Which panniers?

[AnythingButVanilla]

I'm thinking about treating myself to new ones ahead of my trip back home next week and can't decide which ones to go for.

Do I buy:

A. Ortlieb Back Roller

B. Ortlieb Back Roller Plus

C. Altura Orkney 56

The nice man in the shop said that there's not much between them although the Ortlieb's are definitely better, if a bit smaller in capacity and should be more than a match for the Glasgow sideways rain Does anyone here have any of the above panniers and able to help me out here?

 

[stumpy66]

I have the back roller classic and used thme the las t three years without any probs, i also have carradice panniers, while thye dont seem as well made as the ortilieb thye have also been great. I have no experience of the altura ones, if it was me i would choose the ortilieb

 

[slowmotion]

I've used Ortlieb Back Roller Classics for the last three and a half years. They are very tough, totally waterproof, and the mounting system makes it the work of a second or two to fix and remove. What else could one want?

 

[Baggy]

Another Ortlieb fan here, have been using Back Roller Classics for about 7 years now and they're still totally waterproof and looking smart.

Someone on a forum said they found a solo Ortlieb Roller floating in a canal, so they liberated it - it was bone dry inside

 

[HLaB]

OT, a young colleague was looking to buy a full suspension bike for commuting until I persuaded him to get something different and is full of the anti cycling misunderstandings. A few days later he came in with a cable lock To my surprise today, he got Ortlieb panniers delivered (he can't go wrong) there (back roller classics btw).

 

[Pottsy]

You can't go wrong with any of those, or even my Carradice. If I had the money again I'd probably go for Ortlieb as I use their stuff sailing, camping and other activities and it's very functional (read waterproof). The only criticism in some cases of a super water-proof pouch is lack of separating compartments.

 

[Jmenorton]

I have Allturra Arran 46 seem good so far, honestly cant see how the ortilebs can be worth £50+ more, i appreciate their tried and tested, and no doubt a great bit of kit. Also is there any issues with putting damp clothes into a fully waterproof bag?

 

[Sara_H]

I have some Ortlieb Back Roller Classics - They've performed outstandingly in torrential rain - I can't fault them.

 

[subaqua]

I have altura urban, which are a smaller version of the orkney. they are great

 

[Profpointy]

I have ortliebs, used daily; in my case not the roller (ie roll top closure )ones but coventional lid. - absolutley superb kit which I can't fault, and by shopping around they weren't quite as expensive as they might have been. Not had the altura nes, but from a distance look very much like ortlieb copies. I'd be inclined to still pay more for the ortliebs as the "genuine article" but if altura are genuinely £50 cheaper ( i guess model dependant and not the case for mine) I would certainly give the alturas a close look before decing. As others have said, carradice are also very well regarded, but no personal experience. The full waterproofing of the ortliebs, and very easy fixing off and on sold it to me.

 

[ricksavery]

Another Back roller classic fan. Never a problem with water, even in heavy rain. Having said that, if I had to buy them again I might be tempted by the non-roll closure if I was using them to carry a bigger load as it looks like the top could reach over and close easier. Not a complaint about the roll top ones at all - they are superb and very tough.

 

[knitgirl]

I have a pair of Alturra Dryline and they're great

 

[taximan]

I use a cheap set from Lidl ! I had a very wet ride awhile back and my gear was bone dry at the end of the day. My mate on the other hand found his bags to be half full of water. I think the Lidl bags will be ok for another two or three tours but I am not sure beyond that.

 

[AnythingButVanilla]

Thanks everyone for all your help. I had a proper look at the Ortliebs in the shop yesterday and have a yellow pair on order because Evans don't stock the red ones.

 

[summerdays]

I first had a pair of Dawes ones - they were fine but not waterproof and soon wore through to a hole in a couple of places so had to be patched up with gaffa tape. Since then I bought a pair of Ortieb Classic Roller probably 5 years ago - used most days, still waterproof, and able to carry lots.

Decided to buy Aldi's version just for when I wanted a smaller bag, and for my children. The clip has already snapped off one of the panniers in under a month.

Next time I'm going to buy some of the front ones to get some smaller panniers instead of trying to get some on the cheap.