Pannier longevity

[PamNY]

Am I the only person that uses a bike pannier most of the time when cycling?

I'm thinking of getting one. Right now I have a small backpack attached to the rack with a bungee cord. It's distinctly inelegant.

[moonfroggy]

i am going to be getting panniers soon, not decided which to get yet though. i need something smaller for carrying sketch book and art supplies and a change of clothes. not giant camping panniers. anyhow i have been watching this thread to see what panniers others use and how long they last!

[shootingstar]

i am going to be getting panniers soon, not decided which to get yet though. i need something smaller for carrying sketch book and art supplies and a change of clothes. not giant camping panniers. anyhow i have been watching this thread to see what panniers others use and how long they last!

My new pair is this: http://www.axiomgear.com/products/ge...niers/cartier/

I use this for everything...groceries, trips,etc. Sure sometimes I might not have alot inside. Other times it's bursting with stuff.
However when I get a folding bike soon, I might have to get another differently shaped set in case the pannier gets kickback when I cycle. Will depend on the bike geometry and rack that I'll get installed.

[moonfroggy]

i'm pondering getting a rack trunk instead of panniers now. is kickback when your heel hits the pannier? on my old bike i had panniers and if i set them up all the way pushed back i didn't get that otherwise it was a problem. the new bike i will be getting soon will fit me! but i am short i suspect the bike being a lot smaller to fit me may make it harder to find panniers that i can ride with. also the rack trunk i found is really pretty! and i think is big enough to hold what i would need to put in it

http://www.rei.com/product/797317

[shootingstar]

Since we go grocery shopping all the time on bikes (no car for us), I need to have pannier size and type to be flexible for multiple purposes. Trunk bag would not suit my needs. Too limited.

I also have taken some art courses where I stashed several tubes of paint, brushes, water container, palette paper, etc. and lugged them along on bike. Along with drawing board, sometimes whole large rolls of paper, etc. strapped on top of rack. Again trunk bag doesn't help.

Work commuting, I need to fold my clothes properly without wrinkling too much.

Going to different bike stores to try to find a rack that is long enough and high enough does help. I take time to find new pannier shapes so that I never have problems with kickback (yes, it is what you described).

I've been cycling for over 18 years. Have gone through 3 different types of panniers 'cause I really use them well all the time.

[moonfroggy]

i have only one local shop i can try panniers out at. other bike shops are an hour or more away from me. when i go grocery shopping and stuff like that my son comes too, in a trailer. so i guess for me a rack trunk might be perfect but i can see how they would not work for grocery shopping ect.

[eofelis]

I have a set of Novara (REI) panniers I bought over 15 years ago. Fronts and rears. I don't know what model they are. I have used the rears pretty consistantly over the years for commuting and groceries, and the fronts moderately. Except for some fading of the colors from the sun, they are in perfect shape, not even a fray. I see these panniers come up on ebay sometimes and I'd get another set if I needed to. They last forever.

I have a full set of Jandd panniers. I've only had them 5 years or so and do one tour a year with them. I occasionally use them around town. They still look new.