i went on a little pre-bike tour shopping spree and got these babies. i wanted to find panniers that were both life style and mini tour friendly and found that these were sufficient enough for a two day ride. i've been considering items to take along my tour and i'm wondering if any of you have any ideas on what is necessary for a two night journey? what can/should i go with and without?
i still have yet to plan my route. i've been doing a little research and i'm not getting much help on specific routes to go about on bike, but i have been looking at places like Angel Island, Samuel P. Taylor State Park, and China Camp State Park. anyone bike tour/camp to any of these parks before?
Those are really cute! I have a soft spot for polka dots. I hope they work out wonderfully.
Have you read this months Momentum Mag? Pg 52 - How to make your bike tour a success..... I can have Jeff bring it to band practice on Friday if you don't have it.....
Angel Island is gorgeous but SMALL. You can bike around the whole thing in an hour. I have not camped there but I hear that it can be very windy and cold.
Samuel P. Taylor - because of the trees and canopy it is much more sheltered. Not very windy. I've camped there two or three times and liked it. I can't think of what the road looks like there (shoulder?) but maybe you can bike up to Tomales Bay for some oysters?
Ooh they're lovely, I'm obsessed with polka at the moment! Not come across that brand before so will have to see if I can get them in the UK.
I've yet to find the perfect pannier especially in terms of carrying off the bike (and just this evening have resorted to screwing pannier hooks onto a wheeled suitcase so I don't have to take the bus tomorrow)!
Those are super cute! I have been looking for new bike stuff lately. I am even looking for a new bike. Right now I have a road/ racing bike, but I need a bike where i sit up right. I hurt my neck recently :( I found your blog through my friend Liz. I love, love your blog! I just moved from SF to the east bay and trying to find the best way to get to work in the morning (i still work in SF) I think that I am going to take the ferry and ride my bike to work from there.
Those are gorgeous! Looking forward to following you on this adventure!
S.
Those panniers look nice, but my question would be how durable and functional they are under touring conditions. They are Axioms, which do make good bags. They don't have the shiny vinyl look of the waterproof Ortlieb panniers, so I don't know if they offer any water resistance, which is a great function for touring.
I've found the problem with panniers is up until recently you can have stylish, or you can have functional, but rarely both together. The Ortliebs are definitely functional but many would consider them fugly in their flourescentness. And shopping panniers aren't strong enough for most touring purposes.
Things are changing, though, and they're starting to make both stylish and functional panniers. The vanguard of the movement is all the custom bag makers. I got a set of North St. "Route 7" panniers and need to test them out on tour:
http://northstbags.com/products/route-seven-pannier/
Anyway, let us know how the bags work and your mini-tour goes!
(Oh! And if you still want me to send you a "Cycle Touring Primer", let me know.)
Those are adores!
I tend to pack REALLY light when I tour. I basically wash with baby wipes and call it a day. Bring a wind breaker! Other than that, the less you bring the better.
I've been thinking about these panniers for my work commute so I'm psyched to find out how the test drive went. One question though, how easy are they to carry around during the day? I lock my bike in a public place so anything I don't want stolen I have to to remove and carry with me. I like how stylish they are though, the polka dots would go with a lot of my outfits.
I'm trying to merge my work style with my ambition to bike commute. here's my work style story:
http://appleadayproject.wordpress.com/2011/03/17/what-does-a-feminist-teacher-dress-like/
what do you think, could I do it?
@appleadayproject, my best advice when carrying a pannier on bike is to take it with you when you get off, it's funny how your pannier will eventually become your choice of bag because you'll be carrying so much on your commute. there are both single and double panniers, there use depending on where you're going and what your doing. i still have yet to use them, but i'll definitely let you know how the test drive goes with them. keep me posted if you need to find the perfect pannier for your bike. i'd love to help you.
yes good call all not going to angel island so so windy but we have fun every time we have gone. the ride is beautiful and such a great workout! every time we have gone it is really cold so packing a light weight blanket and extra wool socks and beanie is a must!
xo,
cb
I ordered the same ones two hours ago (only in the yellow print)! We can compare notes :) I plan to use mine primarily for the work commute...
Jessica C.
The Happy and Healthy Blog
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