REI Co-op  Junction Pannier - Single

I was wanting this bag for my bike, and it's amazing on it, but I fell in love with the bag so much that I'm carrying it over my shoulder everywhere I go. I didn't realize how versatile this bag could be. Dog park, bike trailbeach, yoga class, beach...so while it is designed for my bike I've found so many uses for it

This is a solid commuter pannier bag, and I think you will get a lot of bang for you buck with this bag. I'm giving this bag four out of five stars because while I think this is a good bag, there are a few shortcomings that prevent it from being truly outstanding. Before I get into the pros and cons, here are the circumstances of my test: winter fatbike rides around Anchorage, Alaska with air temperatures around 10 degrees F. My typical load in the bag was water, spare layers, and some books because I didn't want to risk freezing my laptop. The attachment system is very simple and secure. I hardly noticed the bag while riding, and I'd say my rides are likely bumpier than the average commute: snowdrifts, bumpy packed snow, etc. Taking the bag on and off the rack was a breeze. The clips are plastic, but they appear durable. I appreciate the reflective trim on the daisy chain, and I like the appearance of the bag too: black, classy, not noisy, good for the office. The balance of storage is good too: two outer pockets, and a small mesh inner pocket with a key clip. Otherwise, the interior of the bag is just one big chamber that you can cram stuff into. I don't like bags with tons of interior pockets, so this design appeals to me. For the most part, this bag is functional and there is plenty of room for clothing, shoes, a computer, etc. The bag is also quite light: I weighed it on my kitchen scale at 1 lb, 15 oz. However, I think interior laptop sleep is undersized and largely useless. The sleeve, and velcro tab, don't fully envelop a 13 inch laptop. If you place nearly any normal laptop inside the sleeve, the velcro attachment can't be secured. Of course, this then begs the question of why have the laptop sleeve in the first place? And this shortcoming is maddening because there is plenty of room for additional fabric for the laptop sleeve. Why does the laptop sleeve come up so short? This isn't a secure design. Another critique is that I think the shoulder strap is somewhat of a hazard: even when secured, this strap does pose a risk of snagging on something, which could be catastrophic. I don't think the "feature" is worth the risk in this case. The bag comes with a DWR water repellent finish, but I'm not sure I'd trust that. You can of course purchase an additional bag cover, but then you may also consider looking at other bags too.

I love the reflective daisy chain. It’s a great space to sore the u lock. I could also attach a light to the side back of the bag as well. I usually use a 15 L rolltop waterproof back pack. The Junction bag is 24 L and all of my gear fits comfortably inside. The hardware that attaches to the rack is very easy to adjust for a good fit on your bike rack.

What a pleasant surprise. I recently purchased a Specialized E-bike that has a rack above the rear tire. This paniar fits perfectly on either side. The attachment hooks operate individually or together to make it effortless to attach to the rack. The hide. Lower hook slides right into the rack from above the hub almost automatically after hooking above. There is a two-sided bottle holder, a small zipped storage and the main compartment that includes a laptop/ipad holder. A carry handle sit on the top and a shoulder strap is included that is secured by Velcro in front to keep it out of the way when not in use. I will use this for my day long outings, picnics annd other fun and would definitely use if I were a commuter.

This REI pannier is a classic, simple design, typical of REI fashion. Its simple, purposeful and without extranious features. Upon receiving it, I was happy to notice some thoughtful design features that make this bike pannier a, "Nice bag for the simple mission". Different than some of my other reviews, this time I decided to share this item with my cycling community to get their initial impressions. While listening to their comments, I found their perspectives to reflect my sentiments as well in regards to the usefulness of this bag. Their feedback was divided along the two lines, "What they Liked" and what were "Questionable Features". So…Lets start with the "Likes!" The bag is simple, not complicated; it is large enough to carry most commuting items like a Laptop, a simple clothing item and a few random items, phones, electronic hardware. The bag is not heavy, and one packed, won't change ones riding characteristics if reasonably loaded. In order to attach the bag to the bike rack, it comes with two, adjustable, spring-loaded clips, making the process quick and easy. For supporting the lower portion of the bag along the rack, a plastic, retractable "T" mount is added. It is adjustable and also makes mounting equally as easy. This pannier is made from Nylon. It should be suitable for most environmental conditions. If conditions become too harsh with water, an additional dry bag might be required to keep carried items free from moisture. The bag also features a shoulder strap used to carrying the bag while being off the bike. This makes transporting it convenient and easy. Also located along the side of the bag are reflective strips that enhance visability of the cyclist the on the road during low light conditions. Now on to the more the "Questionable Features." One of the nice features of the bag are the spring-loaded clips that are used to attach the upper portion to the bike rack. While this makes for quick loading, the usage of plastic is a material choice should be reconsidred. Plastic is a material whose durability is deeply affected by temperature and vibration. Considering this, lighter loads should be carried in the winter to avoid breaking the plastic clips on the bag, rendering it inoperable. It is not clear whether they are replaceable from REI, so breaking them could complicate the bag's longevity. The pannier also features a shoulder strap and it is NOT adjustable. This fact will limit its use, pending a person's size or loading of the bag. Taller cyclist might struggle to carry this bag if you want to "cross body" tote it. Since the bag did not come with any bungee straps or mounting provisions to better secure it, items tended to bounce around inside the while riding. Softening provisions, such as clothing or fabrics, help to stabilize items inside the bag during bouncier trips. Bungie straps also worked well for this purpose. Even though the bag includes reflective strips, it would also be nice if it included a few contrasting or lighter colors to improve visibility of the cyclist on the road in low light, but not at night conditions. Overall, the bag is very nice and simple. Like a large portion of the REI's collection, it's a simple way to meet one's needs for the great outdoors. The bag is easy to mount to the rack without being overly complicated or sophisticated. The design complements the majority of the needs for the majority of average cyclist. If cyclist that sounds like you,this is your bag.

This lightweight but sturdy bag is a handy accessory for the bike commuter or recreational day cyclists. The Junction Pannier is designed to fit most bike racks. Its quick-release hook hardware system is adjustable to fit most rear racks which makes attaching and removing the bag easy. There's a removable shoulder strap so you can carry the pannier when you are off the bike. The main compartment can hold a fair amount - whether commuter based needs or perhaps lunch, drinks, snacks and a jacket for day touring. There is both a dedicated laptop sleeve and a zippered mesh pocket inside. The zippered pocket on the outside top of the pack could hold a small tool kit, a first aid kit, or other items for quick access. The exterior side pocket fits a water bottle. Reflective webbing on the outside of the pack provides visibility and it holds my U-lock quite nicely. I was very impressed with this pannier.

They are using the same clips as the old model which break pretty easily. This was the primary complaint on the previous model and one would have hoped they would have read the reviews before putting out a new product. If you plan to tour with these be sure to buy replacement clips ahead of time or bring extra bungee cords to strap the panniers to the rack after the clips break

This bag is a great alternative to the classic Ortleib pannier. If you want a lightweight and ergonomic bag for a fairweather commute, this is a great option. Unlike my trusty Ortleib, this has well designed pockets which is well optimized for day to day use. It has a laptop sleeve which fits my 15" MacBook Air (it has a bit of room to spare, but it's snug enough to feel secure). It has pockets that give me easy access to things like phone and keys while also keeping things like tools out of the way. I no longer need to go digging for things deep in the bowels of a bottomless bag. This also helps keeps my clean clothes clean (imagine that!). The location of the pockets seem really well thought out from an ergonomics point of view. The light fabric inside also makes it easier to find things compared to the black interior of the Ortleib. The more compact size and shape also make this bag way more friendly to carry around if I take the bag off the bike. Where it falls short of the Ortleib are for the unexpected things. It not as waterproof. It's not massive, so I it makes it's more limiting if I need to do a trip to the grocery store (or hardware store) on the way home. It's still big enough for most things - I can fit my 5 year old's backpack in when doing kiddo pickup. It can also fit her helmet. The other key difference I noticed is the way it attaches to the rack. The adjustment is super easy (and by default it fits either side of a Topeak Explorer) which is nice. The main thing that took some getting used to is how I pull up on the strap to release, where I had to adapt from decades of muscle memory. Unlike the Ortleib where I just pull up and away, with this bag I need to pull while pushing against the bag to ensure both clips disengage. After a few uses I was able to get used to it. Overall, great bag that's seems tailor made for commuting, but not as flexible as the ubiquitous Ortleib. If you value everyday ergonomics over flexibility, this is the bag for you.