Panniers

I recently ordered a new set of Panniers.

The funny thing is, I used to think that people who rode with Panniers were a strange breed of cyclists.  I thought "What could really be so important that they needed to take it with them on their bikes?" 

Then I started commuting by bike.

Now Panniers are almost always on my bike unless I am able to actually get out and ride my bike just for fun which is pretty rare these days.  I would much rather use them to carry my work clothes, a towel to dry off after a sweaty ride, and any food I am bringing to work with me rather than stuff all that in a backpack and have a giant pool of sweat on my back.

The Panniers I am replacing are some Schwinn Panniers that I got for $25.00 from Wal-Mart.  I have been using these for a few months now and I couldn't be happier to be rid of them.  I'm hoping that with the arrival of my new Panniers I won't have to live in constant fear of the bags coming off my rack and getting caught in my spokes any more which currently happens about once a trip.  This propensity for finding their way into my spokes has caused the panniers to form growing holes in them.  These holes happen to be in the bottom of the bags which means they are just begging to dump my work clothes all over the pavement one day.

I should have taken them back after my first attempt to ride with them.  I followed the directions that came with them which consisted of hooking some pretty suspect hooks on to my rack and strapping a couple of straps around the rack.  Well I made it approximately 10 feet before the bags fell off.  I put them back on and then they fell off again.  Since  I was on my way to work I had to backpack it that night.  I did find a way to get them to stay on but I had to wrap the straps around the rack and then around the bags themselves.  At least now they didn't fall to the ground, they just fell into my spokes!  Good thing I don't have front Panniers!

Anyway, I'm pretty stoked for my new panniers which the tracking information from Amazon says should be here by the 9th.  Which will be in time for me to not have to commute with them this week.  I'll have to review them after I use them for a few days!