FargoRider

Hi, I know there have been many threads about pannier bags, but I have a specific question. My current bags are Avenir Excursion Panniers ( https://www.amazon.com/Avenir-Excurs...mg_top?ie=UTF8 ), and I've used them almost daily for the past 5 years. Overall I'd say they've held up nicely to the daily grind of commuting. Seams have done Ok, and the straps all work, and they clip on and off nicely so I can switch them easily to my other bikes.

The problem I have with these is they have a plastic liner along the interior wall facing the rear wheel. This plastic wall tends to warp and curl at the corners towards the wheel. The first time I noticed this was when the bag curl was so bad it went into the spokes and sucked the bag (with my lunch) all the way into the rear wheel. It went so far in I actually had a grapefruit wedged into the spokes. It did very little damage to the bag or wheel, but it did cut up the grapefruit plenty bad.

Since that happened, I've been fairly careful to unfasten this plastic liner and flip /rotate them so the curve goes outward from the wheel. I have to do this once a year or so. Over time the liners staightens out, and eventually curves back in.

Today I took the bags off the winter fat bike, and put them on my rainy day bike with fenders (streets are fairly ice-free). One of the bags had warped again, and about a block from work it got sucked into the spokes and stopped me. This time it broke a spoke and messed up my fender.

I think I've had enough of these bags. I suppose I could make some more "rigid" liners, and keep using these spacious bags, or I could get some new ones. Anyone else have this problem? Are there decent commuter panniers that have been "time tested" not to have this warping issue?

FargoRider

I didn't see this thread until I created mine. Good info: https://www.bikeforums.net/commuting...-panniers.html

fietsbob

sewing makes holes, so now bags get welded seams , to be waterproof.

consider a different rack?

FargoRider

I don't think the rack is the problem. I have three bikes with racks, and this has happened on two different bikes with different racks. Two of the racks are Ibera and one is Topeak. It's the plastic backing plate inserted on the tire side of each pannier that warps.

I either have to reinforce that flimsy backing, or look at getting new bags.

Harhir

I had this happening with my Ortliebs as well. I solved it with strapping a small piece of PVC pipe horizontally across the side bars of the rack. Tis way the bags don't curl towards the wheel. These PVC pipes are just fastened with cable ties. I wanted to spray paint them black at one point but was too lazy to do it so far...

FargoRider

Interesting idea. Basically you're just putting up a barrier so if they curl, they have no way of getting into the spokes. Actually, I think what happened to me was the curl was just barely bad enough to to set into my rear fender, and then it sucked by bag into my spokes and broke one. Thanks for the idea!

esmith2039

Interesting.. I have the smaller version of this panniers and I've had no issue's on both bikes. But I have the same rack on both. I did have to bend the left side back out once but can't recall why. The PVC or perhaps threaded stock would solve your problem.