I got the grey color which was hard to find elsewhere. It's a good as everyone else says, and I was very pleased with customer service.
Great saddlebags so far - durable, easy to get on and off the rack.
The saddlebags proved themselves today with the first ride in a real rainfall.
Outside of the bag got plenty wet, but surface only - no soaking in, and the contents stayed completely dry.
These panniers were an upgrade from a cheaper REI double sided one that I used for a while. I found my old set wasn't keeping my clothes dry (I primarily use these for commuting) on rainy days and wanted a set I could use not only for commuting but bikepacking down the road. These are everything they say they are and then some. Very simple fool proof system for attaching to all of my bikes (a commuter gravel bike and a fat tire bike). They transfer easily due to the simplicity of the latch system. Also, the latch system is super durable. The material is extremely durable; it's sustained a couple decent wipeouts with minimal damage and is completely waterproof. Not a drop of water gets in. I kayak as well and the design is similar to my kayaking dry bags. The volume of material they hold is a huge upgrade as well. I'm able to fit everything I need for daily commuting in 1 of the bags. Great purchase, simple design and looking forward to years of heavy use out of these.
I waited until the color (petrol and black) was available and actually waited as they were on backorder. I bike every day to work, about 17 miles round trip, so these get me through all weather and keep my items dry and protected as described. I bring a laptop every day in a carrying case as well as smoothies, and clothing (I'm a teacher). The two bags definitely are roomy enough to pack all my needs. Obviously this adds weight to your bike but the panniers are top of the line. I would always recommend these to anyone who commutes to work.
Ortliebs are large, durable, reflective, and waterproof. That's the good.
The less good...
With no outside pockets, you have to open and dig in your big bag to find even the small oft-needed items. The bag is so deep and dark that it's hard to find them. (And the small items go to the bottom.) There are two internal pockets at the bottom but I haven't yet found them useful.
This inconvenience is compounded by the roll up and clip closure method. Like a dry bag, works great for waterproof-ness (as long as you do it right and don't overfill) but with the shoulder strap also needing to be unsecured on the clip at the bottom outside of the bag, just opening and closing takes a while. So, overall, getting & stowing things quickly is not a strength of this no-outside-pockets design! Use some other bag for oft-needed items.
Rubberized waterproof-ness is a double edged sword. Great for keeping water out while it's closed but... What about when you have to open it (open side up) in the rain or when your stuff is already wet from camping in rain? You're just gonna' hold all that moisture inside for good! Indeed, this happened on my first tour with these.
I recommend setting the adjustable rack clips as wide apart as your rack will allow. My friend had hers narrowly set and, with the weight, the black bar with the clips bent and the edges of the bag started drooping outward.
Haven't really gotten the point with the shoulder straps yet... Most of the time, it just seems to be in the way and make it harder to open and close. But, without them to hold the outsides ends of the top-roll down, I'm not sure I can safely lose 'em. I want to carry them by the handles - but they don't seem strong enough for a heavy full bag. Are they just meant to unlatch the rack clips?
Commuting daily in the Pacific Northwest, there are Ortlieb panniers as far as the eye can see, and for good reason. These are simply the best in terms of durability and design. I have used these panniers for my commute, bikepacking trips, grocery runs, and have yet to find a purpose in which they fail. Setting them up does require some thought and patience since not all rear racks are created equal (I had to invert the adjustable rail to fit my Blackburn rack), but once installed, they are a breeze to get on and off. If you are looking for a quality pannier with an amazing warranty (5years), look no further. These are more than a worthy investment.
Biking across America so they get lots of use and some abuse.
I purchased the Ortlieb Pannier for an up coming bike ride across the entire Katy Trail. I am using the pannier bags each and every time that I bike ride because I can carry everything I need like bug spray, sunscreen, extra water and so on with a lot of space left. The pannier bags are easy to attach to my bike rack and easy off too. I have purchased the Ortlieb Rack Pack to go along with the Ortlieb Panniers for my big bike ride later this fall on the Katy Trail!
It is the opinion of so many that Ortlieb brand is trustworthy, reliable and the go to products when it comes to choosing amongst the many options in the market. Save yourself the guest work and without hesitation choose ORTLIEB like I did and so many others.
These bags are ideal for commuting, getting groceries, doing whatever you need to do on your bike. They come with a 5-year warranty and are built to last. Being waterproof is just amazing so I can carry my laptop to work without worry. :)
I am a bike commuter, and I use these panniers every day. The roll-over top is simple and much easier to use than a zipper, and they are super easy to take on and off the rack. They are very roomy, and I like the high-visibility yellow color. They are not cheap, but in this case, you get what you pay for.
The Ortlieb Back-Roller Pannier set is durable and easy to get on and off the bike rack.
This is my first set of panniers, purchased and installed on my road bike for a multi-day ride. They had plenty of room, and a nice interior pocket that was great for stowing a standing mini-pump. Sealed up tight from road-dust, which wiped off easily. Did not encounter any rain, so can't vouch for weather-proofing. Also toted these via handles/straps on a train-ride to ride start, and found them easy to handle as carry-on for stowing when off bike. Initially installed without the snap-inserts to make them snug against the rack, which worked but caused the rack paint to wear off. On third day popped in the right inserts for my rack, and bags were more solidly in place (required a little jiggling to get them to "lock"), so can recommend using those.
I'll often use just one bag but adding the second one is beneficial for balance. These bags are so easy to put on and take off, seal contents completely and carry a lot of stuff! Here in Michigan, I will pick up deposit cans & bottles while cycling secondary roads (10 cents each) and use one bag for such while clothing & tools occupy the other bag. I just turned in 240 cans at the grocery store. Not a bad return for cycling the countryside, while enjoying the scenery and the healthy exercise.
Have used several times now. First use was on a multi-day mountain bike-packing trip. Wet, rough trail with a lot of brush overgrowth. Lots of bike pushing due to poor trail conditions. But, through all the overgrowth hitting these panniers and the very wet, rainy conditions, I never once had a problem with these panniers. They stayed put on my rack until I wanted to remove them, and the contents stayed dry inside. No complaints. Worth the price.
You can feel the quality immediately. Easy to install. Nice little zip pocket inside each bag. Holds a ton of gear. Very impressed!
These are just so well made. I was surprised at the quality. Some may not like the lack of outer pockets but for rainy climates like Seattle where I live these are great.
It's hard to beat these rugged, waterproof bags. The lower latch really gives tremendous flexibility, I've mounted these to four different racksbikes without any problems. Having started with the old straphook system twenty years ago, the mounting system is well worth the price. But I can't say I'm thrilled with the hook inserts - kinda of a pain to install, and I suspect that over the years they'll disappear. As someone else suggested, I did one ride leaving the inserts off and because I strapped a tent on top of the rack anyway, the bags didn't rattle and were still secure. Highly recommended.
After 3 years of daily use the pannier is only suitable for use in dry weather (holes forming at corners and folds). Not a bad run, I bought a new set to use in the rain.
I like the waterproof construction, ease of attaching them to my rack and ample volume.
