Where are Arkel panniers made?
Sherbrooke, Quebec
Approximately 80% of our bags and panniers are handmade at our headquarters in Sherbrooke, Quebec. The rest of our products require special machinery and are ethically manufactured by experts in Asia. Click here to learn more about our ethical manufacturing process.
Are bike panniers safe?
Safety First: A bike pannier is a safe way to avoid getting tangled or dropping your items. With your items safely stowed away, you can stress less about carrying your items and focus on the road.
How do you wash a pannier?
If it’s a fabric pannier, throw it in the washing machine – depending on the stains it may take a few runs. Hose it out in the yard. Wash it in the sink or bathtub with dish/hand soap and a soft bristle brush. Use a bucket full of soap/sanitizer to initially wash it then pour the water over it to rinse.
How do I choose a bike pannier?
If you’re in the market for a pannier for general urban or town use, then you’ll need to consider how much storage capacity you need, what kind of carry system you’d like for the bag, and how easy or difficult it will be to mount or remove a fully loaded bag from your bike.
How should bike panniers fit?
Attach a Pannier Bag to Your Bike
- Locate the rear rack. Ensure the bike has a rear rack installed before attempting to attach a pannier bag.
- Place the bag hooks into position.
- Secure the center clip.
- Prepare the top strap (if present).
- Fold the pannier bag and secure the buckles.
How do you clean an Arkel Pannier?
Use cold or lukewarm water, little soap, and gentle cycle. The clean will be clean, but the waterproofness may suffer a bit each successive washing.
How do you clean a Bikepacking bag?
I recommend washing your bags with warm water and Dr. Bronners soap. Use a sponge or a soft brush to remove dirt more efficiently and rinse thoroughly. Open your bag and let it air dry.
Do panniers slow you down?
Panniers definitely slow you down on hills, but this is mostly due to the amount of weight you have in them. Bikers often use only one pannier on one side of the rack at a time. You might think that it makes steering or balancing harder. A fully loaded pannier on the bike has very little effect on steering.
Are panniers slow?
Panniers make you slower and less efficient Because panniers are heavier and less aerodynamic, it takes more energy to travel the same distance with panniers than it would with bikepacking bags. The added weight makes it harder to accelerate and climb hills because you’re carrying more mass around.
Do panniers fit all bikes?
With the right equipment you can fit panniers to a bike that isn’t designed to take them. Some bikes – tourers, most hybrids, and many gravel bikes, for example – have the threaded frame eyelets required for a rear pannier rack: two high on the seatstays, others down by the dropouts. Many road and mountain bikes don’t.
How big should my panniers be?
Front panniers tend to be smaller, and for good reason: whatever weight you’re carrying on the front wheel will feed directly into the steering and handling of your bike. Lighter is therefore better, particularly on rough roads. A typical front pannier might have a 10–15 litre capacity (ie: 20–30 litres per pair).
Can you attach a pannier to any bike?
Do you really need waterproof panniers?
Interestingly, if you ask those who use the waterproof covers about their efficiency, many will say they are not really needed that often for waterproofing but they do a wonderful job of keeping the panniers clean. It’s a lot easier to wash covers than panniers.
Are Arkel panniers waterproof?
Unlike many manufacturers, Arkel makes both waterproof and water resistant panniers. They recognise that cycle tourists have strong, well reasoned but often different views about things, and this applies to panniers. (You can read more about the water resistant v wateproof debate in our article on choosing panniers for cycle touring ).
What is an Arkel gt54 pannier?
The Arkel GT54, pictured in red. Prices vary according to individual models; various colours available. Arkel is a well-established Canadian originally founded on a single pannier design. Today, they make panniers and bike bags of all shapes and sizes and for every type of rider. I bought a set of Arkel T28s in 2007.
Who is Arkel?
Arkel is a well-established Canadian originally founded on a single pannier design. Today, they make panniers and bike bags of all shapes and sizes and for every type of rider. I bought a set of Arkel T28s in 2007. Before that, I had a set of Karrimors and then I switched to Alturas.
Where can I find the full Arkel touring range?
The full Arkel touring range can be viewed on the official website. Bob Zeller, a now-retired UK-based Canadian journalist, spent much of his professional life covering major European and North American professional cycle racing for (Toronto) Globe & Mail, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Winning Magazine and others.