# Banjo Brothers pannier -- one year later



## drawerfixer (Aug 4, 2005)

This will serve as a mini-review of the Banjo Brothers Waterproof Pannier.  It was reviewed by Urban Velo here.

I purchased one Banjo Brothers Waterproof Pannier almost exactly a year ago and have used it daily for commuting purposes in the wilds of Washington, D.C., where it's been through a fair share of rain, muck, and especially pothole jolts. I bought this bag because it was economical (MSRP is $45), simple and suitable for workday treks, and the small company out of Minnesota seemed like something worth trying.

Let's hit the pics:








Dude, cut me a break -- it's a pannier review, there's no getting around the mundane. I'll note that the reflective tape was something I added. So the orange tape strips flaking off on the side view is of my own doing, as is the ersatz "Crank Brothers" logo taped out in white on the front. The white piping along the seams, however, is part of the bag. Obviously, there was a camera flash -- none of this really "pops" in person; it's an unassuming black bag in real time.









Here you get the roll-top enclosure and interior liner. The roll-top is easily adjustable, a quick snap to open, and gets the job done. The interior liner is what keeps you dry -- it is marketed as a waterproof bag, after all. Banjo Brothers say this has a 1000 cubic inch capacity. If that means something to you, great. For others, I can say that it comfortably fits my rain jacket, undergarments, towel, dress shirt, newspaper & book, lunch, and toiletries. I'm not going to stop for a gallon of milk with all that, obviously, but a half-gallon or something of that sort is reasonable.









And the mounting system. A pretty straightforward triangle ring to hook at the bottom and rubber hooks for the rails up top. I had to knot the elastic connector several times to keep it from slipping and lengthening under use, and also so much that the remainder elastic didn't stick out and get caught in the spokes. You can also see the fabric grab handle in this picture.









So what's the year later part? Well, to begin with, and I know this is just a minor quibble, but the rubber on the hooks, presumably there to avoid squeaks and keep the pannier secure, has cracked and begun peeling. Not a big deal, and hasn't affected function so far, but just an indication of things to come. Also, the hooks aren't wide enough to accommodate larger rack rails -- mine still worked, obviously, but the pannier never settled fully onto the rails; there are two to three millimeters of space between the rack rail and what would be a fully seated pannier. I never had the pannier fall off, but on several occasions one of the two hooks would come off and I would have to stop and hook it on again.









But here's the main thing -- two giant holes in the bottom rear corners of the bag, the corners where one rests a bag upright when it's not on the bike (or, now that I think about, where the load stresses the bag most). These holes developed around months 8 to 10, I want to say, and are now obviously quite large. As you can see, the piping that gave the bottom of the bag structure has cracked in numerous places, and completely broken off near the areas of the holes. The reflective fabric covering, too, is coming off.









So what is this? I've inverted the bag and taken a picture. What should be complete darkness instead has those two spots of light -- the holes there have exposed the (clear) waterproof liner to the elements. It's now one unlucky rip or hole in the liner for this waterproof pannier to become decidedly less so. The liner is of good quality, it seems like, but surely it *will* develop a hole just as the outer shell did. (I'll also note that at the roll-top area of the bag the liner has begun shearing a bit, leaving only the intact outer shell to protect contents from the elements, but I almost -- almost -- forgive this since that area of the bag is daily rolled and unrolled multiple times.) Nonetheless, knock on wood, the contents of the bag have remained dry.


I haven't contacted Banjo Brothers to see if this is something that could be replaced -- they do have a vague warranty on their products -- because, I mean, it's been a year and the thing was only $50, what do I expect? So I can't speak either way to how they stand behind their products.

It was a good bag -- simple, sleek, cheap; a good first pannier for someone just starting to commute, or doing so on an irregular basis. I would, perhaps remarkably, recommend it for that use, despite my experience -- I have too many memories of slogging through rain and snow and whatnot with this bag hooked onto my rear containing the only dry things I'd see for the next good while, and so I feel like it's been through a lot, more than it was intended.

But by the same token, I had hoped that these off-the-beaten-path guys who look like they actually ride their bikes would have worked out these growing pains long ago, giving us a stalwart pannier at a reasonable price. Well, they're not there yet, or at least not with this bag. And though I've ridden hard and ridden wet, I certainly don't think I beat up this bag any more than necessary. So there's that. For what it's worth, this was my first pannier, other than my touring donkeys.

And that's the score. I know, exciting. I'm going to make a stellar old stodgy man. But I'm now on the look for a new pannier, y'all, if you have recommendations for economical and quality bags, especially ones that aren't Ortlieb or the brands _everyone_ recommends (I know, I know).


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## rcnute (Dec 21, 2004)

Thanks for confirming my decision to go with Arkel or Ortlieb.


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## saf-t (Sep 24, 2008)

Shoe goo will give you a solid temporary fix while you're shopping


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## filtersweep (Feb 4, 2004)

Did your bag acquire road rash? I have the same panniers, and they are as good as new. Your injuries look like they are from abrasions.... My only gripe is that they are a bit smallish when rolled up watertight.


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## drawerfixer (Aug 4, 2005)

I'm pretty confident it's not road abrasion. I recall going down only twice, and both were on ice at slow speeds last winter. And it would be remarkably odd, I would think, that road rash could take out two opposite, rounded corners like that while leaving the back unscathed.

I concur that they're on the small side when rolled up watertight.


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## zpl (May 7, 2007)

Wow, thanks for the detailed review with the photos. I think reviews where someone has been using a product for a decent period of time are much more valuable than the typical "I bought this cool thing last week, let me brag about how awesome it is" reviews you find online.

Scott


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