Ortlieb Back-Roller City Rear Pannier

Came just fine and a little earlier than expexted. They are large and spacious panniers, extremely adjustable, completely waterproof, and will be very sturdy after you adjust it to your rack. I was worried my heel would hit them while I biked, but I've adjusted them to allow considerable leeway for my feet. Its also effortless to remove them; thoughtful construction! One of the cheaper ortliebs I've found, and by no means of lesser quality because of it! Although I have yet to tour with them, I am very comfortable with the buy.Only setbacks: from handling, it got one or two small scrapes. Only a rubbing on the glossy surface. It'd take a LOT more than handling to actually break these things. Also, this is a simpler version than the back roller classic pannier, which I found to be a bit more expensive. Personally I don't think these extras are very necessary. These panniers seem more than adequate for touring across the country (my intention with these!) without the extras. Great purchase! As I've expected from ortlieb...

These bags are awesome and it is clear now why they are so popular and we'll respected. I have been using a set of these to daily commute 100mi a week in Illinois and they have not let me down once. I am fairly nuts and will ride in very adverse conditions. I'm probably "that guy" in my area (with a great career mind you lol) that just likes to take on mother nature on the daily and save the car for long trips. These bags have kept my essential daily work attire and equipment (Educational IT) dry and humidity free without fail. Big fan!As for mounting, at first I was a little confused why they have so much movement when mounted. I think now that this is preferred and more durable. If they were made to not move around over bumps and impact, maybe that would be more prone to breaking, especially in the cold because they are hard plastic. Maybe I'm wrong, but it does result in very consistent and confidence inspiring feel to me. Even tho they can move on the mount you feel like they are not going to come unclipped or come off. Can't say the same for the cheaper bags here on Amazon with two hooks and an elastic strap. Thoes came off constantly to the point I zip tied them on. Happy I upgraded to these. I think any oterlib stuff is going to be pretty well thought out, just pick your style and size.The quick release handle is maybe the greatest thing ever. Get to work, pull a handle, off I go!!! Seriously this sounds simple but it's become my primary bag for freeking life.I do wish it had a second more robust handle to carry it when it's off the bike, but there are at least 3 ways to fairly easily hold the bag while you're walking so it's not a big deal and offers a very clean "Pro" look when installed on the bike.

MODEL DIFFERENCESThere's a Roller City and Roller Classic. I admit I was not paying close enough attention to the model when I bought these City bags.In hindsight, I would recommend taking a look at the Classic because they include some straps that offer some additional flexibility in usage. They are a little more expensive, but I think they would have been a better choice for me.The side clips would be more versatile if they had a strap you could cinch/loosen. This forces you to do 3-4 full rolls to clip them shut, rather than maybe 2 if you need some extra capacity.SIZEThe size of these paniers are a good balance. They are a little bigger than a large paper grocery bag when open. They lose about half their volume when clipped shut, but that should be expected with the rolltop.DURABILITYThey seem about bombproof. Mostly using them for grocery store runs, so they haven't really been stressed.USABILITYThe automatic latch on the handle is great and works well most of the time. It's very clever. Other reviewers mentioned this, but this feature makes them easy for thieves to remove too. Some rudimentary locking mechanism would be a nice-to-have as a deterrent.--- UPDATE ---I have had these for a few months now.SAFETYThe reflective zones are very bright. I had them stored in a dark room and scared the life out me when they caught the light one night.SIZEThe rolltop can actually be closed with just a roll or two. 3-4 rolls is probably the intention, but I've gotten away with fewer.USABILITYI have come around to the side clips. I didn't realize it at first, but they have a hole your thumb can be put into to guide the clip into the fastener. I have never used a clip like this before, so I wasn't getting it. Once it clicked (pun very intended), I liked the design much more.You do need to nail the alignment of the clips though. Otherwise it will land crooked in the fastener, and then you have to jostle it to get it out and try again. There's just not a lot of room for error.These still cannot be beat for easy on/off. They're perfect in that respect.My 4 star rating stays (let's call it 4.5), but I will say I have enjoyed they a lot. They work great for groceries and lunchboxes/small coolers.Would recommend without hesitation.

Confession, I have not actually used these in the rain yet, but they certainly seem like they should be resistant enough.The Ortlieb line of panniers is pretty legendary and now that I have them it's easy to see why. The material is tough and well assembled but the real star is the Quick Lock mounting system. As some have said, it's not secure from a theft standpoint, but the ability to just drop the bags onto the rack (More or less) and know they won't fall off is a nice feature and since you can just pick up the bags and walk away, you probably should whenever leaving your bike., because someone else could detach them just as easily. I think this particular pair might be a bit large for the average commuter unless you carry a fair bit of stuff. My first use was to pack everything for a four day weekend trip and it fit pretty easily (This was not a camping trip and food wasn't packed either but there was plenty of room for four days of clothing, spare shoes, etc. ). Overall, a great buy, would totally buy again (but probably won't have too).