Best luggage bags/boxes?

What do y'all think are the best luggage tailboxes or panniers, etc.? I saw the M5 (expensive)
luggage tailbox, and heard there is an optima one (which I haven't found any pictures of). Are there
any othere worth consideration? Are there good recumbent panniers (by whom?)? I am looking for
something that fits a low racer or quasi-low racer.

Craig

 

"Bozeman" skrev ...
> What do y'all think are the best luggage tailboxes or panniers, etc.? I saw the M5 (expensive)
> luggage tailbox, and heard there is an optima one (which I haven't found any pictures of). Are
> there any othere worth consideration? Are there good recumbent panniers (by whom?)? I am looking
> for something that fits a low racer or quasi-low racer.

What brand of bike?

http://www.radicaldesign.nl/ Makes pretty cool bags for recumbents.

Optima only has the Elan tailfairings AFAIK. Just a shell without luggagecapacity.

Then theres Novosport www.novosport.de with a whole range of boxes. I have a large Sport-version. I
would not recommend it for major touring though. The weightlimit is around 10 kgs and even though 70
litres or thereabouts sounds like much the shape prevented me from carrying my tent, sleeping mat
and bag inside the box. They went on top and it looked horrible and the overweight gave the box a
few cracks in the bottom. (easily repaired but still.) They do give you added speed and are fine for
a weekendtrip without camping.

HP-Velotechnik also has a luggagebox but thats from Novosport (or at least built by the same guy in
Poland) so probably not cheaper if they have to make a buck too.

I guess the cheapest method would be rigging a normal rack and using standard panniers. Ortlieb
backrollers work for me.

Mikael

 

AFAIK the Optima t/f can be had with a couple of "shelves" inside, but it doesn't carry much. You
could use it for day rides, but that's about it.

The HP-Velotechnik and Novosport boxes are identical - when I got one, the instructions had
"Novosport" written all over them.

Dave Larrington - http://legslarry.crosswinds.net/
===========================================================
Editor - British Human Power Club Newsletter
http://www.bhpc.org.uk/
===========================================================

 

> Are there good recumbent panniers (by whom?)? I am looking for something that fits a low racer or
> quasi-low racer.

The Dutch company Radical have a good reputation in specialist recumbent bags, although I do not
have any myself !!

They have English pages and I think have supplies around the world (you do not say where you are !!

http://www.radicaldesign.nl/

Regards, Simon

 

"Bozeman" <[email protected]> wrote

| What do y'all think are the best luggage tailboxes or panniers, etc.? I saw the M5 (expensive)
| luggage tailbox, and heard there is an optima one (which I haven't found any pictures of). Are
| there any othere worth consideration? Are there good recumbent panniers (by whom?)? I am looking
| for something that fits a low racer or quasi-low racer.

Go to Wal-Mart and a couple of those blue flexible coolers--they work great on just about
every bike.

Regards,

Mike O'Brien

Trying to keep the barbarians from the gate, but they all have fake ID's

 

"Mike O'Brien" <[email protected]> wrote in news:[email protected]:

> "Bozeman" <[email protected]> wrote
>
>| What do y'all think are the best luggage tailboxes or panniers, etc.? I saw the M5 (expensive)
>| luggage tailbox, and heard there is an optima one (which I haven't found any pictures of). Are
>| there any othere worth consideration? Are there good recumbent panniers (by whom?)? I am looking
>| for something that fits a low racer or quasi-low racer.
>
> Go to Wal-Mart and a couple of those blue flexible coolers--they work great on just about
> every bike.
>
If James Bond rode a trike, his luggage might look like this:
http://www.thorax.de/Produkte/Tangens/T-Ausstattung/t-ausstattung.html (second photo down)

Another option for cheap plastic panniers, are those nice file boxes they sell at Office Depot and
the like. Not quite big enough for a conventional paper sack of groceries, but the plastic kind with
the loops (to saw thru your fingers as you carry them)do fit

 

On 29 Jan 2003 22:27:09 -0800, [email protected] (Bozeman) wrote:

>What do y'all think are the best luggage tailboxes or panniers, etc.? I saw the M5 (expensive)
>luggage tailbox, and heard there is an optima one (which I haven't found any pictures of). Are
>there any othere worth consideration? Are there good recumbent panniers (by whom?)? I am looking
>for something that fits a low racer or quasi-low racer.
>
>Craig

Take a look at www.elan-ligfietsen.com they sell small lowracer bags

 

Thanks all for the suggestions.

Anyone using a Novosport "Racing" model? Does it fit on an Optima Baron? How long is the delay on
getting one?

Thanks, Craig

 

Bozeman wrote:

> Thanks all for the suggestions.
>
> Anyone using a Novosport "Racing" model? Does it fit on an Optima Baron? How long is the delay on
> getting one?
>
> Thanks, Craig

I doubt that it would fit such a laid back bike.

Here is a picture of it on my Hurricane.

http://www.egr.msu.edu/~nogami/jun/other/bikes/hurri/sidetbox.JPG

It does have a wheel well that fits a 26" wheel, but the relationship between the wheel position and
the seat was designed for the speedmachine.

It will take you at least a couple of months to get the box.

If you're really serious, I can send you some picture of a wheel and the tailbox in various
positions and you can judge from yourself whether it will fit. I do not own the tailbox now. It was
sold to someone with a T-bone.

 

Craig asked:

> Anyone using a Novosport "Racing" model?

Have one on the Speedmachine

> Does it fit on an Optima Baron?

It *might* is the seat was cranked up as high as possible, but I doubt it. There's a lot more fresh
air between the rear wheel and the seat on the Speedmachine than there is on the Baron.

> How long is the delay on getting one?

Mine only took a week or so, but it's not very far in comparison...

Dave Larrington - http://legslarry.crosswinds.net/
===========================================================
Editor - British Human Power Club Newsletter
http://www.bhpc.org.uk/
===========================================================

 

> Bozeman wrote:
>
> > Thanks all for the suggestions.
> >
> > Anyone using a Novosport "Racing" model? Does it fit on an Optima Baron? How long is the delay
> > on getting one?
> >
> > Thanks, Craig

The website says it will fit an Optima Cobra. But why not e-mail them and ask?

Regards Mikael

 

[email protected] (Bozeman) wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> What do y'all think are the best luggage tailboxes or panniers, etc.? I saw the M5 (expensive)
> luggage tailbox, and heard there is an optima one (which I haven't found any pictures of). Are
> there any othere worth consideration? Are there good recumbent panniers (by whom?)? I am looking
> for something that fits a low racer or quasi-low racer.
>
> Craig

I have got an Easy Racers and just bought from Bike Nashbar, on sale, a large and a small pair of
panniers with waterproof coated fabric, welded seams and roll top closure. They look and fit great.
The small pair tuck under the seat on the factory optional racks. the large bags fit great on a
modified Easy racer rear rack. I also had made a small shelf type rack for the space under the seat
and between the two small panniers. For the money I feel the Bike Nashbar bags are a great deal
especially when compaired to the Vaude panniers which these closely resemble. I will be doing the
Bike FLrodia seven day trip this March.

Peter Spirito

 

> The website says it will fit an Optima Cobra. But why not e-mail them and ask?
>
> Regards Mikael

Because they have not replied to email for almost a month.

 

"Bozeman" skrev...

> Because they have not replied to email for almost a month.

Yea, that would do it I guess. Might be vacation although he forgot to put the dates in. AFAIK
its a one-man operation.

Mikael