Panniers for Your Folding Bike

I have a bias. My bias is that if you are the proud owner of a folding bike you owe it to yourself to jump on a train and go explore. Forgo the delays and hassle of plane travel. Leave that carbon emitter in the garage. Grab your bike, grab your luggage, and hop a train.

But how do you deal with your "stuff" when you can't take a suitcase (how are you going to strap that on your bike!) and you can't cram all your junk in the trunk? The answer: panniers.

OK, so you'll go to the local bike shop and buy panniers. Oh, if it were only that simple! Unfortunately folding bikes don't accommodate standard panniers because of the small tires.

The good news is that there are panniers that work with folding bikes. I own a pair of compact contoured panniers sold by Nashbar. (The photo at left shows my panniers attached to my bike; the thing in the middle is the  carry bag that I stuff my bike into when traveling on trains.) The Nashbar panniers are well constructed, easy to attach to my bike rack, and only set me back $35. On a recent four day car-free trip I was able to pack everything I needed in the two bags; total weight was 18 pounds. Once at my destination I jumped off the train, assembled my bike, attached my panniers, and pedaled off to my hotel.  (I should mention that I made one modification to my bags, namely cutting off the bottom cinch straps -- they were hitting my heals while pedaling.)

Of course my Nashbar panniers aren't the only game in town. You'll find other solutions on the web, like here or here, where your budget and personal needs will converge.

Note: To see my 18 pound pannier packing list click here. Live Right. Pack Light!