DaveP wrote:Or you could buy some budget panniers to start with, such as Altura. They are cheap but certainly not nasty. They won't suddenly disintegrate mid ride, and you can obtain very high levels of water proofing by lining them with - a bin liner. Replaced every trip.
Buy the expensive stuff when you have a clearer idea of what you need.
Some Altura panniers cost more than others - in ascending order of cost - Arran, Dryliner, Orkney (I think). I have Dryliner with thousands of miles touring done and no problems at all.
Some key points you might lie to consider:
> Rack fixing arrangements - Rixen and Kaul are very good - avoid elsatic hooks on cheaper panniers
> External pockets or not (a personal choice)
> Heel clearance (if you have short chainstay length and/or big feet, this might be an issue)
> Ease of access to the pannier
There are other points to consider I'm sure?