Alternatives to panniers and bike luggage

[Kim]

There's no doubt that Ortlieb panniers are well-made and seem likely to last for as long as you manage not to crash on them, but they fail on being-an-alternative-to-panniers.

I'm thinking the underlying wisdom might be 'luggage rack' (or more succinctly, "let the bike carry the load") rather than 'panniers'.  Baskets, crates and rack bags all being eminently suitable ways of carrying Stuff, depending on the nature of the stuff and where you're carrying it.  The important thing is not dangling bags from your handlebars inna BSOist style, and that rucksacks should only generally be combined with bikes for sensible off-roading and short-range Bromptoneering.


While I'm firmly in the panniers camp for touring, I've been using my trailer more for shopping since the pandemic changed my shopping habits.  What it adds in faff at the house end, it seems to make up for at the shop end, being a large box that I can just pile stuff in.  There's a lot to be said for a crate or basket on that basis.

[mr ben]

• A single luggage crate tied to the rear rack with inner tubes

<off-topic> I have one of those Safeway green crates as my laundry bin...not that I ever take my laundry anywhere by bike.  The crates have proven much more durable than the scheme they were for (although I think Sainsbury's is doing a similar thing atm). 

[Afasoas]

Is the intention to fit a crate/basket approximately the size of a supermarket shopping basket to a pannier rack?

I've just measured the conventional pannier rack on one of my bikes. It's 30cm in length.
A shopping basket is 40 x 27.5 cm at it's widest; 32.5 x 20 cm at it's base. At least based on this example.

If the basket is allowed to hang off the rear by around 10 cm, it seems a good fit for me. Just need a rack with a top plate that some mount holes can be drilled through, to securely bold the basket in place.
I don't think there will be any thigh/basket interfacing - but probably need to dry fit or get a volunteer to check.

My current pannier's (Altura something or other) were included with a bike I bought at least 10 years ago. They're still in excellent shape. I think I've had Altura panniers that have holed before, but I could be confusing them with another brand.

Advantages of conventional rear rack + panniers:

• Well placed retro reflective material for visibility and easy mounting of blinkies to them
• Tend to leave them on the bike when not in use; toolkit, locks and bike keys stay in them
• Lower centre of gravity
• Separation of stuff between the paniers sometimes advantageous
• Still space for strapping things to the top of the rack

Disadvantages of conventional rear rack + panniers:

• Cost
• Weight (ideally) needs to be distributed between the two panniers
• Attractive to people who rob things off bikes

Advantages of conventional rear pannier rack + basket/crate:

• Cost
• Easily "balanced"
• Can be used with a range of readily available cheap luggage
• Can be used with a ruck sack which is easy to carry off-the-bike

Disadvantages of conventional rear pannier rack + basket/crate:

• Raises centre of gravity
• May not work with conventional rack - may depend on wheel base/seat tube angle/saddle height

[hubner]

I think for shopping, my idea is a pannier rack with 2 large sack like bags. The bags would sTay on the bike semi permanently, but still quick to remove with a basic tool like a spanner or screw driver.

Do the shopping, put the shopping in bags, eg large shoulder bag, strong carry bags. Then put the bags in the sacks already on the bike. This also works for commuting.

The problem is working out how to attach the sacks to the bike. Carradice, eg, sell the hooks but not the metal channel that they fit into.

[quixoticgeek]

I think for shopping, my idea is a pannier rack with 2 large sack like bags. The bags would say on the bike semi permanently, but still quick to remove with a basic tool like a spanner or screw driver.

Do the shopping, put the shopping in bags, eg large shoulder bag, strong carry bags. Then put the bags in the sacks already on the bike. This also works for commuting.

The problem is working out how to attach the sacks to the bike. Carradice, eg, sell the hooks but not the metal channel that they fit into.

This is a very common approach in .nl. A pair of large panniers permanently fixed to the rear rack. Stick your shopping bag in the pannier, ride off.

The other really common one is the crate on a front rack. Esp popular with students, and younger riders who want to stick a backpack or similar style bag in the crate, where they can see it, maybe run headphone cable to a device in it etc... and not have to worry about someone lifting the bag out of a pannier at the lights.

A lot of Dutch bikes have both. It's eminently practical.

J

[fruitcake]

I've just measured the conventional pannier rack on one of my bikes. It's 30cm in length.

I've measured the pannier rack I have here and it's the same. I wonder what size the largest commercially available rack is. I feel a new thread is needed.
https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=128037.msg2878638#msg2878638

Alas, Pashley have not replied to my request for a price for a Pronto rack, which may mean they don't sell them without a bike.

[RichForrest]

Inspired by this post (and liking the idea of not using my good panniers for shopping) I picked up a couple of 24ltr stacking tote boxes from Tesco today (£2.40 each).
Going to attach them to some old style handlebar basket brackets I have in the garden that used to hold pots of herbs on the fence.

If it works then I have two rear shopping boxes, if not I have 2 more parts/junk boxes 

Well it worked, probably need to attach more zipties to it for extra sturdiness.
Will be fine for lightish stuff, boxes of coke or cider can go on the front rack.
Traffic gave me a wide berth 
 

Cheap shopping crates by Rich Forrest, on Flickr

[Cudzoziemiec]

You just need to avoid Sustrans barriers now!