I recently nabbed a pair of Ortlieb’s Gravel Pack panniers to replace a pair of front Ortlieb Roller Plus panniers I’ve been running on the rear of my Divide for the past couple of years.
Still, with years of life remaining in the Roller Plus panniers, they’ve found a new home on the rear rack of my wife’s touring bike. Ever since last summer’s cycling trip to Hokkaido, she’s adopted then as her own and I’m sure they will give her with many years of trouble-free service.
Here’s my initial take on the new bikepacking lineup offer from Ortlieb…
Rugged and Durable Construction
The Gravel Pack panniers are designed to provide space for longer rides. They round out Ortlieb’s bikepacking ensemble consisting of a saddle pack, a partial frame bag, a handlebar bag, and a front pouch. Ortlieb’s webpage shows the panniers in a front mounted set up on a low-rider rack. More on that in a bit.
The new Gravel Pack bags are a thinner, more streamlined design providing a slightly narrower profile when mounted on the bike. There are no inside pockets or shoulder straps like on the Roller Plus model. A two-clip setup locks down the roll top enclosure. An orange cinch strap secures the center of each roll. The fixed length of the double clip closure straps doesn’t allow any overstuffing. Stiff plastic back sheeting keeps the panniers rigid.
Constructed of lightweight PSR21 abrasion and weather resistant material, the bags have a combined payload of 25 liters. With RF welded seams and waterproof roll top double clip enclosure will keep the contents dry, though I still double bag all sensitive gear just to be sure. I’m able to fit the same long distance gear setup in the Gravel Packs as I could in the front pair of the Roller Plus panniers. No worries there.
The rail locking system employs two mounting hooks instead of one for increase mounting security. To eliminate wear and tear and bag rattle, I also cinch the panniers down with a pair of burly elastic ROK Straps. The straps eliminate virtually all of the rattle, even on the roughest roads.
Not a Big Fan of Seat Packs
Most of my travel is on paved and unpaved road with occasional ventures onto singletrack. I tend to ride longer distances over extended periods of time, which necessitate more gear. Saddle packs run a bit too small to accommodate the additional kit. Plus, seat packs tend to wobble and can be a hassle to pack and unpack.
Two small panniers provide enough added space for my gear without becoming excessive. They’re excellent for long distance self-supported bicycle traveler rolling with kit weighing in on the lighter end of the spectrum.
Panniers are more convenient for accessing gear than saddle pack. Panniers are easier to organize. As part of my load plan, the left pannier contains the camping gear, hygiene kit, and things I use on a daily basis. The right bag houses lesser used items, such as extra clothes, the medical kit, a repair kit. It also houses spare parts like a spare carbon drive belt, a couple of inner tubes, and a folding tire.
Running a Rear Pannier Only Set Up
Intended for a mount as part of the Ortlieb bikepacking set up, I’m running the Gravel Packs on the rear. Like other Ortlieb panniers, these easily clip on and off. They’re a perfect fit on the bike’s Tubus Cargo Evo rear rack. Pictured as a front mount set up in Ortlieb’s bikepacking line, I’m running them as a rear pair without a front rack or panniers.
For me, two rear bags provide a cleaner, more stable carrying option. The bike is more stable both when riding and on the double-legged kickstand. The rear bag setup may not be the best for weight distribution and puts more weight on the rear wheel, but after 30,000 km it hasn’t been a problem yet.
The top of the bags mounts just about flush with the upper deck of the Tubus Cargo Evo making a good surface for my photo backpack and a food sack.
List price is running $170 for the set.
Wrap Up
Ortlieb is an industry standard when it comes to durable, well-built panniers and bags. Their kit is rugged, reliable, and time-tested. The Gravel Pack panniers are in keeping with this tradition and a nice addition to their bikepacking lineup. The bags are a viable option for long-distance bike travelers interested in rolling with a little less kit and sporting a lean, trim rig. The Gravel Packs make a light and tight set up on my Divide. Their trim profile is a nice update to the stalwart Roller Plus panniers. There’s no loss in the payload. I’m still able to haul my current long distance kit with ease.
Highly recommend. Two thumbs up.
Hi, what length and width ROK strap are you using to secure the panniers?
Jakob,
I’m using the 12”-42” standard thickness ROK Strap. I have a thinner set on the top of the rear rack.
Cheers, Johnny
Great review! Thanks for sharing your experience with these awesome panniers!
Excellent. The Ortlieb Gravel Pack panniers have been great. Ortlieb is the standard for panniers, in my humble opinion. If you’re a serious rider heading into harsh conditions, there’s no sense in going with anything less. I’ve seen some pretty flimsy setups on the road that end up being a lot of trouble.
Cheers, Johnny
Thanks for the review. Ortlieb have a good reputation and their products will last, that is what you pay good money for!
I have a Specialized Comp Trail 2012 and a Merida road bike. I wanted the option of buying a ‘clip / strap on’ front / rear rack, as my MTB has front fork suspension, braze ons half way up forks on rear and rear of arch over front wheel.
I was thinking of a Thule Pack n Pedal rack with side frames, but I am not sure if the frame may be bigger than the 10 mm gap stipulated in the Ortlieb spec sheet.
Any suggestions for a front / rear flexible fitting rack that will take the Ortlieb Gravel pack?
Phil,
I’ve found Ortlieb bags to be the “gold standard” for bicycle panniers. Their build is top notch and the bags are waterproof, which is the number one requirement for me.
I’ve never used the Thule Pack n Pedal, but they look like they would work on your bikes if the mountain bar is 10mm less. In the pictures I checked out, the bars look a little fat, so I’m not sure about that. Also locking in the bottom of the planner might be an issue with the Ortlieb bags as well. If you are looking for something a little more rugged and will accept Ortlieb panniers, you might want to take a look at Old Man Mountain racks at oldmanmountain.com. They make quality front and rear rack setups for road and mountain bikes (rigid and suspension) that don’t have braze-ons.
If you bike(s) are set up for a rear rack, you might consider running panniers on the rear and a handlebar bag on the front, with a possible frame bag too. If so, I would put a Tubus Evo Cargo rack on the rear with a pair of Ortlieb Gravel Packs. For the frame and handlebar bags, I recommend Revelate Designs, again the best I’ve tried. I’m running a Ripio framebag and a Revelate Harness and Salty Roll on the handlebars. Additionally, I just switched from a Jones Loop H-Bar to a Jones H-Bar Bend and a BarYak Expedition (baryak.com) that allows me to better carry a load on the handlebars.
For the shorter rides, I’m running Ortlieb Gravel Pack panniers on rear with Revelate Designs frame and handlebar bags on the mid and front. For longer trips, I’m adding a Tubus Tara front rack with an additional pair of Ortlieb Gravel Packs. Both setups help distribute the load weight across the length of the bike.
Hope this helps. Let me know if I can be of further assistance in your adventure cycling pursuit. Hope to see you out on the road.
Cheers,
Johnny
Hello,
Very interesting review – I have a Topstone Carbon RX but as I am short (156cm), the bike is an XS which means a seatpack is not possible.
I also came to the conclusion that this Topstone model (with Kingpin suspension) does not appear to allow rear racks.
I think I will have to mount the panniers on the front – any suggestions on the type of rack? Would the one you use work?
Many thanks,
Alison
Alison, I’m a big fan of Tubus racks. I’m using a Tara low rider rack on the front of my Divide. It’s light, well-built, and handles my Ortlieb Gravel Pack panniers just fine. If you are looking for a rack with a top deck, perhaps something like the Tubus Grand Expedition might work. This rack is a little bigger and will allow gear to be lashed to the top deck, plus it has low and high mounting position for panniers, where the Tara rack has a low pannier mounting position only.
I use a handlebar bag, so I don’t need a top deck on front rack, and low pannier mounting position hasn’t been an issue for me.
Surely Nice Racks are the only other racks I’ve had any experience with. The are well build but much heavier than the Tubus racks, which is why I replaced them. As far as racks go, I think Tubus racks are the top of the line. The are probably the best, if not one of the best built, lightest and cleanest looking racks available — in my humble opinion.
Hope this helps. Please let me know if there anything else I can help you with. Happy riding. Cheers, Johnny
Hi Johnny,
Considering the diferences between the Sport Rollers (schoulder straps and a mesh pocket inside) and the Gravel panniers (1 extra mounting hook, two-clip setup locks ).
Which bag is your favorite for commuting, gravelrides and long distance biketravel?
Thanks for the great review.
Stephen
Stephen,
Thank you for the kind words. In deciding between the two models of panniers, it depends on what and how much gear you’ll be carrying. If you need more room, go for the Sport Rollers, if not, consider the Gravel Packs, which are more compact. A set up of front and rear Sport Rollers (12.5 liters/per front bag, and 20 liters/per rear bag) has 15 more liters of volume than a set of Gravel Pack (12.5 liters per bag).
The lid tie down strap allows the Sport Roller bags to be over stuffed a bit, which the side clips on the tops of the Gravel Packs don’t allow. I never used the shoulder straps on the Classic Rollers.
The extra clips on the bottom of the Gravel Packs are nice. For added security, I recommend a ROK strap for each pannier to lash them down to the rack, which eliminates bag rattle and reduces stress on the mounting hooks.
The Classic Roller bags worked great for me. I switched to the Gravel Packs to reduce volume and the amount of gear I carry. Both models are of a quality build, though I think the Sport Rollers are constructed of a heavier duty material.
Both models will do an excellent job. In my opinion, Ortlieb is the gold standard for bicycle panniers.
Hope this helps. Let me know if there is anything else I can do.
Cheers,
Johnny
Alison,
In Bristol, UK , there is a company call Tailfin – https://www.tailfin.cc/ They make an aero carbon fibre rack which can take a saddle bag above and / or panniers ( there own brand or Ortlieb amongst others fitted with additional fittings). They have good reviews.
Phil,
I checked out the site. I agree, tailfin.cc has some nice lightweight carbon rack options. Those looking for a super light set up should check it out. I think we’re living in the “golden age” of bikepacking and bike travel gear. There are so many options to choose from now. Thank you for the heads up.
Cheers, Johnny
Hello Johnny and Phil,
Thanks for that; I’ll check it out.
In the meantime I got the Tubus grand expedition put on the front and the 2 Ortlieb Gravel paniers on the bottom position.
They were great – did a 400km odd ride with my gravel bike East to West of Switzerland without a hitch.
Ideally I would like to find something for the rear of my Topstone as I cannot use a saddle pack because I’m quite small & there’s insufficient space between the tire and the saddle. As my bike is the carbon RX model, with the Kingpin suspension I cannot fix a standard bike rack.
Best,
Alison
Alison,
Good to hear about the Tubus Grand Expedition and the Ortlieb Gravel Pack panniers. Sounds like an awesome ride to Switzerland.
Just a thought, have you considered using a seat post mounted rear bar rack, such as the Ibera linked below? That is if you have an alloy seat post. I can hold a rear bag, but not panniers, and should mount high enough on your seat post to have enough clearance for your rear tire. I looked a picture of your model of bike and it seemed like it might work. There are many models like this on the internet and aren’t took much money.
A friend of mine used one of these his mountain bike when we circumnavigated Taiwan. The rack mounted solid and carried a medium sized sack with his sleeping bag and some clothes. I was impressed. Just a thought.
Cheers, Johnny
https://ak1.ostkcdn.com/images/products/8865853/Ibera-Bike-PakRak-Rear-Seat-Post-Mount-Commuter-Carrier-Rack-f89bebc1-e605-4996-a034-dcea04f9c20f_600.jpg
Hi Johnny,
Yes, in fact that was my initial idea but the bike shop did not recommend it as the stem is not alloy; reason why I went for the front rack.
The Tailfin looks ideal as although it is also stem-fixed, the wishbone lessens the weight/pressure to the stem.
Alison
Alison,
With a carbon seat post, you may end up running a small saddle bag, some of which mount to the seat rails on the saddle. Is it possible to switch to an aluminum seat post? Just a thought. Good to know your the setup with your front rack and bags worked out.
All the best,
Johnny
Alison,
Glad ride was good, v scenic. The Tail fin rack is only fixed to seat stem and QR wheel axel etc with pivot point so would not be fixed as many other racks are.
Hi Phil,
Thanks , which would make removal easier I suppose – tubus rack is fixed.
Best,
Alison