Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)All three of the previous reviews about this product were spot-on and very helpful. I highly recommend this product, especially if you like the whimsical or feminine prints. I'm not such a big fan of overtly feminine products, and this pannier's styling straddles that fine line between simply cute and cutesy. For the remarkable price point and quick shipping from Niagara, I thought it was a very, very good buy despite my concerns about excessive cutesiness (is that a word?).
Appearance & Size. The nylon looks very sturdy without looking too sporty. As a previous reviewer said, the "dots" are not polka dots at all, they're really tiny symbols of a phoenix bird. Axiom has a line of urban bicycle gear titled as "Phoenix," which includes these panniers. The blue is a bright navy and overall, the size is just perfect for the light commuter. It's a little narrower than those grocery panniers, but plenty of space for my lunch, medium-sized purse, a cardigan, emergency bike stuff (patch kit, tools, pump), and small water bottle. The pannier sags a little under this weight, but it still seems very secure, and under pressure, it could hold a little more.
Attachment. The previous reviewer was right about the included instructions being for some other type of pannier. This attachment system has worked for me very well, once I figured how to use it. 1) Pull down the velcro flap that covers the two rubber hooks, 2) hook your pannier onto your rack (by the way, get a rack made for panniers), and then turn the black "posiclip" (black thing that sits in the middle of the rubber hooks) from horizontal to vertical. The posiclip will push against the bar of your rack in the opposite direction of the hooks, thereby holding the pannier in place. The posiclip has 3 holes, so you can unscrew the screw and adjust the posiclip so that it pushes against your rack tightly. I did not need to adjust the posiclip at all. I found this attachment very, very secure and prefer it over the typical bungee cord method.
Other Design components. I was really looking for a single pannier that had various strap options. Basically, I wanted to get off my bike and take my bike bag with me via shoulder straps without looking like a biker chick or too sporty. I disliked bike commuting with a backpack because of the back sweat, however, it took me some time to find a pannier that was both stylish, budget-friendly, and had various strap options. The strap is a bit uncomfortable if the bag is heavy, but it is your typical nylon woven strap found on most luggage. It's not especially bad or good. Discomfort could be solved by using a strap pad or a seat belt pad. Also, as a previous reviewer stated, the hardware inside is sharp with burrs. I plan on covering up the hardware with thick black fabric because I can imagine that such burrs would ruin a nice sweater. Lastly, the bag has a fair amount of structure. When empty, it looks fine. When full, there is minor sagging but it's minor too. I do wish it had the aluminum framing that a lot of grocery panniers have, which would make the bag feel more durable, but otherwise, a very good design. I love the front pocket for keys and my ipod.
So far, this has been the easiest commuting bag for my bike. The bag seamlessly fits into my morning route: going from bike into the office without appearing like I was on a bike.
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