Interesting. Have you noted that not single person who replied to your post recommended the Arkel 54 panniers??
Here's why I didn't: Tremendously overbuilt and oversized - this results in increased weight. Compared with the Ortlieb backrollers, this translates to about 2 pounds extra per pair empty. As you know, if you are flying anywhere these days, extra weight in your luggage costs money. Extra capacity - The Arkels are 54 liters per pair versus 40 liters per pair for the Ortieb back rollers. Extra capacity might seem like a good thing, but it encourages over packing. EVERY tourist I've seen on the road who has the Arkel 54 panniers has been carrying a lot of unnecessary (for me) stuff and this adds up to even more weight you'll have to roll up hills. Weight is additive - heavier panniers and more stuff means you'll need a heavier bike frame, heavier wheels, heavier tires - I can pack EVERYTHING for a 2 month tour INSIDE my front and rear roller Ortliebs with no load on top of the racks. Traveling as light as possible when touring can increase your enjoyment overall. I usually have plenty of energy left at the end of a day to go for another bike ride (unloaded) or a hike, and I'm not afraid to explore interesting side roads or go a little extra distance to a campsite that might be a bit nicer than the one I'd planned. On the topic of visibility - The red used on the Arkel panniers isn't really all that visible. First, your panniers are down low and present a minimal profile from the rear. If you are truly concerned with visibility on the road, wear a safety yellow or safety orange vest or jersey. Second, compared with yellow, red isn't all that visible, especially in low light. The reflective triangles on the back of Ortieb panniers are stunningly bright when ANY light hits them. Lastly, I find brightly colored panniers to be a double edged sword. There are times when I prefer to be less visible so as to avoid unwanted attention - as when choosing "creative" camping possibilities. Again, on the road, I wear a highly visible vest and the back of my bike sports a yellow safety triangle. Cost - Ortiebs aren't cheap, but come on, $380.00 for a pair of bags?? REI sells the backrollers for $165.00. The way I travel, that extra $215.00 bucks would allow me to spend an extra week or more on the road. Waterproofness - OK, if you are buying the idea that totally waterproof bags are not good (I disagree), realize the any decent pannier will keep your stuff reasonably dry. Realize also that most tourists don't choose to ride day after day, in day-long downpours. Do you enjoy riding in the rain now? It is simple to cheaply waterproof your gear. While "wet" canyoneering (essentially, using my pack as flotation) I've been able to keep my gear dry using double trash compactor bags inside a standard, non-waterproof, backpack. Dave On Apr 5, 9:29 pm, happyriding <[email protected]> wrote: > Thanks for the recommendations. > > It looks like Arkel's GT-54 panniers offer the best of both worlds: > they have a dry sack integrated into the main compartment, which you > can either use or roll up so it is out of the way. But they are > extremely expensive at $380. I guess you could just buy a dry bag and > put it in a cheaper non-water proof pannier to get the same benefit. > > Here's something I don't understand about the Ortliebs. I would like > to get high visibility panniers, like the yellow Ortliebs. However, > the back of the panniers is black. Why did Ortlieb do that instead of > making the whole thing high vis yellow? That is one thing I like > about the Arkels: the whole pannier is red and there's lots of > reflective striping. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
