FEB 93 MOUNTAIN MIKE PACK SYSTEMS Why shoulder the burden when your two-wheeler can? There are three rules to camping on a bike: 1) go light, 2) go light, 3) go light. A heavy bike is just as unwieldy and shameful as a heavy pack. For a three-day bikepacking trip, you need carry little more than you would backpacking. And one of the joys of cycling is that you don't have to carry anything. The bike frame replaces your shoulders, panniers replace the backpack. Panniers are simply a set of nylon saddlebags that hook onto a bike rack behind your seat. Just as the suspension system in a backpack is critical to its load-carrying ability, the pannier attachment system determines whether you can scream down boulder-strewn gullies and expect your gear to still be with you at the bottom. The diversity in form and function of pannier systems is as great as it is in backpacks. To help you sort out what's out there, and then determine what's right for your needs, we tested 11 sets of panniers. Two panniers, from two different manufacturers, were each loaded with 12 pounds, hooked onto a Blackburn Expedition rack, and ridden hard on an eight-mile jeep trail. The trail had everything from nasty stretches of solid bedrock to soft red dirt, to two-foot rock drop-offs. The panniers were evaluated on several criteria: --suspension system, including the ease of hooking the pannier on and off; --jiggle factor, or performance on bumpy terrain; --fly factor, or whether the pannier would self-release in rough terrain; --design, including compartment accessibility, and size and number of pockets; --durability, including zipper size and stitches per inch. All panniers but one used a plastic or aluminum internal panel or frame sheet to provide both stiffness and a place to bolt on the attachment system. The beefier the panel, the better the pannier performed. Six of the pannier sets used the traditional hook-and-bungy-cord attachment method. This consists of two hooks at the top of the pannier that drop over the rack and a bungy cord with another hook that catches beneath the rack flanges down by the frame. In all cases, for riding tough terrain with heavily loaded panniers, this attachment system proved grossly inadequate (panniers went flying). Although both popular and cheap, bungy attachment is unfit for the rigors of serious backcountry bicycling. The placement of the top hooks on the bag made a significant difference in the jiggle factor. The few panniers that had hooks at either end of the bag (Mountain Minded, Blackburn), rather than in the middle were less floppy. With rare exceptions, panniers are no more waterproof than packs; if you want your gear to stay completely dry, bag it. Finally, some of these panniers weren't designed for mountain biking---they were built for road touring. They're included as inexpensive options for moderate gravel- or dirt-road riding. Avenir Pannier The best value at the bottom end of the range, this pannier is simple, unpretentious, and designed for road touring. A top-loader made of Cordura with a small top flap pocket, rear vertical pocket and two compression straps, the bag has the traditional bungy attachment system but backs it up with velcro straps that lash over the rack. The jiggle factor is significant, the fly factor small. What sets this pannier apart from other economy models is durability, namely taped seams and bar-tacked straps. Black, purple/ black; 1,600 cu. in.; $85. Blackburn 1850 Mountain Rear Pannier This is a great pannier. The "Positive Locking (Attachment) System," built from glass-filled nylon and bolted to a ribbed aluminum panel, is both durable and tight-fitting, yet has versatile fore/aft adjustability. Little jiggling, zero fly factor. This front-loading (#10 zipper), fully lined bag is built from Cordura and bullet-proof ballistics cloth, fully padded with two compression straps, an outer mesh pocket for drying wet clothes, internal pockets, and it even has internal shelves. This pannier will survive years of abuse; it's as tough as a good backpack. Black/red/gray or black/neon yellow; 1,850 cu. in.; $200. Cannondale Overland Rear Pannier Despite the name, these panniers were designed for road touring. A light plastic frame retains the bag's shape, and the bungy attachment system holds it to your bike. Jiggle factor moderate, fly factor moderate. With three external pockets and a large, easily-accessed front-loading main compartment, this pannier is great to pack. Unfortunately, durability is meager; small zippers, single-stitching and a lack of seam tape mean this pannier won't survive long-term backcountry abuse. Black, khaki, red, violet blue; 2,500 cu. in.; $125. KangAroo Baggs Explorer The designers of this pannier wisely avoided the bouncy bungy attachment system, instead using two straps with buckles and metal rings that fasten the bag to the rack. Fly factor minimal, jiggle factor (even with an aluminum frame sheet) moderate. This is a very large top-loader with three pockets and two compression straps. The best thing about this pannier is that it's built from rugged ballistic cloth. The seams are taped but the pocket zippers are several sizes too small. Black w/yellow webbing; 3,600 cu. in.; $120. Lone Peak King's Peak P-300 Pannier This is your ordinary, lightweight mountain pannier, but it has the bungy attachment system with a twist: plastic clips that lever down over the bar. This significantly decreases the fly factor (as long as they don't break), although due to the lightness of the plastic panel, the jiggle factor is disconcerting. Built from Cordura, with one compression strap and taped seams, this simple top-loading, pocketless sack has two top-flap pockets. Black, fuchsia/black/forest, royal blue, red, teal/black/purple; 2,000 cu. in.; $140. Madden Buzzard Rear Panniers Another basic, well-put-together pannier, the Buzzard still uses the antiquated bungy attachment system but has useful velcro rack straps that eliminate the fly factor. It's a very durable top-loading Cordura bag with taped seams, two compression straps, one rear back panel pocket and one top-flap pocket. The extendible top flap is the best and simplest design of all such models. Gray/black, red/black, purple/black, teal/black; 3,000 cu. in.; $165. Mountain Minded Paragon True to its name, this pannier is a model of excellence and perfection. It was the best pannier tested, and may very well be the best made. The attachment system is revolutionary and rock solid, using a camming block that wedges against the rack---zero jiggle, zero fly factor. The Paragon is the easiest to put on, the easiest to take off, and is completely immobile when attached. Shaped like a large hat box, completely padded, and lined with internal pockets, its front has the widest opening of any pannier (#10 zipper). The Paragon also has a unique "compression panel pocket" that can expand to hold a rain jacket, or compress to squeeze down the main compartment. Craftsmanship, from impeccable stitching to quality hardware, make this pannier one-of-a-kind. (Note: When ordering, you must specify your rack type.) Purple/black, green/black, red/black, royal blue/black, black; 2,000 cu. in.; $185. Nashbar Mountain Bike Panniers This was the least expensive pannier tested, and it has a weak bungy attachment system. A top loader with top flap pocket, rear panel pocket, and single compression strap, the Nashbar is not a beefy product. Single-stitched with small zippers and poor workmanship, this pannier will stand up only under occasional use. 1,625 cu. in.; black, blue, gray; $65. Overland Chaos Crag Pannier The folks at Overland are doing things right. Like Kangaroo, they entirely avoided bungies and created a double strap "strap-tight" attachment system that won't fly off and jiggles little. This top-loading pannier has four external pockets, making it the most functional of the ones we tested. Craftsmanship and design are outstanding, with double-stitched taped seams, Cordura fabric, compression straps and large zippers. Black/gray, red/black, teal/ gray, blue/black, purple/black; 2,560 cu. in.; $155. REI Novara Explorer Pannier This is another pannier that was designed exclusively for the road. With a sturdy bungy attachment system, the pannier hangs on to the rack relatively well, although it pitches and tosses considerably because the bag is too large for its dearth of rigidity. Once again, workmanship, from stitching to design, is of poor quality. Durability is also suspect; I tore the handle off within the first hour of use. Blue, gray; 3,200 cu. in.; $69. Specialized Windbag Pannier The cleanest, most stylish bag tested. Specialized was the only manufacturer who wisely took the effects of wind drag into consideration when designing their pannier. This small, zippered, top-loading bag is aerodynamically shaped, with its one very small pocket hidden back on the rear panel. An inward leaning bottom panel keeps cargo stable, but the attachment system is the hook-and-strap method. Jiggling is moderate, fly factor nominal. Built of Cordura, with taped seams and heavy-duty zippers, this sturdy pannier is a good value. Black, blue, citron; 1,600 cu. in.; $90. RESOURCES Avenir, WSI, 4030 Via Pescador, Camarillo, CA 93012; (805) 484-4450. Blackburn, 1510 Dell Ave., Campbell, CA 95008; (408) 370-1010. . Cannondale, 9 Brookside Pl., Georgetown, CT 06829; (800) BIKE-USA. Kangaroo, 3891 North Ventura Ave., Ventura, CA 93001; (805) 653-0431. Lone Peak, 3474 S. 2300 E., Salt Lake City, UT 84109; (801) 272-5217. Madden, 2400 Central Ave., Boulder, CO 80301; (303) 442-5828. Mountain Minded, P.O. Box 114, Lopez Island, WA 98261; (206) 468-3035. Nashbar, 4111 Simon Rd., Youngstown, OH 44512-1343; (800) 627-4227. Overland, 2145 Park Ave., #4, Chico, CA 95926; (916) 894-5605. REI, 6750 South 228th St., Kent, WA 98032; (206)395-5959 Specialized, 15130 Concord Circle, Morgan Hill, CA 95037; (408)779-6229.