Of the many ways I have tried to carry my work clothes on my bike, I have found that saddlebag panniers from Banjo Brothers have been the most enjoyable. Why enjoyable? I will explain.
I am currently on my second set of saddlebags from Banjo Brothers. The first set were very dependable in the worst weather that Portland could throw at them. They always kept my clothes and papers dry and held everything I needed to take to work with me. One morning I had made it to my office building on a very wet commute and I was heading down the ramp to the parking garage under the building when suddenly the stitching came out of one of the side bags, which promptly fell into my rear wheel.
Now if you have ever been riding down a steep and slippery slope with no assistance from your rear wheel...well, you understand what a predicament it can be. Somehow I was able to stop safely with only minor damage (to both me and my bike).
Determined to give Banjo Brothers them my best "what-for," I called their customer service number at 6:00 in the AM only to get a nice and polite response from Eric who was seriously concerned about what happened and assured me that this would never happen again. They shipped me a brand new set of panniers overnight and included a free t-shirt (which happens to be my favorite shirt to wear...just ask The Wifey).
(Nice little place to hang a bike light)
Since then I have had no troubles with the new panniers and have even added a seat bag to my commuting arsenal. Banjo Brothers makes quality "bags and stuff" and their bags are just like their customer service: Quality and Midwestern!
PROS:
- Waterproof (must have in the NW)
- Durable yet light
- Quality construction
- You can sling them over your shoulder like a roughneck cowboy
- Doesn't work with all racks
Find them here: Banjo Brothers
Note: This is not a paid advertisement. Seriously, I can't stress enough that the view of this writer are based solely on money well earned and spent on a product I love to use.
