New Toy!

I got some money for my birthday a couple of weeks ago so I decided to purchase a new set of panniers for the upcoming touring season.

The choice of pannier was difficult to say the least.  I only had about $100 to work with so that knocked out the high-end panniers like Ortlieb and Arkel.  So I decided on Axiom panniers which are inexpensive and always seem to get good reviews.

But which model to choose?  I wanted something for a rear pannier.  They make the Champlain which is HUGE.  It has multiple pockets, a mesh outside pocket for drying things, a bungee net on top.  They have everything.

But at 3,667 cu in (60 liters), they are one of the largest on the market.  The problem, they say, with having large panniers is that you tend to fill them up, which means more weight.

The next two below this are the Lasalle and the waterproof Typhoon. They are both around 2,028 cu in (40 liters).  They are smaller than the Champlain, which means less gear and less weight, but still a more than reasonable size, especially if you have front panniers too.

I already have a set of Nashbar panniers that are around 38 liters so I really didn't need that much more space.  I plan to use the Nashbar panniers up front and the new ones in the back.

So what did I pick?  I went ahead and bought the Champlain.  While they are huge, they will give me extra room if I go out with the family on a short tour.  I can carry my daughter's stuff and mine.

After ordering them from Niagara Cycle Works via Amazon, they were supposed to arrive UPS yesterday.  The blizzard and snow caused them to delay delivery.  Despite this, they showed up today.  The UPS guy came out of nowhere, walking up the street carrying a stack of boxes.

I've already put them on the bike and they really are huge.  They are well built, attach securely and come with rain covers and spare hardware.  It was a great deal.

I haven't been able to take them for a test spin because there is 30+ inches of snow in the ground right now.  Boy, I can't wait until it warms up.