The Sewing Place

The Emporia => Access All Accessories => Topic started by: rowe1311 on September 06, 2018, 21:28:55 PM

Title: Anyone made panniers before?
Post by: rowe1311 on September 06, 2018, 21:28:55 PM
I am hoping to get back on my bike a bit more, and would really like a pannier/bag to use, rather than big waterproof ortlieb bags. 

There are some very lovely panniers on this site.  https://www.cyclechic.co.uk/shop/bags-baskets-panniers/linus-sac-bike-pannier-bag-khaki-navy and https://www.cyclechic.co.uk/shop/bags-baskets-panniers/linus-sac-bike-pannier-bag-khaki-navy. 

I want to have a go at making one and wondered if anyone has had any experience on making panniers and what bits and pieces do I need to buy to go with it?  The cyclechic panniers look like very straight forward bags with extra bits for the panniers.  Any diy pannier tutorial I have found online uses a wood panel to strengthen it, but this wouldn't work so well if you then want to take it off and use it as a bag. 

One of the bags says it is made from waxed canvas and the other from water resistant canvas.  I don't have any waxed canvas but would quite like to use some old army kit bags that look like this, and I am not sure if they can be waterproofed with a nikwax product.   http://www.discountarmy.co.uk/products/hardwear/87~british-army-kit-bag. 

Any ideas as to how to begin, what I might need to buy, or whether you think the old canvas would work? 
Title: Re: Anyone made panniers before?
Post by: Mr Twingo on September 06, 2018, 22:21:08 PM
The panniers on my bike are quite old and the waterproofing has decayed. My cheap solution was to line them with blackout fabric, which works very well.

Title: Re: Anyone made panniers before?
Post by: Marniesews on September 06, 2018, 22:28:24 PM
That's a nice looking bag & fairly straightforward construction for the bag itself. How would you plan to suspend it from the rack? My purchased panniers have a rigid plastic bar across the back of the bag that hangs on clips from the rail. It's screwed through the bag to a similar bar inside the bag. Have you had a look at a variety of bags in the cycle shops?

Some rigid material is used for a backplate in the diy makes that I've seen such as this one (https://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-DIY-Bike-Panniers/) but there must be materials other than wood that would work. Believe it or not, a far from cheap pannier bag that my husband had (and was very stylish) turned out to have a rigid piece of card in a plastic pocket hidden inside the back of the bag inside the fabric lining. He used it for a long time before it gave up the ghost.

I was also thinking about the lightweight plastic boards often used for cheap temporary signage (it has a vertical air cell running top to bottom like a miniature version of the cheap plastic roof option in some conservatories). On its own it's far too weak and would simply bend along the line of the air cell but if you cut two pieces to run at right angles to each other, that would be far more resistant to damage and very light. You could always design in a zip so that it could be replaceable after wear and tear.
Title: Re: Anyone made panniers before?
Post by: DementedFairy on September 06, 2018, 23:01:23 PM
I thought you meant these
(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/c7/e3/5e/c7e35eed18eb66e4e8a48047386e9b6f.jpg)
how disappointing!
Title: Re: Anyone made panniers before?
Post by: BrendaP on September 07, 2018, 00:22:56 AM
@DementedFairy that's much more interesting, and she is balanced with one each side!. 
Title: Re: Anyone made panniers before?
Post by: Missie on September 07, 2018, 07:56:15 AM
I thought you meant these
(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/c7/e3/5e/c7e35eed18eb66e4e8a48047386e9b6f.jpg)
how disappointing!

So did I and then discovered it was bike panniers....ugh!  0_0
Title: Re: Anyone made panniers before?
Post by: Bodgeitandscarper on September 07, 2018, 09:45:43 AM
You can buy spares from Ortleib, so could get the clip bar and bits from them?  I have a feeling maybe you can from Altura as well, may be cheaper?  If you get very heavy canvas, like the army bags, will you be able to waterproof the seams easily?
Title: Re: Anyone made panniers before?
Post by: rowe1311 on September 07, 2018, 14:06:23 PM
I had a quick look on ortlieb and saw their spares, but couldn't find a price, and they might be a little bulky. 

Looking at the cycle chic panniers, I am trying to work out what they are using for the strength.  Are the clips just attached to a strip of fabric?  I like the idea of the plastic boards but don't have any to hand.  I wonder if a bit bit of boning would work which then gets slotted into a fabric strip?   https://www.cyclechic.co.uk/sites/default/files/imagecache/mouseover_zoom/images/products/52-6997.jpg.  I also don't know where to buy the clips from.  I have had a look at pennineoutdoor but they don't seem to sell any of this.   

As for waterproofness.  I was thinking of washing it in some reproofing stuff that I use for jackets.  It doesn't have to be that waterproof as I would use the ortlieb panniers if I had to cycle when it was chucking it down. 
Title: Re: Anyone made panniers before?
Post by: Bodgeitandscarper on September 07, 2018, 15:26:54 PM
Carradice also sell parts here. (https://www.carradice.co.uk/products/accessories)
Title: Re: Anyone made panniers before?
Post by: Bodgeitandscarper on September 07, 2018, 15:33:06 PM
Evans Cycles have some Ortlieb parts here. (https://www.evanscycles.com/ortlieb_b?page=3)
Title: Re: Anyone made panniers before?
Post by: WendyW on September 07, 2018, 18:39:22 PM
I've not done that style, and don't have a clue about hardware. I did make a pair for my hubby's motorcycle, modeled after a set of canvas horse saddlebags that he wore out. For a fabric, check a hardware or camping supply store for waterproof canvas tarps. Very good prices, and a camping store will also have stuff to waterproof the seams, as tents often need that done.
Title: Re: Anyone made panniers before?
Post by: rowe1311 on September 08, 2018, 09:04:55 AM
I have had a look at the links you sent, thank you.  It is all a bit baffling with different systems for different brands, but I think this would work https://www.carradice.co.uk/products/accessories/pannier-quick-clip-system.  I am not sure if it would be a bit bulky though. 

I had a look at old panniers we have and all of them have a had back panel, but I don't know if it is necessary.  I found this on eBay https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Tourbon-Waterproof-Bike-Panniers-Bicycle-Bags-Saddle-Clip-on-Rear-Packs-Cycling/263232259270?epid=2267782956&hash=item3d49dd84c6:g:cGAAAOSwxuha4U0C.  This seems to have a hard back panel, but the clips look a lot more basic.  How important do you think the back panel is?  I would rather not have it, so that it is more comfortable when I use it as a normal bag. 
Title: Re: Anyone made panniers before?
Post by: Bogwoppit on September 08, 2018, 10:38:36 AM
I think you'd need some sort of stiffening on the back to make sure none of the bag gets poked into the spokes.

So glad you posted this after my husband bought new panniers as he'd been suggesting I could mend the old ones. Material had been worn away along the top the fixing bar bit. I deemed it beyond my skills.
Title: Re: Anyone made panniers before?
Post by: Bodgeitandscarper on September 08, 2018, 10:41:47 AM
For the back panel, how about some of the foam bag stiffening type stuff you can get?  That might be enough to give body so it can't get in the wheel, but still ok for use off the bike? 

It's probably worth getting decent hooks as they are what hold it on the rack - and cheap ones may bounce off.
Title: Re: Anyone made panniers before?
Post by: wrenkins on September 08, 2018, 10:45:09 AM
I know nothing of panniers but if you need a thin, lightweight, waterproof sheet of support why not try one of those really thin cutting boards? Like this (https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/4-x-15-High-Quality-Flexible-Cutting-Mats-Chopping-Board-Cutting-Plastic-Cut/192183462303?hash=item2cbf06e99f:g:H3cAAOSwtGlZEze1)
They come in different sizes and would be easy to cut.
Title: Re: Anyone made panniers before?
Post by: rowe1311 on September 08, 2018, 19:57:19 PM
Here is a drawing of where I think I am going.  It is not a particularly great drawing, but it is probably better to see an image than try and describe it with words. 

I have an old foam camping mat that I have kept for various uses, and now thinking that would give some support to the back, but not too rigid that it would feel uncomfortable when carrying it.  The flexi chopping boards also sound like a really good idea and would be the ideal support for the clips and hooks, but I only want a strip of it to fit into a casing.  Would corset boning be a similar strength?  If I was to create a casing for that to slot into, I could then attach the clips somehow through the fabric and boning. 

These look like the most suitable clips https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/luggage/carradice-csystem-pannier-hooks-pack-of-4/.  I just don't know how to attach them.  All these companies look like they use their own unique clip system that they state is only compatible with their pannier systems.  I have no idea whether they would work stand alone or not.
Title: Re: Anyone made panniers before?
Post by: Bodgeitandscarper on September 08, 2018, 21:12:57 PM
T'other half has just fetched his Carradice pannier - those clips fit in a metal channel as pics below, the little plastic bits slot in the ends of the channel.  The metal channel is pop-riveted on to the bag.
So probably not any good for you  :(
Title: Re: Anyone made panniers before?
Post by: Bodgeitandscarper on September 08, 2018, 21:22:04 PM
Ortlieb system - rail (https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/luggage/ortlieb-ql1rail-short-e170/?geoc=US) and hooks. (https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/luggage/ortlieb-ql1hooks-with-handle-16mm-with-inserts-for-8-11mm-e162/?geoc=US)
Title: Re: Anyone made panniers before?
Post by: Bodgeitandscarper on September 08, 2018, 21:57:46 PM
Rixen-Kaul system. (https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/luggage/altura-twist-hook-pair-complete/?geoc=US)

If you just attach two separate hooks, would you be able to make a strong enough fixing to the bag, or would they just tear/pull off?   Most panniers do have a rail for the hooks. 
Title: Re: Anyone made panniers before?
Post by: Lizzy777 on September 09, 2018, 09:52:14 AM
Have a look in the Lisa Lam book 'A bag for all reasons'.

The front page shows a 'A bicycle double-pannier bag'. The pattern and full instructions are in the book.

If you press the 'Look inside' on the Amazon page there are some more pictures inside you can preview'. I bought the book a long time ago meaning to make them for a present but never got round to it yet but have seen lots of great reviews on it.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bag-All-Reasons-all-new-occasion/dp/1446301850/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1536483009&sr=1-1&keywords=a+bag+for+all+reasons

lizzy
Title: Re: Anyone made panniers before?
Post by: rowe1311 on September 09, 2018, 13:57:37 PM
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/pHYAAOSweEFbDw0h/s-l1600.jpg

I have found this and it uses the rixen and caul twist fittings that bodgeit suggested.  I don't know if they are fixing it to the rail as well.  If they are the rail doesn't seem that long and if I did something similar it wouldn't be too annoying when carrying.  Thank you bodgeit for showing me an example of what they look like.  The 'pannier system' makes a lot more sense now. 

I think the hook and rail type panniers are the best ones, but a lot of cheaper panniers do just have a board on the back piece which the clips must just be screwed into.  I will have to decide whether I make a fancy pannier system or use the flexi chopping board to make cheaper ones.  They will never be carrying vast weights, but I want to make sure it will stay on and that it is comfy enough to carry.

Lizzy, I had thought of the double panniers as I have a similar pattern from pennineoutdoor, but I am looking for something that can be carried around when I am not on my bike and just looks like an ordinary bag.  It does look a lovely book, and some of the bag patterns are quite tempting.