Pannier rattle

[Tim Tetrault]

Any tips and a how to on your technique for reducing pannier rattle and noise? I use Ortlieb Backroller Plus-es and a Jandd Expedition rear rack on a Hillborne, FWIW. 

[Michael Hechmer]

I don't understand the question.  What is rattling, the rack, the pannier, or the contents?  I use Ortlieb rollers on the  tandem with a custom rack on the rear  and have used a variety of carradice and arkel bags on Nitto front and rear racks without any rattling while both touring and commuting, so I'm sure this is not normal.  Is the rack tightened down?  Is the bottom pannier attachment stretched tight?

Michael

[Steve Palincsar]

On 12/09/2013 08:57 PM, Michael Hechmer wrote:

I don't understand the question.  What is rattling, the rack, the pannier, or the contents?  I use Ortlieb rollers on the  tandem with a custom rack on the rear  and have used a variety of carradice and arkel bags on Nitto front and rear racks without any rattling while both touring and commuting, so I'm sure this is not normal.  Is the rack tightened down?  Is the bottom pannier attachment stretched tight?

If it's a loose rack, chances are it couldn't go on very long that way before something broke or was visibly damaged.  I think it much more likely that, as you suggest, the bags aren't fastened very well or that something inside the bag might be rattling. 

[dougP]

Tim:

Check that you have the correct top rail adapters on your Ortliebs.  One of my touring buds has lost a couple and his bags rattle like crazy.  Also those lower pieces need to be adjusted to your rack for a slight friction fit (but not too much). 

dougP

[Tim Tetrault]

Sorry guys- let me clarify: It's the pannier that is rattling, the rack rail adapters are correct, it's mostly the bottom "touch points" that are making the noise. The lower piece of the pannier that has the tab that sits inside the rail bend is also secure. It's not loud, dangerous, or affecting the ride. It's not the contents. It's just bloody annoying.

Tim

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
To unsubscribe from this topic, visit https://groups.google.com/d/topic/rbw-owners-bunch/eZYQ0f9ENWQ/unsubscribe.
To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com.
To post to this group, send email to rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com.
Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.

[Jan Heine]

I've used those panniers, too, and they do rattle. Traditional panniers had a spring-loaded system that tensioned the panniers so they didn't fly off. As a byproduct, they were quiet. The new "easy on/easy off" panniers have upper hooks that close around the rack, so they cannot fly off. At the bottom, there is just a "finger" that goes behind the rack tube.

Ortlieb panniers used to have a rubber strap that tensioned the pannier, with a hook at the bottom. If you still have the buckle for that (mine do), then you probably can get these rubber straps and remove the "new and improved" lower hardware. Then you have the ideal situation, with the secure upper hook that closes around the rack and the tensioning hook at the bottom.

Jan Heine
Editor
Bicycle Quarterly
www.bikequarterly.com

Follow our blog at www.janheine.wordpress.com

[Jan Heine]

I've thought about ways to cure this rattle. Ideal would be if your rack tubes were so large in diameter that they _just_ fit inside the hooks. I tried to take up the extra space with rubber from cut-up inner tubes, but that didn't work. Perhaps you can find or make bushings that you could clip over the rack tubes. Something like slicing a plastic tube (for example, the barrel of a ball-point pen), then clipping it onto the rack.

You'd still get a little rattle from the lower attachment, unless that, too, is just the right size for your rack. It would take some trial-and-error, and I just didn't have the patience. I went back to my old Berthoud panniers that have a metal spring to tension the pannier, and the problem was solved. (Current Berthoud panniers use an easy-on/easy-off system that probably isn't any better than Ortlieb's.)

[Patrick Moore]

Position the lower "hook" so that it takes a slight amount of pressure when you attach the top clips; you should have to very slightly push down on the top clips to get them to close on the rack. My Rollers and Packer Sports Pluses, and the earlier Packer Pluses, didn't rattle when they are installed this way.

I do like the idea of the earlier bungee connection to the bottom, though I have never used it. Combining that with the proprietary Ortlieb clips would seem to be the best of both worlds. But you *can* mount Ortliebs with no rattles.

Question: the new Rollers have clips that don' grab the inserts as closely as do the Packer Pluses -- what gives? The inserts on the PP's never fell out; those on the Rollers occasionally do. I suppose I can glue them in, but why don't the Rollers' clips hold them tightly? FWIW, the inserts now used on the Rollers were removed from the Packers.

--
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 post to this group, send email to rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com.
Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.

--

RESUMES THAT GET YOU NOTICED!

Certified Resume Writer
http://resumespecialties.com/index.html

patric...@resumespecialties.com

http://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickmooreresumespec/

Albuquerque, NM

[Kevin Mulcahy]

I wrap the rack with tape at the contact points. Seems to help a little.

Kevin
Chicago, IL

[Paul Germain]

Jan & others,

I never have had a problem with the upper attachments on my Ortlieb front & back rollers, but the lower adjustable "fingers" always seemed to have play - enough to rattle a bit. I added electrical tape to these until they had enough to close the clearance. Rattle eliminated.

Paul Germain

'Midlothian, Va.

 Jan Heine <hei...@earthlink.net> Dec 10 06:35AM -0800