Deuter Rack Pack Grocery Bag - 2012 Closeout

Comments about Deuter Rack Pack Grocery Bag - 2012 Closeout:

I've been looking for functional bags for my workhorse bike. I have looked at every "grocery pannier" on the market that I could identify. I decided on a pair of these, thinking that Deuter, being a German company, might equate with good design.

When they arrived I was horrified by the weight of them. I thought maybe I'd somehow replace the heavy plastic boards, which give these bags their shape, with lighter corrugated plastic, but decided: that might take too much time, add expense, and not necessarily work any better.

Before I returned them I thought I might as well give them a go. I'm SO glad I did.

I can definitely feel the weight of them when I ride. But I factor that in when I load them up, and I still have not even come close to the weight limit of my rack.

When I ordered them, I was ambivalent about the colors and visual design. Good news: They look better on the bike than I'd imagined. [They remind me of a sweater that looks uninteresting on the hanger but great on.] In addition, the logo panel does not seem as obtrusive and enormous as it had seemed to me in the photograph.

The details:

• Great capacity. Easy to see what's in them.

• Great for groceries but also for fair-weather commuting. I just toss in my laptop, in a padded sleeve, of course.

• Quick on; quick off. The coated metal hooks are simple but effective.
[Vinyl-covered steel trumps breakable plastic any day.]

• The lower hook, which "grocery panniers" don't always have, means that they stay put (once properly and tightly adjusted) even on bumpy roads.

• They fold up easily and compactly. Once folded-up, they stay that way with velcro straps. And, I can still slip in a u-lock and a cable-lock.

• They do not have a loop for a reflector/light/blinker, but I simply clip one on the shoulder strap d-ring or over the edge.

• They do not have any inside pockets. I use a colorful (easy to find), nylon mesh, zipper bag for my wallet, keys, cell phone, and any small parts that I might want to throw in. I may sew a slip-pocket, or a d-ring (to attach a key leash) into each bag, so that it's even easier to retrieve smaller items.

• The handles work well; they are a good length for carrying the bags by hand or over my shoulder.

• The shoulder strap attaches/detaches easily, is adjustable, and has an effective rubber pad to keep the bag from sliding off my shoulder, which is especially useful when carrying them from the bike to the kitchen.

• The drawstring collar allows carrying much more than the volume of the structured part of the bag. A bunch of baguettes? Need to carry something/anything I had not anticipated? No problem.

• I have not experienced any heel strike.

• I sometimes lock them to my rack and to the rails of my saddle with a simple retractable cable lock. So far, so good. They have not been 'borrowed' yet.

• The fabric and construction seem substantial and likely to last. [No idea, yet, how they will fare in rain... obviously not as well as a roll-top pannier... ]

Bottom line: They are highly additive to the functionality of my bike, which is my preferred mode of daily/local transportation. I may even use them for light touring. It's always great to get something, especially an item that works so well, at such a good price.

All-in-all a SURPRISINGLY happy purchase.

. . . /

Comments about Deuter Rack Pack Grocery Bag - 2012 Closeout:

You know how reviewers sometimes write: "I really wanted to like this" ?
Well, I did.

But, this weighs a ton.

The internal stiffening panels are (I think) very heavy plastic; they feel like the weight of Masonite.

And, I'm not a "weight weenie" or overtly obsessed with how much stuff on my bike weighs, but this is too much.

The spec is correct:
Each one is 3+ lbs.
7 lbs for the pair.
So, if I'm carrying 30 lbs of groceries, then I'm nearly at the upper weight limit, whic is often 40 lbs for many bike racks.
[Some Tubus racks go up to 80 lbs.]

I even considered removing the boards and replacing them with corrugated plastic sheeting. But, surely someone (anybody?) already makes a grocery pannier that way.

This bag seems like it would last forever. So, there's that.

Relatively well-made.

German design. Not made in Germany, however.

If you ride a 30 to 40 pound town bike, then, what's another 3+ or 7 lbs?
Well, it's precisely too much for me.

Would recommend with the caveat of the weight.

Comments about Deuter Rack Pack Grocery Bag - 2012 Closeout:

Until now, I had no idea of the benefits of the drawstring closure: with it I can overfill the pannier without sacrificing items to the road gods. Great design + function (very easy on/off).