The 6-Miler » Bags

Bag review: Breezer Year-Rounder Pannier

todd — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 21:26:10 +0000

I use a single bag on my Breezer Uptown 8. It’s the Year-Rounder Pannier; Breezer owner Joe Breeze said the bag is made for Breezer by Inertia Designs of Santa Barbara, Calif.

I have been using this bag on my daily commute for a little more than a year. (What’s a pannier?)

PRICE: $85 plus shipping from Breezer, also available here.

DESCRIPTION: Made of Dupont Cordura fabric, the Year-Rounder sports the Breezer logo on the flap.

The bag features a strap-handle on top for carrying off the bike; a roomy roll-top, waterproof liner; a zippered compartment in the flap; and a pouch on the outside.

Capacity is 1390 cubic inches. There is a reflective strap on the side. There are two plastic eyelets for attaching a shoulder strap.

MOUNTING SYSTEM: The bag attaches to the bike’s rear rack this way: Two rubber-covered metal hooks fit over the top of the rack, and an S-clip on the end of a strap fits onto the bottom of the rack.

A cam-lock pulls the strap tight and cinches the S-clip into place, thereby holding the bag against the side of the rack.

The system looks like it would work on any rear rack.

PROS: There is a lot to like here.

I have ridden with the bag in heavy rain, sleet and snow (I don’t think I’ve done hail yet!), and it has proved to be waterproof.
The zippered compartment in the flap is plenty big enough for a tool kit, and the exterior pocket is a great place to carry a bike lock.
It’s easy to get the bag on and off the bike. All it takes is loosening or tightening the cam lock.
The mounting system allows for mounting the bag at the back of the rack, so your heels won’t hit the bag while you pedal. (I wear size 9 1/2 shoes, and there is plenty of clearance.)
The bag looks nice on the bike. Its color scheme and logo integrate well with the Uptown 8’s classy look.
You can fit A LOT in there. On a recent ride I carried two bottles of wine, a stuff sack with hats and shoe covers in it, a portfolio, and a binder for business-size checks. Here’s a picture of the load. I frequently carry a lunch, all my raingear and a lock, and there is plenty of room to spare.
Durability. So far I don’t think I’ve made a mark on it.

CONS: If there has to be one, I’ll say price. It’s more pricey than some, less pricey than others.

Maybe you are paying a little extra for the logo on the flap.

But the price is not far if at all out of line with the market for a good pannier, and there is no question you are getting what you pay for.

VERDICT: Very, very highly recommended for daily commuting.

OTHERS’ REVIEWS: I haven’t found any. If you know of one, let me know and I will link to it.

POSTCRIPT – RIDING WITH ONE PANNIER: I have found that I need only one pannier for my daily needs — the Year Rounder’s capacity is actually more than I need.

I have loaded this pannier heavily and have barely noticed the unbalanced load.

Please note that I am not charging up and down mountains, and I am not cornering fast — I’m riding more like an English country gentleman.

You might hear something else from someone else, but for me, a load on only one side is not a problem.

Ortlieb Office bag on sale

todd — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 20:02:30 +0000

Just passing this along.

Ortlieb makes nice bags, and their office bag is on sale for $89 at REI.com.

Hat tip to Joe McManus of the iBob list, who recommends this as “the finest bag for commuting with a laptop I have ever used.”

Check out his very nicely done review. Lots of great pictures.

What I carry in my bike bag every day

todd — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 19:26:21 +0000

Raingear, because the weather in Central Kentucky changes often. Bringing raingear paid off last night, in fact — it was dry when I left for work, and pouring when I started home. The lineup includes a rain jacket and rain paints (both of which roll tightly into their own stuff sacks), and shoe covers. (There’s nothing worse than wet feet. Well, maybe a few things.) I will review this gear, and the bag itself (actually, it’s a pannier), in future posts.
In uncertain weather, gloves, a headband ear cover, and a balaclava. Whichever of these I’m not wearing goes in the bag.
A patch kit (every bike shop sells them) a spare tube and tire levers (ditto). I have one kit that I transfer between bikes, and sometimes I forget. I need to get another tube and patch kit, so I can keep one with each bike.
My lunch — usually leftovers in a square Rubbermaid container, a piece of fruit and a cheese stick or two, always in a plastic grocery bag.
Every so often, a tool, if there’s a tweak here or there that I’m not sure I’ve gotten quite right and might want to fine-tune on the road — like, say, the angle of the headlight.

There’s a lot of stuff I’ve found I DON’T need to carry. I leave my lock at work, locked to the rack where I put my bike. I ride to work in my work clothes, so I don’t need to pack an outfit. And since the shoe covers keep my shoes dry, I don’t need to haul an extra pair of shoes and socks. (I used to do this, believe it or not).

I could have used a multitool a couple of times, like the time I popped a link on my chain.

As it turned out, I found a piece of wire on the side of the road that worked OK as a temporary chain link, and I was able to pedal — very slowly — home.

Maybe someday I will pick up a multitool, but I have not yet found it to be a pressing need. I also used to carry a flashlight, this would also not be a bad idea. Still, I have needed a flashlight only once, that I can remember, in 6+ years of daily commuting.

Bottom line: It’s unnecessary to haul a bunch of stuff when commuting by bike. But it makes life a lot more pleasant when you bring the right stuff.