuff on-line from UK, Germany and France.
And some things that are widely sold in Europe from European manufacturers at competitive prices often pass through the hands of one exclusive distributor in USA, and that can increase the costs for those goods substantially in USA. Some of the things I ordered from Europe were about 20 to 30 percent cheaper because competitive pricing in Europe.
And there are many different good quality brands of bike accessories sold in Europe that nobody in USA sells, so you will never see some of those brands in a store in USA.
Before you get too jealous about USA customers not having to pay VAT, we have different taxes, some of which can be quite high.
02-25-16, 08:58 AM
#37
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hello, check ortlieb on baBaik, la vida al aire libre spain online store, you can buy ortlieb city set for around 190eur
front city + rear city + handlebar classic 6m
front city + rear city + handlebar classic 6m
02-25-16, 11:19 AM
#39
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Thanks for all the advice. One thing to note is that in the US (from my experience) you can't apply the exchange rate from USD to EUR because things are more expensive in Europe. From my experience it's more 1:1 with retail things. So if something is $500 it's roughly €500 in Europe. Things like technology is even more expensive in Europe compared to the US. Just look at the Apple Store in the US compared to European stores. So when I said €500 for panniers it's more like $500. This sucks, but is pretty much how it is.
For bike components, I have found buying from Europe is often times cheaper than buying the same things from US retailers.
