Ortlieb  Bike Packer Plus Panniers - Pair

These are the best panniers ever!! I had a great experience with these. I happened to buy these a day before I took a 300 mile last minute bike tour because it's all the bike store had at the time. These bags lasted through rain, cold, dirt, and even a little snow/sleet. One of the days, I rode for 10 hours, it poured rain for about 9 of those hours. When I reached my destination, everything inside the panniers was dry, it was a great feeling. Definitely spend the money to buy these if you need a LOT of room and durable, waterproof bags. Thank you Ortlieb, I will keep buying your stuff...

I have used these rear bags for about 7500 miles of touring now,thru all kinds of weather,on all kind of road and trails, and can state that these bags are just a solid choice.I could not be more pleased with them! I bought my front panniers with the same material but were top roller closure,and I wish that I had gotten the same top hood style,because with heavy rain or lots of dust from trail riding I seem to get water that pools on top,or some debris and dirt inside,if I am not careful when opening them. With this stwle of hood,nothing gets inside,--that being said,these are great bags!

I tried two versions of these bags (2008 and 2009 models) for touring and commuting. I had to return both pairs. A plastic clip broke on one pair (on its very first trip!), and part of the mounting rail fell off the second pair after a few weeks of commuting use. On the current (2009) model, the cover/strap design makes it hard to cinch the top down when you have small loads. On the plus side, they are very roomy and have a super convenient mounting system. I liked the fabric but didn't get a chance to test the bags in rain. The interior and exterior pockets were useful. And other people seem to have much better luck with Ortlieb products than I did. Bottom line, though: panniers this expensive should hold up better.

I bought these days before i left on a 600 plus mile excursion from Pittsburgh to Richmond Virgina. I heard nothing but good things about ortlieb and plan on plenty more long distance trips in the future so i figured why not get the best. Overall i was very satisfied. Easy to attatch definately waterproof and after 600 miles only thing that's different from new is the dirt. That being said i think the might be over kill in terms of size. My friend has the classics that roll down to close and even though they techniqually have less cubic space the bike packers sit above my rack meaning my sleeping bag and pad compete for space when sitting on top of those two humps. The classics sit level with the top of the rack making a nice platform for things outside of the panniers. so I'd say to save the extra 50 bucks and just go for the classics even though mine look better :) EVERYONE SHOULD BIKE TOUR EVERYONE oh and buy a net i attached sleeping bag with a rope it was a pain

Ortlieb sets the standard for bike touring gear. Construction is superb and it is totally waterproof. While this bag is designed (and likely ideal) for touring, I use it for commuting. It carries a ton of stuff with space left over (I just use a single bag). It easily swallows my 15" laptop in a sleeve, change of clothes and lunch. All in all, it weighs about 20 lbs when full and it is solid.I love that this bag has one main compartment and that you can over stuff it. Very user friendly, versatile and accommodating. The rack attachment system highly adjustable (very well thought out), so it should attach to any rack just fine. Once or twice the lower arm that holds the bottom of the back to the rack had enough give that the back would swing loose on inside turns... but the top was attached to my rack securely and it was at least partial user error for not getting the bottom attachment rack snugged up to the rack. Still, the bottom plastic arm could be a little thicker/stronger to avoid this. But all in all, very minor. My biggest complaint is that this bag doesn't have more and better external pockets. It does have one front pocket which is okay, but not great. First the pocket width tapers, which is annoying. Second, the pocket doesn't have a zipper, but instead closes with tension from side straps when the bag is full. And when the bag is full, the pocket closes securely; when the bag is mostly empty, this pocket doesn't stay closed very well... if they don't want a zipper on this pocket, at least add a couple of snaps or a magnet or something to keep this thing closed. Speaking of pockets, I wish this had more! Ideally they'd have them externally, but internally under the "hood" over the top would be cool too. There is no easy place to stash your wallet, phone, keys and other commuter essentials. I have the one front pocket full with my basic bike tools -- and due to the lack of a zipper, I just don't trust it to hold my wallet, keys or phone. There is a small mesh zipper pocket inside the bag with a thin paper/map holder, but these pockets/sleeves aren't that accessible when the bag is full and closed. And yes, Ortlieb sells an extra pocket I could attach to this (and I still may), but I don't trust myself to attach it correctly while keeping this bag waterproof. Plus, I'd like some small internal hooks to attach my laptop sleeve, but that is nit picky. In fairness to Ortlieb, this back was not designed for commuting; it was designed for touring. I am guessing for tours, the quick/easy access pockets aren't as necessary as they are for commuting. And Ortlieb does make a commuter specific bag with lots of cool commuter friendly amenities, but that bag is just too small to accommodate a change of clothes plus lunch plus a computer (at least for me). I'd definitely recommend this bag; especially for touring. Plus, now that I have this bag (set), it is one less excuse for putting off that bike tour I have always wanted to do!

These bags are great and they swallow a lot of gear. If you need pockets for organizing then these probably aren't the panniers for you.

These panniers are very adjustable. I like the external pockets. I am very impressed with the construction and craftsmanship of these panniers. They seen to hold a lot of hear and they are water proof. I highly recommend.