Squeezebox

I got an Rei catalog in the mail yesterday. Ortlieb panniers 25% off. And other misc. bicycle stuff on sale. Fly Creek tents, therm-a-rest stuff, and ohh yes!! folding chairs. Sale until may 29 it seems.

jefnvk

Folding chair? I think it is well established that I am no weight weenie, but I can't imagine carrying a folding chair!

Also if you are looking at Ortliebs, many Euro sites have them much cheaper than you can get them in America, especially if you don't have your mind set on a particular color/style and can spread the shipping out over a few items. I could order Ortlieb back and fronts shipped from Holland Bike Shop for about $190.

TobyID

For the chair, it is one designed for backpackers. It comes in at a pound and measures 13.8 x 3.9 x 3.9 inches.

Might not be horrible: rei.com - /product/109587/helinox-chair-zero

john_mct

Yeah but you can't conveniently return them for a full refund or replacement to the nearest rei if you put a hole in one in under a year from purchase date...

Rob_E

Almost bought my Ortleibs from REI using the discount one year, but, just before I pulled the trigger, I decided to search for other options and found them even cheaper elsewhere. Still, REI can be a good deal. With my recent 25% off coupon, I bought a Revelate Terrapin seat bag. I didn't even know the REI was carrying Revelate stuff, but they are, and that bag had been on my wish list.

As for the chair, I have the REI Flexlite and love it. The first version had feet that would come off, and did come off, when pulling the chair out of the mud. The next version addressed that. Mine developed a tear at one of the pockets where the fabric connects to the frame, but REI replaced it. I was going to replace it with the Helinox version that was comparable, but I tested it out and found it far less comfortable.

And, yes, to some, carrying a chair is a little excessive. the chair folds small and doesn't take much room, but even so. But many of my trips are more camping than biking, and I have a couple of music festivals I bike to every year. Having a chair there is great, and worth the transport. I plan on taking it with me on an upcoming camping weekend, but after the weekend, I plan on taking a one week, bike tour before returning home. I may send the chair and a couple of other items home. But if you're going to travel with a chair, I've tried a few options, and I like the REI one a decent balance of weight, compact-storage, and comfort.

79pmooney

Have you owned an Ortleib? You have to work to put a hole in them. I finally succeeded with my first pair at 10 years when I hastily packed a very sharp large kitchen knife in mine. A call to a local rafting outfit got me the repair kit to get. The repair was straight forward and permanent. Except for that one hole, all my Ortleibs have been fully watertight. (Really easy to check. Put them on a dry floor. Fill them with water. Come back an hour later. How's the floor?)

Ortleib hardware is all replaceable and any bike shop can order it. I buy generally from local shops, including the local REI of which I am a member. I see one plus being that of color. I will only buy yellow panniers. That bright color might only save my life once and I will never know, but that's enough reason for me.

Ben

indyfabz

Not so cut and dried:


"REI’s guarantee doesn’t cover ordinary wear and tear or damage caused by improper use or accidents."

indyfabz

I am the hardest working man in bike touring. I have a tiny cut in the outside pocket of one of my Back Packer Plus panniers. It happened during the fourth year of use. I think it happened when I scraped the pannier against one of numerous cattle gates you have to open and close on the Mickelson Trail in South Dakota. Totally my fault. It doesn't affect the function as water has never gotten in. My other one also has a hole burned nearly through it. Must have been from a campfire ember.

john_mct

Yeah I put a one inch tear in the bottom of a front roller Classic in a sub five mph soft crash, same bag also had one of the upper fastening clips break and a lower fastening screw fall out on a two month cross country trip... I ended up just gorilla taping it to the rack til the end of the trio and then returned the pair to rei for a refund, they took it without any real questions and never offered to order replacement stuff for it. This was a paved road tour and considering the price and reputation, I'm glad I got my money back.

edthesped

I bought a couple of helinox chairs last year and carried one between Pgh and DC last year and it's certainly light enough for a bike. I used it a total of one time over 4 days and the legs sank into the dirt making it unstable, the other days I sat at picnic tables. The chair is quite comfy on solid ground though. It's 50/50 if I take it out this year.

jefnvk

Judging from some of the stuff I see at the Garage Sales, I can't imagine that policy is ever enforced.

I'm not sticking the cost of my screw up on someone else. Defect? Sure, but not if I poked a hole in it though my own doing.

seeker333

Good find. Have you purchased anything from HBS?

jefnvk

I haven't, just found them because I see the name bandied about around here from time to time. Even with $35ish shipping, at less than $60 for front panniers I'm tempted to give them a go whenever I decide I need a matched set to my backs!

BigAura

People love to buy these gimmicky things and rarely make them part of their regular kit. There's a tendency to imagine use-scenerios that don't materialize much in the real-world. Even if the weight is minimal, they are rather bulky.

BUT PERSONALLY: I do carry a sit-pad (1.4 ounces) and it is part of my regular kit. I use it daily and it serves dual purpose as rack cushion.


blue sit-pad doubling as barrier/protectant for my tent.

Doug64

my Ortlieb Back Rollers have 18,000 touring miles on them, and the worst thing that happened was losing a clip insert. The clips still worked, and the sizing insert was was replaced at the next bike shop I ran across.

This is the result of my right front pannier's high speed encounter with a tall curb. The bag is still waterproof.


In our family we have given Ortlieb products a pretty good field check. Our son and daughter-in-law (not in the picture, and not bike tourers) also use Ortlieb pannier for commuting.

saddlesores

i don't get it! some of the same people that are constantly
berating the luddites for their oldfangled heavy frames,
recommending spending (well....borrowing...) an extra
thousand bucks for a calcium fiber frame to save less
than a pound, then turn around a tote along some gimmicky
thing, negating their thousand dollar weight reduction.

maybe they should look for advice on packing from
the thru-hikers. they know where its at! maybe
check out whiteblahs.net or something.

PMike

I used the REI sale to buy Ortlieb rear classics. I'm doing a big tour this summer and they have been great on and over night trip and toting all my stuff around in training.

I also bought a chair. I wound up buying a $33 knockoff of the Helinox on Amazon. My tour this summer will be in mountains, so I am watching cargo weight. So, this is my big splurge weight wise. I figure I can mail it home if it is too cumbersome. So far, I love it. Even on the overnighter, it was nice to pull out the chair and sit on it rather than picnic benches or logs. When I took rests during the day, I was quick to pull it out and sit.

Squeezebox

So how much does the knock off weigh? My problem with trying to get light weight stuff from Amazon is they seldom give the wt. So you really have no idea what you're getting.

edthesped

Unfortunately I got mine on an Amazon lightning deal, had I purchased from REI it would likely turn up in one of their garage sales. OTOH, I purchased an Ortlieb Pro E handlebar bag from REI thinking I'd likely return it and it has become my favorite commuting bag. I roll my clothes and velcro them to my rear rack and put my lunch and other daily needs in the handlebar bag, ease of access while riding is great on longer rides as I don't have to stop to grab a protein bar.

edthesped

I think BigAura called it right... I ride a steel frame and borrow my sons ultralight hiking gear when I ride. I'm old and appreciate a good comfy seat at the end of the day so it really did sound like a good idea. I typically carry 90% of my gear in the front so bulk isn't that much of an issue. I velcro my tent, footprint, lock and crocs to the deck of my rear rack. The Helionox doesn't take up enough real estate to be an issue but the fact that legs sink into soft ground makes it all but unusable for me.

The helinox is the red bag on the rear rack..

PMike

The knock off weights just under 2#. Without the bag it is 1# 12oz.

This is the one I got. I've used it a bunch of times. I am about 195# and I feel pretty stable and comfortable with it.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

seeker333

these are pretty good, seating comfort for only 10/13 oz, compatible with newer (neo) air pads