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Nashbar had some reeeally cheap ones a few weeks ago, they usually have free shipping deals too.

The reviews on the Nashbar ones are pretty mixed. It might not be a good idea to cheap out on them. Even so, I was considering buying them because they are so cheap. Does anybody have any experience with them?

PS - Sorry for hijacking your thread.

Dan had them and he will tell you he hated them.

I think I paid ~20 for the pair, and at that price I can't complain. Now, I only used them for two short weekend camping trips, and a few grocery trips, where Dan used his every day.

I have them and think they are a great buy at the sale price. I'm going to button mine together to pack my tent for the MS150, so you can check them out then if you want.

PS - Sorry for hijacking your thread.

The "thread" (my post) was two months, so it was ripe for the pickin'.

For what it's worth, I never ended up getting a new pannier. I'm still using my old Delta model, using carabiners to attach it my rack.

Shameless Arkel plug:

http://www.arkel-od.com/us/all-categories/touring-bike-bag/dolphin-32-touring-gear.html

I haven't tried these waterproof ones, but have their briefcase, bug, and utility basket and they're pretty bullet proof as far as panniers go in my experience. They also have a no-nonsense lifetime warranty and when one of my locking mechanisms went bad they sent me out a new one as soon as I emailed them. That being said, they aren't exactly cheap.

I have a set of Nashbar's i got real cheap online. They're functional as long as you remember to put your gear in plastic bags first 'cause the bags leak like a mesh sack. That being said, I'm satisfied with them.

Mark, I put 303 Fabric Guard on mine and they are pretty water repellent.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-cZfDSqhFM&feature=player_embedded

As Nick said, I had the Nashbar ones. I used them everyday for four years. The hauled groceries, beer, books, anything and everything I needed. They worked, but I don't have much more in the pros column than than. I think I paid $25-30 for the pair, and they lasted about 3-4 years before really starting to fall apart.

Someone posted here about a pair of Ortlieb back roller classics at probikekit, and I picked them up for $80, shipped. In retrospect, I wish I would have spent the extra $50 and just skipped the Nashbar ones. It would have cost me what, an extra 3 cents a day?

They have this really nice mounting system that doesn't involve elastic straps, hooks and velcro like my Nashbar ones did. There is one handle you lift up, and the pannier pops right off your bike, same operation to put it back on. I can put them on or take them off in literally seconds, but they attach in such a way I don't have to worry about them popping off when I go over a bump. If you get lazy and don't velcro the Nashbar ones, they can (and do) pop off. It saves a ton of time if you run errands with your bike and don't want to leave your panniers on there.

The biggest things the Ortlieb ones have going for them is waterproofness. They are essentially dry-bags that you attach to your rack. Completely, 100% waterproof. I was at "paddle at the point" this morning, and stuck my pannier at the bottom of my kayak. Between the rain and people splashing my boat had a good 2 inches of water in the bottom by the end, but all my stuff was dry. Your stuff will get wet in the Nashbar ones unless you take extra measures to prevent this. The downside to being waterproof is you have to roll them to open and close, which takes time, and involves unclipping a couple of clips. I find this annoying, but I don't know how you would make them waterproof without this type of closure. You for sure can't access your stuff while in the saddle, you have to get off to open them up.

I have the banjo bros waterproof ones.

http://www.banjobrothers.com/products/01110.php

They arent as waterproof are the ortlieb ones because they dont have the zipper, but they are a dry bag inside and it is a roll top, so short of submerging them in the mon, they are good. I have never had anything get wet in them.

Also, axiom has some that are pretty cheap.

http://axiomgear.com/products/gear/bags/

Hahah, i realized after replying to the one lonely post in this thread that it was quite old, but oh well.Nashbar stuff is pretty cheap,and with most things cheap, you get what you pay for..Obviously if you're rough on them they won't last long..But 4 years out of some 30dollar panniers sounds good to me!

I'm way into my Banjo Brothers ones. Between myself, Erok and some others who have borrowed them there are a few thousand miles on them... Killer bags, especially for the price.

I wrote this review two years ago and the bags are now a bit lighter and the strap I mention in the review has been lengthened...

http://urbanvelo.org/banjo-brothers-waterproof-pannier/