Best grocery pannier? Nice lightweight wool cycling "jacket" or full-zip mid-weight jersey?

[Patrick Moore]

I'm curious if anyone has suggestions for the following that meet
possibly weird and certainly nit-picky criteria.

A. This is largely academic since the old Ortlieb Backrollers serve
well enough, but I do prefer a flap with Fastek buckle instead of the
rollup method of closure. So: What is the best grocery pannier,
defining best by my own criteria, in order of importance:
1. Single compartment large enough to swallow a full paper grocery
sack, and with no interior pockets or dividers of any sort;
2. Flap with single buckle.
3. As sturdy at least as the Ortliebs, tho' I don't care if it's
cotton or nylon canvas or tarp material; and I do not need it to be
waterproof, just water resistant (ie, not a sponge).
4. Has attachments with considerable lateral adjustment -- I must
offset large panniers to the rear on the bike carrying it -- I prefer
the Ortlieb-type of closure but I'm open to other adjustable systems;
5. Comes in red;
6. Has a nice convenient outer pocket big enough for a large bunch o' keys.

Criteria 1 thru 4 are required, # 5 is important, # 6 would be nice.

B. On rides like this afternoon's, 48-50 F but cloudy (full sun at 5K+
feet is the equivalent of +10*F in air temperature) I like a ls med
weight wool jersey + a second ls layer, and I've been using a full-zip
wool jersey bought deliberately large. But the fit isn't as good as it
might be. So:

What is a good LS, full-cut (to fit over a ls wool jersey) medium
weight wool (*wool* -- it has to breathe) with either a full zip or at
least a long partial zipper (must be easy to get on over ls jersey),
rear pockets preferred (I'd happily accept chest pockets, but it must
have cycling-compatible -- drop bar cycling -- pockets). Red, blue,
gray, orange, even, even black, but no pastels.

Thanks.

--

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Patrick Moore
Alburquerque, Nuevo Mexico, Etats Unis d'Amerique, Orbis Terrarum

[Sean B.]

Suggestion for A:

https://northstbags.com/collections/bike-panniers/products/gladstone-grocery-pannier?variant=39679194562716

I've been very happy with all of their bag.

[Patrick Moore]

Thanks, Sean; those are more than very nice, they would be perfect, except that I would worry that the hook + bungee attachment system wouldn't allow me to offset the bag sufficiently on the (much modified) Tubus Fly rack. I actually like this simple, old-fashioned system, but but I wonder if it would let me offset the bags sufficiently to clear the heels of my size 10 American Freedom Units shoes. (Note! I do not sneer at American Freedom Units of any sort, just the kneejerk nomenclature. I am conservative, but I believe I'm not stupid. I am also flippant and like to quote BSNYC.)

The bike to carry these does have chainstays at least 45 cm from center of bb to mid-dropout; still, I had to offset the Backrollers pretty severely to avoid heel-clip.

Can anyone comment on the matter above?

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/391fe687-26e4-4244-87ae-8888cadabe32n%40googlegroups.com.

--

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Patrick Moore

Alburquerque, Nuevo Mexico, Etats Unis d'Amerique, Orbis Terrarum

[Mr. Ray]

Instead of the Tubus Fly rack, you can use a Tubus Logo rack which have rails offset and lower which will clear your size 10.  For the bag suggestion above, you can replace the hook and bungee system with the Ortlieb system you are familiar with.  Ortlieb sells their attachment system under "spare parts".

[Patrick Moore]

Ray: 1 out of 2. The Fly (stainless steel model heavily and very expensively modified for this frame by a high-end frame builder) is not a variable, but yes, of course, I can install Ortlieb hardware; in fact, I have a package of Ortlieb mounting kit in one of my bins. Thanks!

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/cba5de15-6d49-44ae-a0eb-390c9e507781n%40googlegroups.com.

[rlti...@gmail.com]

I used the Arkel grocery pannier quite a bit and I really liked it. It meets most of your criteria but has a zip top and not a buckle top. The new version looks to have a draw cord top which would make sliding a paper bag full of groceries in more difficult maybe? Their hardware is adjustable so it would be simple to position it further back on a rack.

https://www.arkel-od.com/shopper-foldable/

Robert Tilley

San Diego, CA

Sent from my iPhone

On Jan 19, 2022, at 2:57 PM, Patrick Moore <bert...@gmail.com> wrote:

I'm curious if anyone has suggestions for the following that meet

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com.

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/CALuTfgsgmekKqkq6KSgzkzDMO76FP17mgAwgyN2R87KW9rU87g%40mail.gmail.com.

[Patrick Moore]

Thanks, Robert. I'd rather not deal with neck cords or zippers. Right now the Backrollers work alright, especially since I removed the internal pockets that would catch bags and items as I shoved them down, and I will investigate the North St. bag.

Funny to admit, but if my criteria were purely practical, I'd go back to the very best ever grocery panniers I've ever used, no exception: a pair of $4 (on sale) 13 gallon plastic trash cans from Target, strapped using dowels for support to the rear rack. huge capacity, no obstruction at all for shoving things, bags or otherwise, in, and plenty of room in back for reflective stickers. Their fatal downside, I have to admit, was that they made me look like a dork. 

Even funnier: I recall how, back 10 years ago or so when I was young and fit and green -- mid 50s -- I was spinning along on that 1973 Motobecane making time in the 67" gear with these trashcans attached, and was unintentionally gaining space on a CF lycra clad -- I will use the word "roadie" because he got annoyed and sped up to pass me; so the derogation is appropriate. He then missed the turn I made, and came back to pass me again. It didn't click with me until I got home -- my reaction at the moment was, "what's this guy doing here again; didn't I just see him?"; if I'd understood, I'd have run him off the road. But I am sure that he got upset because what to his provincial eyes looked like a fredly dork on a beater bike -- and with a long pony tail, no helmet, and in more or less civilian clothes -- was disrespecting him.

Actually sold them with an old beater bike to my NDN who used the setup for some years, though for the last 7 or so bike and trashcans have been slowly disintegrating in the NM sun.

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/0542955A-149E-4CC5-ADB5-4BC21539D12F%40gmail.com.

--

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Patrick Moore

Alburquerque, Nuevo Mexico, Etats Unis d'Amerique, Orbis Terrarum

[Joe Bernard]

You need folding baskets with Wald bags in them. I still have the bags, you can have them for shipping, they're perfect for shopping. 

Joe Bernard

[Patrick Moore]

Thanks very much, Joe, but after having used very many baskets front and rear, including the folding Walds*, throughout my cycling lifetime, I prefer Tubus or custom racks and a pair of nice panniers (or, for occasional use on bikes with no racks, a selection of saddlebags in different designs and sizes with various saddlebag supports and attachment mechs.

*I first installed these on a 5-speed Raleigh Sprite with North Road bar which I flipped for that cafe racer look (and Alvit rd! -- which shifted fine with the stem shifter) back in 1985 or so, when I lived in WDC. My rack was a Pletscher, which was never, ever known for being rigid. I recall riding the 2 blocks home to my apt just above Georgetown on Wisconsin Ave NW at night with both baskets full -- gal milk, 6 pak beer, 5 lb sug, 2 lb rice, and so on -- and being very, very glad that I could take backstreet residential streets, because the rack/load combo would sway aggressively in time to my pedaling, causing the bike to follow lazy left/right swerves across the entire right of way. The fault was the rack, of course, and I used these baskets several times on other bikes, and on better racks. They're fine.

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/99ca8ce5-ea77-4233-9f19-1f8173486c22n%40googlegroups.com.

[Eric Marth]

Forgive me if these don't check all of your boxes, I don't have that much processing power. But check 'em out! 

https://www.jandd.com/detail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=FGBP

[Patrick Moore]

Thanks, Eric; and those come in red, too!

I want something with a flap and something that can be adapted to an Ortlieb or Arkle-type "clamp" mounting system and be offset to the rear by about 3". I've owned at least 2 different grocery panniers of this design, and they work well on smooth unobstructed routes, but I've lost one such similar pannier when riding on a dirt road; either fell off on a bump, or perhaps was scraped off when I went through some path entry barriers. (Fortunately I had nothing particularly valuable in the pannier at the time.)

[Pat Smith]

Love my ortlieb bike shopper. Much better than a back roller for groceries. It used to come in red. I've got one in red

https://www.rei.com/product/885305/ortlieb-bike-shopper-pannier-single

Pat in DC

[Rusty Click]

I've seen that Ortlieb shopper in my LBS.  Nice bag, but I make do with a single rear pannier as a shopper.

Rusty Click

Pgh, PA

[Patrick Moore]

Thank you, Pat; this is the one. REI is out and I don't see it on other sites, but I'll keep looking.

--

You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com.

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/c77dfc7b-1bc3-4cd5-8be4-5fec2ed433a6n%40googlegroups.com.

[JAS]

Patrick,

Here's an Ortlieb shopper I spotted this morning on the Seattle Craigslist:

https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/bop/d/bellevue-ortlieb-waterproof-bike-basket/7436299979.html

--Joyce

[lucky...@gmail.com]

Here’s another in Fairfield (no affiliation) 

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/bop/d/fairfield-ortlieb-waterproof-pannier/7430036273.html

On Jan 22, 2022, at 12:09, JAS <swanso...@gmail.com> wrote:

Patrick,

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/94df2a6f-7b01-4eef-8569-f2eafbca283dn%40googlegroups.com.

[Patrick Moore]

Joyce and Turnip: Thank you. Joyce, I see that the Seattle CL offer is red, at least, as far as I can judge from my monitor and with my color-vision-deprived eyes. If I were closer I might well grasp. Too bad I', 1,500 miles away.

In fact. I'm not in the market just now, but I may well be in the market in a few months, and this Ortlieb shopping-specific design is the best I've looked at; and apparently it comes in red, which I favor for the Rivendel-esque* Sage Green frame it would be used on. 

*The bike is the Matthews 2:1, but it's a Riv clone+ which also copies pretty closely with its powdercoat the wonderful Sage Green (with lovely Cream Accents) Joe Bell paint of the 2003 exemplar. The Sage Green color is (I think) very well set off by red accents in bar tape and panniers.

+ Copied angles and lengths, and the powdercoat is very similar tho' without the cream accents; but saved from plagiarism and (one hopes) obloquy because standard gauge / thinnish-wall 531, and narrow 118 mm OL to accommodate both 114  and 120 OL hubs -- SA hub gear and fixed gear drive wheels -- plus various odd housing stops for the SA shifter bits, and oddball internal dyno-wire routing, weird custom rack attachments, etc etc.

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/94df2a6f-7b01-4eef-8569-f2eafbca283dn%40googlegroups.com.

[JohnS]

About #2, found this nice Merino wool outer layer with rear pockets at Search & State (by way of Radavist). Not cheap at $215, but what wool garment is???

https://searchandstate.com/products/long-sleeve-merino-ranger/#

Good luck,

JohnS

[Patrick Moore]

Thanks, John. As a matter of fact, having just read that Kucharik is selling off stock and will close down after it's all gone, I ordered one of their LS wool full zip jerseys, $136 including shipping and $6 tip for staff. It's green, the only color, while I'd prefer dark red or blue, but for that price I'm not complaining.

Y'all might want to head over to the site.