Ridiculously Large Panniers; Cool and Dry
February 28th, 2012
On Saturday, I finished up my home-made pannier project. It’s a simple roll-top design, made of 430D Nylon pack cloth (a fabric on the lighter side, it turns out), and is absolutely gigantic. For example, I carried three bags of groceries in it. It compromised my steering less than you would think…
- My home-made pannier: it is meant to roll at the top, but it was so full that instead I just clipped it shut and then used a cable to keep it from tipping over.
I made the pannier for my Cetma rack, as there didn’t seem to be good commercial options for it. It attaches by four velcro straps around the fork and rack strut, as well as straps that reach down from the rails on the rack. The idea is that I could still strap items to the rack deck itself while having loaded panniers.
The pannier, unloaded and clipped shut: I put four or five rolls in the top to close it to its rough "design" size.
When I first completed it, I thought it was too big. However, I like being able to move the kitchen sink. I’m going to make a matcher, and then probably remove my rear rack and start looking for a two legged kick stand that fits on the Crosscheck. After the second go-around, I’ll try to put out some how-to for any other home-made gear enthusiasts.
Weather
Temperature: 41
Road condition: Dry
Clothing: Heavy winter coat, timberland shoes. I took off my gloves (light EVO ones) pretty quickly.
Comfort: I was riding pretty fast the whole way, so I ended up getting a bit too warm. Otherwise, lovely!
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