Bike panniers are not a new concept but are definitely worth the intrigue as they evolve from heavy and baggy liabilities to light and essential travel accessories. In this blog, we are discussing some important tips and suggestions regarding handling and packing bike panniers.
For this purpose, we used Ortlieb bike panniers but the suggestions apply to every and any kind of bike pannier:
● Learn the significance of organising and categorising: Panniers are characteristically black holes. You will always find the most important things at the bottom of the bag irrespective of their position or placement. Even the Ortlieb cycle panniers are no exception to this thumb rule. However, you need to be extra cautious about it as it won't help in heavy rains or under a storm. Learn to be organised and begin by sorting all essentials into different categories. The cooking and food will it should in by while clothes should be piled up into a different one. The same goes for bike tools, spare parts, for any kind of related equipment that you need to carry. A little organisation goes a long way as it ensures that you don't need to unpack all the bags to get one small thing. It will save your time mobile repairing tyres as all your repair equipment will be found in one place and not lost in different panniers. It is also useful to colour code the bags so as to remember what lies where. And if that doesn't work for you you can always try printing labels and putting them on the back of each pannier.
● Weight balancing goes a long way: Ask an experienced bike rider and they will tell you that the quality of a journey depends on how well balanced the bike is during the ride. Technically, bikes need to have 40% of the weight on the front side and 60% on the rear end. There are some riders who prefer it the opposite way so there is no correct way to divide the weight. You just have to experiment and find what works best for you. It is more about the comfort level of cyclists than any technicality.
● Always keep the most important things on the top: Think carefully about what you will be needing first whenever you take a break from the right. Placed that thing in the end at the top of the bag. For example, snacks, tool kits, and rain gear should always be kept on top because you never know when you will need any of them. For more critical items like camera, passport, wallet, and maps you should use handlebar bags.
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