BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

I leave the panniers on my bike. I've never had a problem, but then I've deliberately done up my bike to look like an old homeless dude's bike for just this reason.

I don't know why people expect things that are not locked up to not be stolen.

kaaden wrote:Is there a problem in the city with stealing the panniers themselves? I’m looking at several cheaper options to do grocery runs and other errands, and they all appear to be quick-release or something of that nature. I don’t want the more permanent, metal ones because I do want them to be detachable, but it would be nice to leave them to go in the grocery store, for example. Or can I just leave them and assume no thief would want an empty pannier?

Had a cheap pannier that was zip tied to the rack and a seat pack stolen off my bike that was parked in the Third Avenue Garage a few months ago (was only there an hour during the afternoon). I assumed that no thief would want an empty pannier, unfortunately, I was mistaken.

The only thing i leave on the bike is my tailight. ortliebs go with me .. not a bad thing as it is nice to pack after check out on a counter instead of outside.

I would leave kitty litter buckets on my bike, but that's about it.

Yeah, as others have pointed out, don't leave anything on a parked bike that you don't mind getting stolen. (And don't count on them not being stolen when you're not parked. I remember a thread here a few years ago where someone had their panniers lifted off the bike WHILE THEY WERE RIDING IT.) I don't mind leaving my rack-top container on, but if anyone needs two spare tubes, a patch kit, and a half-empty box of band-aids that badly they're welcome to it.

http://lifehacker.com/5843619/build-bicycle-panniers-from-kitty-litter-buckets http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-DIY-Bike-Panniers/

@kaaden: I used foldable basket panniers like these: http://www.amazon.com/Axiom-Folding-Pannier-Basket-Black/dp/B001DMXGY6 on my cruiser. The folding action is nice; when they are empty your bike will still fit into a normal parking spot. That was my preferred grocery-getter until I got a better bike. Now I take my pannier(s) into the store. The nice thing about removable panniers is that if you pack them well before you step outside, the time-savings/convenience is about the same as with the foldable baskets.

Mick wrote:I’ve deliberately done up my bike to look like an old homeless dude’s bike for just this reason.

hmm. and that stranger gave you money when you were waiting at the bus stop playing your harmonica, iirc?

Evidently, I'm destined for the bum's life.

Says the only guy here wearing a tie in his photo.

jonawebb wrote:Says the only guy here wearing a tie in his photo.

Mick would be a bum with style. :)

When I was homeless, I had a certain amount of panache.

Here is the thread about the pannier being stolen off a bike while the rider was on the bike: link I've thought about this event from time to time. To thwart such an occurrence, I keep a short bungee cord on my rack at all times, and loop it through the strap atop my pannier. If nothing else, it helps hold the pannier to the bike in case it jostles off.

Stu, it changed my behavior too. I always have a rack-top bag on top over the panniers, so that you can't get panniers off without removing the rack-top bag first. And I also make sure not to have all my valuables in one place.