Living in the Seattle area I'm forced to deal with a lot of wetness. Not only do I carry clothing, food, books, etc..., but I also frequently carry electronics. Because of this I have to have panniers that are completely waterproof. Water resistant just isn't good enough.
I chose the Ortlieb Backroller Classic Panniers. These suckers are completely waterproof. They also come in my favorite color, orange (although they may have discontinued this color). Behold:
The Pros:
1. Waterproof -- I can throw my laptop in the bags and ride through a hurricane and feel confident my electronics are safe. I've yet to see a single drop of water inside the bag after riding through the rain/mud/puddles.
2. Spacious -- They roughly hold the equivalent of your average backpack. The rolling action you do to close them allows you to easily adjust the volume from large to small. This means if all you have in the bag is your clothes for the day you can easily cinch up the bag so no extra is flapping in the wind as your ride.
3. Easy On/Off -- They come on and off your racks very quickly, yet they hold very securely. I've never had a problem with them jiggling or moving around regardless of a really light load, or really heavy load. I ride 99% on pavement, so I'm not sure how they'd hold up off road, but my guess is you wouldn't have a problem. To remove them simply pull up on the strap handle which releases the clips/hooks that grab onto your rack while pulling the bag slightly forward. Putting them back on is almost as easy as taking them off (almost).
4. Reflectors -- The bags have reflective patches on the front and back side (see white spots in picture). These are actually very bright to approaching vehicles. They are a welcomed addition for those of us who ride at night.
5. Easy Open/Close -- When open, it's much like a paper grocery bag. To close them fold the tops of the bag together and roll it up. There's a strap with a clip to keep the rolled up portion of the bag closed. This works very well. It's easy to open and close and you don't have to worry about any water getting in.
6. Durability -- I've been using these for about 7 months now. They still look almost like new. Prior to purchasing these panniers I spoke with a cyclist on the ferry who had a pair. I was curious as to how he liked them. He told me he had been using them for 5 years and they'd held up very well (his still looked like they were in great condition). He said his wife had a pair and they've never regretted buying them.
The Cons:
1. Compartments -- There really aren't any comparments in these things. There is a small side bag inside the panniers, but basically they're just a bag that can hold a lot of stuff. If you need to organize your shirts, socks, pants, wallet, pump, spare tire, etc... Then you're certainly not going to be able to do it with these panniers. Everything will basically be in one big pile in the bag -- just like filling a grocery bag with produce, cheese, cereal, etc... I have a smaller bag that fits on the top of my rear rack for this purpose. I use these for all of my big stuff. I've never felt the need for special compartments in these panniers.
2. Breathability -- This is not really a complaint that I have. When I was researching these panniers before making a purchase I came across someone complaing that because they were waterproof they didn't breath. I ride to work, I ride home, I go to the grocery store, and sometimes I go on short outtings with my wife that may turn into overnight stays. I haven't traveled across the country and had to worry about drying clothes along the way. I've always been able to change into something dry upon arriving at my destination. If you need breathable panniers that will dry out your clothes/etc... during a ride, these aren't going to work for you. Everything will stay wet. Personally I've never had to deal with this type of problem, so I don't know how valid it really is.
If you own a set of these panniers and have anything to add to this post, please leave a comment.
