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Old 02-05-21, 05:54 PM
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Tourist in MSN
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Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Madison, WI
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Bikes: 1961 Ideor, 1966 Perfekt 3 Speed AB Hub, 1994 Bridgestone MB-6, 2006 Airnimal Joey, 2009 Thorn Sherpa, 2013 Thorn Nomad MkII, 2015 VO Pass Hunter, 2017 Lynskey Backroad, 2017 Raleigh Gran Prix, 1980s Bianchi Mixte on a trainer. Others are now gone.

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Originally Posted by jpjuggler
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I like the ortlieb bike packer bags as it looks like its quicker to open on the top than the roller bags. I realize they might not be as waterproof as a roller bag.
Question: is 20 Liters per bag a usual size for touring? Beside the waterproof issue, are there any other drawbacks that people could bring to my attention that I might not know about?
Thanks,
I have the Ortlieb Backroller ones that you roll the top. I have a pair of panniers similar to the Ortliebs that you referenced, and the roller ones probably are a little slower to open, but not by much.

20 liters for each, or 40 for the pair is about average, there are bigger and smaller panniers.

I often have another bag on top of the rear and that gets in the way of opening the rear panniers when I have it. When I have that other bag on top, I try to put stuff in that top bag that I might want during the day so that I do not need to open the panniers underneath it. I usually put my rain gear on top of the front panniers, that is the only thing that I might have to get at really fast. I also use a handlebar bag with small items that I might want frequently, granola bars or snacks, sunscreen, camera, chain lube, phone, etc.

In this photo I have a dry bag on top of the rear rack oriented fore and aft, that would have to come off first to access a rear pannier.



But for trips where I might need to carry more I use the Ortlieb Rack Pack (31 liters) that is designed to clip onto the Backroller panniers quite easily, the Backroller panners have a strap that goes across the top of the pannier, that strap can be used to attach the Rack Pack. In this photo you can see my rain gear strapped on top of the front panners.



The City version of the roller panniers lack the strap that goes over the top. It is cheaper and a little lighter but has a few less accessories.

Both kinds would be quite waterproof, more than adequate for most touring.
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