Jim Kukula

Our teenager is headed off for college in 5 weeks or so. I have been fixing up his Jamis Trail X1 to be used as a campus bike. Today's tweak - and I have no more on my list - was attaching the QL3 mounting system for his Ortlieb Office Bag. It's a Topeak Explorer rack he has on the back.



I tried a few configurations and ended up with the bag hanging quite far off the back of the rack - his heels just clear:

fietsbob

RE Ortlieb, they set the fittings for the hooks on, and punch the bag for the screws
at an angle on those bags don't they?

or was that the QL2?

KonAaron Snake 

I've got that set up from Ortlieb on my drop MTB commuter, and I have tp say, it's beneath my expectations for Ortlieb. It moves over time, isn't tight enough to the rack, isn't adjustable enough and the bag takes too much work to take the straps on and off. Not pleased.

Jim Kukula

Ah, I hope the teenager has better experiences with the system than Mr. Snake! Really I hope the whole thing doesn't get stolen in the first month so the teenager at least gets to experience its various good & bad aspects.

The QL3 mount is interesting. There is a sort of wire and plastic skeleton that gets bolted onto the rack. Maybe I should snug those bolts down a bit more to keep the skeleton from slipping on the rack! The skeleton then presents three buttons to the bag. The bag has three slots into which the buttons can slide and lock into place.


The slots are pretty much flush on the bags surface so it makes a nice package to lug about in office, classroom, etc.

chefisaac

Tell Ortlieb that then. They are very responsive and appreciative of peoples opinions.

chefisaac

I would agree the locking system of the ortlieb bag you have is not really the best go. They should put the system they use on the classics on there. Everything is adjustable.

spinbackle

Can you set this up so the bag leans forward? In other words, the leading edge of the bag would be parallel to how his lower leg (calf) is in that picture. Google some pics of the Ortlieb Office Bag to see how others have set this up. FWIW, I have the other (QL 1 or QL 2) version of this and have no problems with heel strike but it's set up like I described above. Hope this helps.

Scott

spinbackle

Like so......





Not my bike BTW......

Jim Kukula

Focusing more on how that plastic and wire skeleton is attached to the rack: There are three points of attachment. The upper two are loops of plastic that are snugly bolted to the rack supports. These loops are also clamped along the upper plastic rail of the triangle. The buttons from which the bag hangs are at fixed points along that rail. I can clamp the loops to the rail pretty much wherever I please.

The lower point of attachment is just a finger of plastic that keeps the bag from swaying outward. I have this finger just grabbing the rearmost rack support. So my options for attaching the skeleton seems mostly to be limited to fixing that finger at that rearmost point, and then rotating the rest of the skeleton around that fixed point. So I could have the bag sloped the other way, but that would actually be rotating the bag closer to the rider's heel.

Anyway, the thing seems to be working OK as is - for the moment, I have a smiling teenager! It'll be interesting to see what happens when he gets to college! For many more reasons than just how the Office Bag attachment works out in use!

Jim Kukula

Ah, I can see now a real weakness of the QL3 approach. It's that lower finger. On a QL2 mount that finger can be repositioned toward the front or rear of the bag. With the QL3 the finger is stuck in the middle of the bag. Really they could just make that skeleton a bit more elaborate, e.g. a lower rail along which the finger could be clamped like the upper loops are clamped, with the lower button in a fixed position just like the upper buttons. As it is now, the lower button is the same bit of plastic assembly as the finger clamp.

HardyWeinberg

Is that with the clip inserts that it is still too loose?

KonAaron Snake 

Yes...the little clamps don't fasten well and they move over time...and the lower piece doesn't brace well. The adjustibility/flexibility is also poor - it was very hard to get this flush with the rack.

BadBoy10

Is that bag weatherproof?

Zrane

You could try putting some tube in the clip.

I'm surprised at people saying the skeleton has moved over time. I haven't had mine move and I've been using it daily for the better part of a year. One of the steel wires has bent a bit, but I had my bag really overloaded with weight.

Here's some pictures of how mine is mounted. It does overhang the rack some, but not too badly. I don't have any heel strike issues and I wear a 12/13 in a shoe. May have longer chain stays, though.

KonAaron Snake 

I've been having photobucket issues today, but hopefully this works. Note that I had to bend in the rack due to limited placement options. It flexes and the brace below doesn't provide support.

Jim Kukula

Ah, I can see from the picture, you have the upper attachments fastened to the horizontal supports of the rack. That is surely much more secure and less liable to shifting. It puts the bag higher too, which helps avoid heel strikes.

Another possibility would be to loop one attachment to a horizontal rack support and another to a vertical support, to angle the bag which should create some heel room.

Our teenager has a Topeak rack bag that slides onto the rack, and I didn't want the QL3 system to interfere with that. Probably he won't need to use both bags at the same time but it would be nice for him to be able to pick, e.g. Office Bag for going to class, rack bag for weekend exploration.

Zrane

I have a cheap rack with only 2 vertical supports, so I'm pretty lacking in ways I can angle the bag. By pushing it back on the rack, I've got plenty of clearance though. Overall, I've been very happy with the bag and the rack. I think if it was a bag I would have to carry around campus, I might get a Timbuk2 shift or that wire rack designed for holding a backpack.

fietsbob

Well maybe a retrofit of the regular pannier hooks will make the bag actually fit
without depending on the button clip and plastic rail scheme.

they use a piercing button head screw that secures hardware
with a plastic acorn nut, inside .
+ some bits and pieces to close up un used mounting holes..

newkie

WTF? The QL-3 system rocks! What rack do you have? I have a Topeak rack and have had the bag for a year. I haven't had to make any adjustments at all. When the bag clicks on it is absolutely solid. Not sure what you're doing wrong but maybe have another look to make sure you've attached it right.

As for the shoulder strap, leave it attached! I just place it inside the bag and close the lid. Look where I live, I haven't had any problems riding in the rain doing it this way.

KonAaron Snake 

FYI - your response was fairly rude, though probably unintentionally so. I showed pretty detailed photos of what I did, and it was done properly. The truth is that those mounting clasps suck and when I initially set it up, tensioning it lightly broke one of the clasps internal stops. It shifts if there is any substantial weight in the bag. The lower brace provides no support and the adaptability of the system was poor.

I have it latched to a blackburn. I use the commuter backpack and I find the system inconvenient...every time I unhook the bag from the skeleton, I have to pull the straps out and attach.

newkie

Again, WTF? Can you expand on your personal experience with the QL3?

OP, ignore these guys. I spent nearly a year obsessing on this bag until I finally got it last year. I've been using mine for a year and, clearly, have only good things to say! It is the highest quality pannier I've owned and the QL3 system has been rock solid. Every day when I easily lify by bag off the rack I thank the heavens I'm not still using my old Knog which never wanted to let go.

You made a seriously great purchase. It's the most functional pannier I've ever seen and looks class to boot!

newkie

You must have gotten a defective part. I'd also suggest writing Ortlieb and see about getting a replacement. It's been a while since I attached mine but I would have used a fair amount of tension and as I said mine is rock solid. Again, for the strap I just leave mine attached and fold it inside the bag.

HardyWeinberg

It's an awesome bag. I don't know what the bar thingy is the 2 OPs are attaching to their racks though. Does not seem to help their experience, for sure.

KonAaron Snake 

Actually I think it's a crappy system and your judgement is defective. OP, ignore this guy, it's a flawed design. Mine doesn't have "a strap", it has two back pack straps that plug into the mountings where it fits to the rack. It's a poor design there as well.

It is a complete steaming pile of poo compared to the Ortlieb QL2 design and the bags with hooks on the other side are much easier to use.

I suggest you start considering the difference between a subjective opinion and a fact. Your view is a subjective opinion. Others disagree and can have opinions without being wrong. My opinion is that the system stinks, from the bag to the skeleton. It's needlessly complex, the parts are cheap junk and it's beneath Ortlieb to release this into the market.

newkie

Well you have a different bag then. And now you're the one being rude. This guy made a big investment for his kid and you keep crapping all over it. You've had your say, now feck off.