REI Co-op  Junction Pannier - Single

Purchased 2 of the panniers for our 275 mile bike trip (Paul Bunyan State Trail), completed 25 September 2020. Purchased these after extensive research narrowed it to the REI and the Ortleib options. We ultimately chose the REI Co-Op brand due to larger capacity per unit (22L), design with side and front pockets that are accessible, a separate rain cover (blaze orange) that we also used to protect the panniers even when not raining / increase visibility and to support the REI Co-Op brand. We were not disappointed. We packed our bike clothes (including rain jacket and pants), street clothes, toiletries, and electronics in 2 units for 2 people for 5 days. The panniers fit well on to the Topeak Explorer MTX Tubular Rack with Disc Mounts (see separate review), were easy to put on and take off, and were solidly anchored for trip. They are lightweight, appear to be solidly crafted, and have passed the first test. We look forward to more extended trips with these on my bike. For longer trips, we will likely get a second set for the 2nd bike.

I found the replacement clips for sale allowing me to keep using these panniers. I would highly recommend acquiring a set of these spare clips in advance if you are planning on using these panniers to tour. Google : yuba baguette replacement clips

This is a great pannier and a good value except for the weak clips. Mine broke after two years of light use and I have not been able to find replacement clips.

Used for about a year and was pretty happy overall but hit a bump and BOTH clips snapped clean off. There is barely any plastic holding these on. Definitely needs a better design.

These aren't the most durable panniers- try to stuff anything extra on a bike trip and the stitching at the seams starts to come undone, a little too much weight or an extra jostle will break the clip (hopefully no laptop in the bag when it happens or very likely a car will run it over). Can we save the planet by being bike commuters? Not with equipment like this. Then again paid twice as much for a pair of ortliebs that disintegrated in 6 months. If I could give a 3.5 stars I would.

This is a great bag. It's super easy to use - to remove: pull the handle, clips release, lift. Done. To insert: slide onto rack. Done. It has a great capacity, I can carry my lunch, change of clothes, laptop and notebook to work. This evening I brought home two six packs of my local brew, a 750ml of whiskey and a couple airplane bottles - with room to spare! Even with the heavy load, the bag doesn't rattle on my topeak rack. It's waterproof if you use the included orange cover. I was able to ride 16 miles with paperback, my notebook (with water soluble Iroshizuku inks!) and laptop during an unscheduled rain - stopped, put on my cover, and made it to my destination completely dry (well - I wasn't, but my bag was perfect!). I've even biked to the zoo and carried it around with *my own* strap. It was awful. It's heavy and the strap I found was incredibly uncomfortable. This is my reason for only four stars - on the bike it's the best pannier I've owned (admittedly only two in 11 years...), but it's also capable of shoulder carry using the D-rings, but *without an included shoulder strap* it fails in that regard. Highly recommend! And I recommend shopping for a comfy strap... that's what I'll be doing...

I bought two of these to commute into work with in SoCal. The roads range from decent with minor bumps to potholes the size of Texas. I had to replace one bag three months later because the top clips broke (and of course, REI doesn't sell replacement clips) and the little T-bar thing at the bottom also sheared off. Six months after replacing one bag, the clips on the replacement have broken as well, and the rail system it's mounted on. It's super cheap plastic that does NOT hold up well. Word of advice for anyone looking to get into anything bike related: You don't need the top end stuff, but if you buy something because it's cheap, it'll end up costing more in the long run because you have to replace it frequently.

The hooks are hard plastic, and the opening is huge (1/2" / 13mm). My rack has 10mm tubes, so the bag rattles a lot. Wish it came with rubber reducers for smaller rack tubing sizes like my Ortlieb bags to eliminate the rattles. The lower T hook doesn't have any rubber either, and it doesn't have much flex so that is probably contributing to the rattles. It doesn't seem like replacement plastic hooks are available either. I love the size, and the organization of the bag, it has a small cross sectional area, making it sleek and low profile, but I can't deal with the constant rattling.

In August of 2020, I thru-cycled the entire Erie Canal, about 362 miles long. Before the Canal, I had never bike toured in my life and I found these panniers performed far beyond my expectations. Each comes individually, and while a pair would run as much as most sets of Ortlieb bags, they're definitely better for beginners thanks to the numerous interior pockets and zippers (much like beginner backpacks versus ultralight backpacks). Each pannier comes with a rain cover that holds up quite well from torrential downpours and abrasions. Though a portion on the back of the pannier is exposed with the rain cover on, the hard shell and water repellent fabric did an amazing job of keeping all of my items dry while peddling through water that went above my tires and rims. The panniers themselves are small compared to Ortlieb's but I did love having the interior pockets to keep certain items organized and out of the way. I was self-supported for 8 days, going without resupply, and still hadn't used all the pockets and space on these things. I also ran over curbsides and some nasty potholes and never once had an issue with the attachment system breaking or coming undone. Keep in mind that these are intended for commuters and not touring, so it's safe to say I torture tested them and they held up amazingly! I think the Co-op did an amazing job making their first set of panniers. Though simple, these panniers are effective and can take a beating. They are a little expensive considering the small volume, non-waterproof face fabric, and design specific qualities relating to their intended use, but overall, if you're looking to get into bike touring or a solid commuter bag, they're not a bad place to start.

This is a follow up to my first post after having the panniers for a few months. I have only had one minor issue since I got the panniers, the vinyl logo on the bag started to peel off. I also discovered that padding in the pannier also works well as an insulator, so it acts like a soft sided cooler. I can place a frozen water bottle in it and it will still be half frozen after a 6 hour ride. A bonus I was not expecting. I do wish it came in mirrored pairs so the pocket could be at the back on both sides of the back. I have very large feet so kick the pocket if it is at the front.