New Panniers
Out with the Old
I seldom write about my equipment but this change deserves an announcement. Arkel RT-40 under-seat panniers have been my reliable companion for 30 bike tours since 2006.
It's a vague distant memory now, but the photo below shows how they looked in 2006 after only one week of use.
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The panniers were much more faded during most of their lifetime. Now they are extremely faded and worn after 30,000 miles of bike tours. Faded colors give the bike priceless "veteran cred" but the basic functionality has become poor. They have many holes and a couple of ripped seams. Any water-repellent coating is long gone-the panniers absorb water like sponges. Reflective material faded years ago. Zippers barely work. One latching lever is missing.
I have a sentimental attachment to the faded panniers. 18 years of memories! But they are overdue to be retired.
In with the New
Now the old bike has a new look with a "new old stock" set of Arkel RT-60 panniers which are larger and more rugged, with a hard plastic floor and more zippered compartments. I won't use the detachable tent and mattress pad pouches that weigh 10 ounces. I reduced the weight another 13.6 ounces by removing 2 large side pouches, 8 webbing straps with compression buckles, 4 rear Velcro pouch attachment flaps, 4 shoulder strap attachment points, and 2 neoprene carrying handle pads.
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I consider the 5 pound (2.3 kg) RT-40 panniers to be extremely heavy. The stripped RT-60 panniers weigh 6.5 pounds (3 kg) because of the longer length, hard plastic floor, and 6 zippered pouches that add material. Maybe I will appreciate the larger capacity and hard plastic floor that makes the bags structurally stiffer, and the fact that the panniers are almost new, fully functional. I'm willing to try them on a 7 day tour. They will outlast me if I decide to keep using them.
The new panniers have small but long zippered top outside compartments that give easy access to small items such as a banana, gloves, or sunglasses. During the tour the extra material on top of the bags was mostly a nuisance. I can reach into the main compartment so easily that I have no need for the top compartments. I will probably remove them before my next tour.
I have a 6 foot long roll of 1.5 inch wide fluorescent yellow-green reflective material. I could glue strips to the rear of each pannier to dramatically improve visibility, but I haven't done anything yet.
Narrower is Better
The old setup was annoyingly wide. Much friction when rolling the bike through a 30 inch wide doorway because loaded RT-40 panniers on the 8.6 inch wide TerraCycle underseat rack are slightly wider than the doorway.
The stripped RT-60 pannier setup is 6 inches narrower, making it easier to roll the bike through narrow doorways and other tight spaces. The narrower profile is more aerodynamic and sleek looking.
A Look Inside
Each pannier has a cavernous main compartment functionally equivalent to a small suitcase. My packing style could be described as "bags in a bag". This packing method prevents the side of the panniers from bulging.
The Clothing pannier is packed with 5 vertical layers-toiletry bag, 3 clothing stuff sacks, and Keen walking sandals. Folded loose on top are a wool base layer top and thermal tights that I wear half the time. One stuff sack is rain gear, one stuff sack is swimsuit+cycling clothes, and one stuff sack is off bike clothes. The clothing pannier is mostly full but not stuffed tight. More things can be added if necessary.
The Equipment pannier is packed with 3 horizontal layers. The bottom layer contains tire pump, tool pouch, spare tubes, cable lock, and first aid kit. The middle layer is food supplies which can sometimes be much more than what is pictured. The top layer is a lumbar pack with valuables such as wallet, phone, glasses, sunscreen, documents, journal book, charger and cables, keys, Leatherman Micra multi tool, etc. Standing up on the right are a 24 ounce insulated bottle and a plastic water bottle that is needed to prevent the metal bottle from rattling-I won't need to fill the plastic bottle very often. There is space for still more bottles and much more food if needed.
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Two large water bottles and two rear flashers are attached to the bike. Everything else must go in the panniers because there is no seat pack, handlebar bag, or rear rack for overflow. Space is not a concern because the new panniers have 20% larger volume than the old panniers.
Click here to read the Cyclist and Bike page in my previous tour journal. I won't repeat it here.
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