Get the most out of your commute with Ortlieb pannier bags

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Get the most out of your commute with Ortlieb pannier bags

27 August 2024

We, and many of our colleagues, enjoy cycling to work every day. There's no better way to start your day: you'll arrive fresh, awake, and even get in some extra exercise. Of course commuting means that we have to be able to bring our things with us. That's why we've made this clear overview of the available pannier bags, together with the experts from Ortlieb.

What kind of cyclist are you?

We can identify two types of commuters based on the bikes in our bike shed at Mantel:

The athlete: This colleague comes to work wearing cycling clothes or other sports gear, usually on a road bike, gravel bike or even on a mountain bike. You usually can't fit standard pannier bags on these bikes.
The city cyclist: This colleague commutes to work wearing their regular clothes, and has an e-bike or regular city bike. Adding pannier bags to these bikes is usually no problem.

The athlete

Starting your day with an athletic twist is the favourite of Mantel employees. Depending on your preferences and how far your commute is, you have multiple options in terms of bike bags:

The cycling backpack

One of the most popular choices is a backpack. The main advantage of a backpack is that you don't have the change anything about your bike: simply pack your bag, and you're ready to go. The Ortlieb Velocity is an excellent example of a bike-specific backpack. It has a spacious laptop compartment and plenty of space for clothing and other necessities.

Pros:

Easy to use
Lots of storage space, often with a separate compartment for your laptop

Cons:

Can be too warm on your back in summer
The weight can cause discomfort in your shoulders and arms during longer rides

Ortlieb Velocity backpack — You can easily bring a backpack everywhere you go.

Bikepacking bags

Don't want to carry your things on your back or fit your bike with a pannier rack? Then Ortlieb bikepacking bags are an excellent choice. One of the easiest ways to bring a set of clothes to work is in a large bikepacking saddle bag. The Ortlieb Seat Pack is a good example. Simply fill this bag with your belongings and close the bag by rolling it up.

Ortlieb Seatpack saddle bag — A saddle bag is spacious enough to fit all of your clothes.

Pros:

Can be installed quickly
Also suitable for long adventures

Cons:

Can move somewhat while you're cycling
Not suitable for laptops

Outfitting your sports bike with a pannier rack and pannier bags

Whether it's easy to outfit your bike with pannier racks heavily depends on what kinds of bike you have. In the past, you could only install pannier racks on bike frames with mounting points, but nowadays there are pannier rack systems that fit on almost every bike. The Ortlieb Quick Rack system is a great example. This system can be attached to your frame using screws, but can also be attached using adapters. The advantage of these adapters is that they allow you to add pannier racks to bikes that weren't originally suitable for them.

Ortlieb Quickrack — Pannier racks are compatible with all standard pannier bags.

Ortlieb quick rack quick release mounting system — The Ortlieb Quick Rack's handy Quick Release mounting system.

Pros:

Compatible with all regular pannier bags
Incredibly stable on your bike, won't move around
No more heavy backpacks

Cons:

Installing the pannier rack takes a bit of time before your first ride

Panniers for the city cyclist or e-bike rider

Commuting on your city bike: the ideal alternative to a car. Once upon a time, using your bike for long commutes was only an option for extremely avid cyclists, but the introduction of the e-bike has changed this. And what's nicer than speeding past a traffic jam on your e-bike?

Ortlieb fietstas — Attaching the Ortlieb city bag to your pannier rack is very simple.

Single and double panniers

A classic pannier bag is still the most popular choice for city cyclists. After all, they come in various sizes and are ideal for a wide range of needs. With these, you can easily go for a grocery run after work or pick up that package from the parcel point. Wondering which size will suit you best? Have a look at the table below.

	Useage	Possible contents
11 - 20 Litres	Commuting	Laptop, rain coat, lunch
21 - 30 Litres	Day trips	Extra clothes, drinks, lunch, picknick blanket
31 - 40 Litres	Day trips/Small grocery trips	Groceries for a weekend
41 - 50 Litres	Large grocery trips	Groceries for a week
51 - 70 Litres	Weekend trips	Sleeping gear, food and drinks, spare clothing

Another advantage is that some Ortlieb bike bags come with a carrying system. Bags with a shoulder strap are ideal, because you can easily carry these bags to your locker or work spot.

Ortlieb pannier bag with strap and carrying system — Comfortably carry your Ortlieb pannier bag, even when you're not on your bike, thanks to its shoulder strap.

Don't want to decide? Choose the Ortlieb Vario

A combination of a backpack and pannier bag is of course ideal, and the Ortlieb Vario PS Backpack is a great example. The Vario can be used as a backpack, and also as a pannier bag! This makes it an excellent choice for people who want to bring their bag along after getting off their bike. It has a waterproof design: like most other Ortlieb bags, the Vario is completely waterproof. Your things will stay dry even during heavy showers. When used as a backpack, the Vario is comfortable thanks to its padded shoulder straps and ergonomic design. That means you can easily carry this bag for a long time without experiencing discomfort. The Vario has a roll-top closure, so you can change the volume of the bag to your needs. This makes it flexible, so you can use it for many types of cargo.

Pros: