Upcycled Bicycle Panniers DIY(rackhackers.com)
rackhackers.com
Upcycled Bicycle Panniers DIY
https://rackhackers.com/
69 comments
here is another one:
https://www.thebikebucket.com/index.html
https://www.thebikebucket.com/index.html
One advantage to using the square food-service buckets as panniers is that you can also use them as stools to sit on when they're off the bike, try that with your fancy Ortliebs! They are kind of bulky though, I have generally preferred to stick with the coated fabric commercial panniers (Arkel these days, though I have a couple pairs of beat-up Ortliebs which I have patched up with Sugru).
My anatomy evidently favors Type-II (fast-twitch) muscle fibers for cycling, so large cross-sections kill me in general. I can't spin through the kilometers in low gears like some can. So aerodynamics is more of a concern for me (and others with similar anatomy). The jugs in TFA are lower profile than kitty litter buckets or other square things. However, tailwinds could make up for the drag on good days!
If you are really loading up a bit, cross-section is pretty much impossible to avoid. The trick is to get comfortable with going a snails pace into a headwind, and enjoy the free ride with a tailwind...
Loaded touring really is about taking in the sights around you. You aren't moving fast.
One thing I would add, if carrying any substantial load, make ure you understand how your bike handles it. Your normal road bike isn't necessarily built to carry the rider plus extra weight/etc around the wheels.
One thing I would add, if carrying any substantial load, make ure you understand how your bike handles it. Your normal road bike isn't necessarily built to carry the rider plus extra weight/etc around the wheels.
I love the design considerations they described here: <https://rackhackers.com/diy-pannier-parts-kit/>. In some ways it even sounds superior to my Ortlieb Back-Roller Classic panniers. [1] In particular: the Ortlieb Quick-Lock2.1 might not be quite as snug at the bottom (it's just a plastic hook), and the roller bags' straps can have a loose section depending on how full it is and how much care you've taken to get it right.
[1] https://www.ortlieb.com/en_us/back-roller-classic+F5301
[1] https://www.ortlieb.com/en_us/back-roller-classic+F5301
Well, it doesn’t look bad for what it is. But I can’t see how this beats the ortlieb, other than cost and availability. They can really be put on and off in a single motion and still be secure. There is no need for a permanently attached mount on the bike. How would I even get my hand in between the bag and the wheel to tighten that grip? Without getting dirty?. The mount appear to have sharp metal edges exposed when the bag is not attached.
Will the lid be tight from water coming underneath? When biking it’s not just rain from above.
Ortlieb has other variants of the bag that are easier to open without loose straps. If you are happy with requiring a special mount only for your own bike there is the 3.1 series with even more snug fit and less protruding hooks on the bag.
Ortlieb has other variants of the bag that are easier to open without loose straps. If you are happy with requiring a special mount only for your own bike there is the 3.1 series with even more snug fit and less protruding hooks on the bag.
Best option with ortliebs is to add a second hook which stops any chance of the hook jumping out over rough terrain
How does this plastic do with UV exposure over time? How does it fail?
E.g. I made the mistake of using some plastic bins to store plant-related stuff on a mostly-shaded corner of my balcony. One day, when I tried to pick one up, the portion of the lip I grabbed just broke off under pretty light pressure; the whole thing had become weak and brittle. I would hate for a pannier to fall apart and dump whatever I'm carrying at some point in the future when I hit a bump or something.
E.g. I made the mistake of using some plastic bins to store plant-related stuff on a mostly-shaded corner of my balcony. One day, when I tried to pick one up, the portion of the lip I grabbed just broke off under pretty light pressure; the whole thing had become weak and brittle. I would hate for a pannier to fall apart and dump whatever I'm carrying at some point in the future when I hit a bump or something.
"High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) is an ethylene-based polymer plastic which is created by exposing petroleum to extreme heat and pressure. It’s among the most commonly used plastics worldwide, and in addition to UV resistance
..."
https://protoplastics.com/uv-resistant-plastics/
https://protoplastics.com/uv-resistant-plastics/
From experience, the 20L HDPE water cubes will last years in direct sunlight.
Might need to use bigger washers around the anchor points in this design? I imagine the holes would be the weakest points, and increasing the contract area would spread the stress out over more plastic.
Might need to use bigger washers around the anchor points in this design? I imagine the holes would be the weakest points, and increasing the contract area would spread the stress out over more plastic.
Okay, what am I missing? I don't know that I've ever seen these containers. I'm in the U. S., are these common containers in other countries? Or do I trip over a half dozen of them on the way to work and just never noticed? The web page implies that the containers are common, so what is their native environment?
These containers a common for bulk fluids. Locally I have seen them in restaurants for cooking oil (usually inside a box) and pool water treatment chemicals. I can get as many as I want from the community swimming pool.
Do you just walk up and ask for them?
Exactly like that.
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Pretty much, you might check your local recycling center. I wish they had a us distributor for their hardware. Seems like burning a bunch of jet fuel to get these here kinda offset the benefit.
Their tutorial covers sourcing the parts I think. It all looks pretty easy to bodge from a hardware store as well. You could get the over-center lever from an old bicycle. Not sure how I would do the latching bracket but you could grind/drill something close out of steel flat bar.
Indeed, it can be strapped together with a piece of an old innertube, and the rest can be improvised.
They are UN-compliant jugs for shipping liquids. They are also food grade (in at least some flavors) so are suitable for potable water. They can be bought new for ~30 bucks or so from McMaster, presumably less elsewhere.
Really common if your selling/buying anything liquid in > 1 gallon but less than an IBC (those metal framed plastic cubes). So not so much the consumer space, but lots of b2b or industrial supply type places use them. They are also quite rugged so they make a good candidate for reuse.
Really common if your selling/buying anything liquid in > 1 gallon but less than an IBC (those metal framed plastic cubes). So not so much the consumer space, but lots of b2b or industrial supply type places use them. They are also quite rugged so they make a good candidate for reuse.
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Had the same reaction, really like the design but at least in the central US here I've never seen any in any context, even as waste around commercial establishments.
Don't see them that much here in the UK, but anyone who drives a diesel will probably get their Ad Blu in these things
These look similar to, though much more rigid than, the 5 gallon containers Costco sells bulk cooking oils in (I buy quite a bit of peanut oil for deep frying). Come to think of it, I may give those a try - they are rigid enough to hold gear but flexible and sturdy enough to ratchet down a little bit. Could be a fun project.
Edit: grammars
Edit: grammars
The 'lanthandel' close to us (Swedish country store, they sell farming necessities as well as food, some ironware and a large scale of oil products) sells oil in bulk in these containers. We use them (cleaned) to carry water to horses, two of them (~50l) fit in a bicycle cart.
Personally, in the US, I'd go for food-grade plastic. If being frugal, I'd get used food-grade buckets that have only been used for food. For example, I've heard of people requesting empty frosting buckets from cake-decorating stores.
> I don't know that I've ever seen these containers. I'm in the U. S.
They are pretty common in both industrial and wholesale contexts, but you aren't going to see them much in retail goods.
You've almost certainly been near a bunch of them.
They are pretty common in both industrial and wholesale contexts, but you aren't going to see them much in retail goods.
You've almost certainly been near a bunch of them.
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Those look very similar to the ones for distilled water, amongst other things.
I've seen kitty litter containers used for this.
Oops, see sibling post.
Oops, see sibling post.
They are in Romania. Good design, guys !
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Reminds of me of strapping a milk crate to the back of your motorbike or scooter. In Australia at least, it seems stranger to me to see a Honda CT110 without a milk crate bungee strapped to the back than with.
Feels like a copy of the original: http://thebikebucket.com/index.html
This is reminiscent of the coroplast fenders and bike bags that Kent Peterson has been making for years:
https://kentpeterson.substack.com/p/coroplast-handlebar-bag
http://www.carsstink.org/peterson/FendForYourself.html
https://kentpeterson.substack.com/p/coroplast-handlebar-bag
http://www.carsstink.org/peterson/FendForYourself.html
When I went to school in the late 70's in the Netherlands I had a Curver 'Unibox' [1] strapped to the back of my bike, in the beginning using bungee cords but later in more refined way using eyelets screwed into the holes where wheels are meant to be mounted on those boxes. Some of the more insecure kids tried to make fun of me with my 'bakfiets' but that never came to anything. Instead of having to strap m bag to the back of the bike for the daily 34 km migration (17km there, 17km back) I could just drop it in the back.
I still have a crate of some sorts on most of my bikes, ranging from a large wooden vegetable crate on one to something like that 'Unibox' on my daily ride. A bike is just so much more handy with one of those.
[1] https://www.gamma.nl/assortiment/curver-unibox-30l-classic-z...
I still have a crate of some sorts on most of my bikes, ranging from a large wooden vegetable crate on one to something like that 'Unibox' on my daily ride. A bike is just so much more handy with one of those.
[1] https://www.gamma.nl/assortiment/curver-unibox-30l-classic-z...
It's probably possible to use replacement ortlieb latches for a more secure rack connection (fully closed latch instead of hang-on) with quick release.
For example: https://www.ortlieb.com/usa_en/ql1-hooks-16-mm-with-adjustab...
For example: https://www.ortlieb.com/usa_en/ql1-hooks-16-mm-with-adjustab...
Those are nice. I remember using my first set of panniers about 20 years ago; they did not have this locking mechanism, I went over a bump, and all of my groceries spilled all over the street. I ordered a set of Ortleib panniers a few minutes later, and have not been disappointed in the intervening 20 years.
I have some Watershed drybags that I really love that I want to figure out the best way to use as bicycle panniers, does anyone have suggestions?
This is the model: https://www.drybags.com/product/assault-pack/
The backpack straps are removable and the bag rolls down quite a bit like most rolltops do. I think the loops where the waist strap is fed through may be a good attachment point but part of me thinks I'd need almost need side baskets or netting or a harness on either side of the rear rack that could just accept a a large bag without the bag itself having any great attachment points.
This is the model: https://www.drybags.com/product/assault-pack/
The backpack straps are removable and the bag rolls down quite a bit like most rolltops do. I think the loops where the waist strap is fed through may be a good attachment point but part of me thinks I'd need almost need side baskets or netting or a harness on either side of the rear rack that could just accept a a large bag without the bag itself having any great attachment points.
Ortlieb sells most of the hardware to fix a rubber bag to attach to a rack as spare parts. Alternatively buy a used Ortlieb pannier and use the parts as a donor. The "trick" is having a stiff "plate" inside the bag for the mating hardware and bag to all attach to. You need to be very focused on heel clearance with a soft bag, ideally clinching straps pulls the bag corner nearest your heel taut. Also be careful of the location of the shoulder straps when the bag is mounted on the bike, I had the lugnut on a dublin bus inching forward in traffic pull off a strap. They need to stay out of your spokes but also not hang out to catch on passing vehicles either.
Or just buy an ortlieb with the backpack kit.
Or just buy an ortlieb with the backpack kit.
There is a variety of cargo cages on the market designed to support drybags on the forks, however the majority require that your forks have the proper mounts:
https://bikepacking.com/index/cargo-cages-anything-bags/
https://bikepacking.com/index/cargo-cages-anything-bags/
I simply don't get it - is this just to show off, to be ostensibly and pretentiously 'green'? Why should I strap big, ugly, bulky, noisy, inconvenient garbage to my bicycle instead of buying and using something actually practical and convenient?
I mean isn't bicycling to grocery store and back with regular panners already "enough" and even much more compared to let's say Ursula von den Leyen taking private jet to fly 30 miles?
While I do somewhat agree in that they seem to make a big deal out of something which has been done in many ways by many people for many years already I do have to point out that these types of practical DIY projects are far more useable than any factory-made bike bags. They fit more stuff, they are cheaper and if they ever get damaged or destroyed you simply make another one/pair instead of having to buy something new.
The fancy presentation of this project/product fits with the 'cycling for the planet' crowd while the actual concept of strapping a pair of 25l cans to the carrier is more in line with those who use their bikes because that is just what they've always done without any thoughts of 'enough' or 'climate' or 'environment' or 'virtue'.
The fancy presentation of this project/product fits with the 'cycling for the planet' crowd while the actual concept of strapping a pair of 25l cans to the carrier is more in line with those who use their bikes because that is just what they've always done without any thoughts of 'enough' or 'climate' or 'environment' or 'virtue'.
> “I simply don't get it … instead of buying…”
You’re talking like a consumer, but the title says DIY. So the target audience is makers. You might as well ask why people make things for their bikes rather than buy.
Not for nothing, I have a motorcycle and go moto camping. I have panniers, but needed a way to carry firewood or additional luggage. So I made a luggage rack out of a MOLLE synthetic frame [1]. It works great…so far. Could be it’s own website. And you might ask if I’m a military nut, but it’s just materials.
In the DIY community you may get satisfaction from finding a ready-made object which is well made and also slated for the trash heap. Long before it was fashionable and hip to call this enlightened social response, there was simply utility and economic kudos, like you might find on a rural farm.
[1]: https://www.reddit.com/r/MotorcycleLogistics/comments/xp0rs1...
You’re talking like a consumer, but the title says DIY. So the target audience is makers. You might as well ask why people make things for their bikes rather than buy.
Not for nothing, I have a motorcycle and go moto camping. I have panniers, but needed a way to carry firewood or additional luggage. So I made a luggage rack out of a MOLLE synthetic frame [1]. It works great…so far. Could be it’s own website. And you might ask if I’m a military nut, but it’s just materials.
In the DIY community you may get satisfaction from finding a ready-made object which is well made and also slated for the trash heap. Long before it was fashionable and hip to call this enlightened social response, there was simply utility and economic kudos, like you might find on a rural farm.
[1]: https://www.reddit.com/r/MotorcycleLogistics/comments/xp0rs1...
Buying is too easy.
You gotta make stuff to be cool.
HA! So you say. I like making things that exactly solve my problems and concerns. I like that what I make meet's my standards and not someone else's--reselling Chinese made products with a "cool" label. Or, bespoke gear not made for me that I can't afford.
Also, context matters. I've owned cars and I'm perfectly happy letting others fix my car. I'm not at all comfortable with others working on my motorcycle. I avoid it if I can, because some mechanics are crap and make choices I'd never make. And when you work on your own stuff, you get to know every inch, inside and out. You take personal responsibility for the condition and it's performance.
Different strokes for different folks.
Also, context matters. I've owned cars and I'm perfectly happy letting others fix my car. I'm not at all comfortable with others working on my motorcycle. I avoid it if I can, because some mechanics are crap and make choices I'd never make. And when you work on your own stuff, you get to know every inch, inside and out. You take personal responsibility for the condition and it's performance.
Different strokes for different folks.
I must have like 20+ of these containers on my allotment. These canniers could help transport my garden equipment, tools, and plants nicely on my daily ride to the garden plot.
They look interesting but are they durable? I can see the bolts ripping through the plastic if riding in rough terrain. All panniers that I've used have the mounting points reinforced so that they are not loaded in only a couple of places.
Since they ship a few parts, how does the environmental impact compare to buying new bags from Decathlon, or used ones on a classified ads website? The latter seems like a better option to me.
My panniers: a PVC frame + a backpack--
1 inch PVC tubing. Shaped like an H, with the top & bottom as cross-beams as well. about 2.5 feet by 1.5 feet. With one on each side of my back bike rack, Makes it easy to hang a 60 liter backpack on one side, and 30 liter backpack on the other.
1 inch PVC tubing. Shaped like an H, with the top & bottom as cross-beams as well. about 2.5 feet by 1.5 feet. With one on each side of my back bike rack, Makes it easy to hang a 60 liter backpack on one side, and 30 liter backpack on the other.
The things itself is cool enough, I just wish they weren't so comically pretentious and holier-than-thou in presenting it.
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This is awesome but given all the recent talk about microplastics I can't help but think the most environmentally conscious way to employ this plastic is for power generation via incineration.
It would probably be better to incinerate the waste plastic after a chance at reuse. LDPE bottles wont be releasing much aside from that cut across the top to form the lid if not cut with a hot knife. Any reuse could prevent someone from buying a bag that most likely would be made from polyester that sheds incredible amounts of microplastics. Reduce, Reuse and finally Recycle.
I am much more concerned about all the rubber particles on the roadways from tires, especially with the new Japanese research that suggests the microplastics in clouds are a rubber product.
I am much more concerned about all the rubber particles on the roadways from tires, especially with the new Japanese research that suggests the microplastics in clouds are a rubber product.
If you compare this to a car wearing through tires it's still much better, you're not actively abrading the plastic containers, they'll last for years.
>employ this plastic is for power generation via incineration
if we're concerned with trying to figure out ways to do efficient carbon capture, why is it a good idea to do carbon release?
if we're concerned with trying to figure out ways to do efficient carbon capture, why is it a good idea to do carbon release?
Yes, but this does make a product that is genuinely useful potentially for years, getting away from the single-use scourge, and can still generate power by incineration at EOL.
True, I just figured a move back toward natural biodegradable materials (canvas, wax) was going to be better overall but with the other comments (LDPE facts especially) I am more comfortable with this out in the world.
Reduce, REUSE, Recycle
I don't have an authoritative answer or enough information to form a complete opinion, but getting BTU/h or kW (depending on if your country went to the Moon) out of the petroleum byproduct may be a better way to reuse than the green wash of the fantasy of recycled plastic.
The mining/drilling energy overhead is already embodied in the material, so it may be better not to waste that by burying it instead of getting some useful energy out.
The plastic container diverted for the bicycle pannier market isn't likely going to do anything to dent the flood of plastic waste.
The mining/drilling energy overhead is already embodied in the material, so it may be better not to waste that by burying it instead of getting some useful energy out.
The plastic container diverted for the bicycle pannier market isn't likely going to do anything to dent the flood of plastic waste.
This doesn't need to solve the issue of plastic to be a good way of diverting some away from landfill or reusing them. It's a type of reply/thinking I see on HN a lot, along the lines of "well this doesn't solve the entire issue", incremental progress and partial solutions are good, trying to come up with the uber solution to solve the entirety of the climate and waste issues just leads to analysis paralysis and solutions too large to effectively implement.
I didn't mean to dismiss the reuse aspect of the panniers, and I may have misunderstood the intent of "reduce, REUSE, recycle" higher comment but I interpreted it to be saying that burning the plastic wasn't a reuse.
My assertion is that burning it is also a form of reuse and possibly better than putting the balance, after containers and so forth that can be readily used, into a recycling system that significantly ends up in a landfill.
For example, my municipality only actually accepts 1 and 2 plastic in a recycling bin, but if it was being used for power generation maybe all of the numbers could be in there excessive 1&2 and all of the 3-7 go to the power plant? I'm not sure.
Right now if 3-7 are in there they just have to be landfilled.
My assertion is that burning it is also a form of reuse and possibly better than putting the balance, after containers and so forth that can be readily used, into a recycling system that significantly ends up in a landfill.
For example, my municipality only actually accepts 1 and 2 plastic in a recycling bin, but if it was being used for power generation maybe all of the numbers could be in there excessive 1&2 and all of the 3-7 go to the power plant? I'm not sure.
Right now if 3-7 are in there they just have to be landfilled.
The person doing this needs a bicycle pannier. If you account for the pannier that did not get made from scratch, surely reusing these cans/buckets has to be a win.
BTU/h and kW are measures of power, or the rate at which energy is delivered. BTU and kJ are units of energy.
Power plants are rated in power so I chose that, but maybe energy content is better.
Nice thought, but just as microplastics leech slowly, incineration spreads into the air very quickly.
And no, the filters do not work.
And no, the filters do not work.
https://www.adventurecycling.org/blog/hauling-it-all-make-yo...