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Roswheel Tour Pannier Small
540g (each) £85(per pair)
The Roswheel Tour Pannier Small is a 10 litre capacity pannier suitable for lightweight weekend on the back rack or as part of a full touring rig on the front, however, for really big rides with camping gear, 10 litres of capacity each is nothing special. Of course, you can use them for what you want, but whatever it is you’ll find these well-made and nicely thought out. Sold as a pair – worth noting as prices are often given for single panniers.
Pros: waterproof, adjustable, secure closure’ light loops.
Cons: capacity in the middle of the range.
Specification
A single pannier has a capacity of 10 litres. They have a roll-top closures, which work a little differently to many, but will soon become second nature. The straps look to be robust, forming a neat carry handle which should be at the top when the panniers are sealed.
The mounting brackets are rivetted in, also securing the stiff reinforcement that backs the pannier. The ends of the rivets are visible, but do not protrude. The brackets themselves, are stiff plastic. The hooks on the top bracket envelope the pannier rail. The top and bottom hooks are adjustable. The panniers come with a set of shims to aid mounting on a variety fo rail diameters, whilst also providing grip and protection to the rails.
420D PU coated ripstop TPU with welded seams, these should protect your belongings from the elements. There are some nice reflectives offering extra presence at night. the reinforced base has a “foam” insert for additional protection. There’s also a small external waterproof zip-pocket. The zip is protected by the baffle. The zip has a nice, large fob.
There are light loops, offering more opportunities for illumination
Rather nicely, there’s a shoulder strap, too. This is fully, and easily, detachable.
Dimensions, at max, are 16x19x34cm. These are approximate. Much will depend on your load, but the design is relatively slim.
Mounting and racks 3.75/5
I’ve tried these on a range of racks including an Avenir, Tubus, and Roswheel’s own Tour Front Rack. Mounting the panniers is very much in line with the usual procedure. You’ll need to select the appropriate spacers and slot them into the hinged hooks. A side note, here; there’s a small boss on one side of the spacer. This slots into the gap in the hinge. All the spacers fit well, holding tight when the panniers are removed for the rack, as opposed to dropping out and lying, camouflaged, in the dirt.
There are three sets of spacers which should fit and rack that I’ve ever come across.
The bottom hook is fully adjustable and flexible enough to encompass the chunky Tubus tubing.
Capacity 3.5/5
10 litres is in the middle of the range of front pannier capacities; Ortlieb and Carradice, amongst others, offer much bigger options (14.5 litres), but smaller (around 5 litres) are also available. Of course, there are lots of people who use what are traditionally rear panniers on front racks – especially racks like the Surly Front Rack. Personally, I find that cumbersome, but I am of the fogeyish tendency and people can cart their gear around as they please. It’s worth noting that some manufacturers of very good panniers no longer offer designated front panniers. I’d be looking for something smaller for the front, but that is up to you. Of course, many front racks just won’t deal with the size and weight of a larger pannier.
In that light, if you are going on a big trip and want a bit more flexibility, or carry full camping gear amongst other stuff and need to maximise capacity, you may want to look larger; but you will pay for panniers of similar quality.
Performance 3.5/5
I’d generally think of this as a front pannier; smaller offers more space for feet when turning corners, and, in my opinion – which is by no means held by all – better balance when pedalling. However, smaller panniers can be used on the back as well. Horses for courses; old, but true. Whatever, these are quite narrow panniers and there’s been no issue with toe-overlap when turning corners.
All properly adjusted and correctly mounted, and away you go, rattling over the setts, the stony broken surfaces of local cycle tracks, and over the speed bumps. OK, I’ve not hit the sleeping policemen at ramming speed, but it is good to know that, even at gentler speeds, a sudden shock has not sent the panniers flying. There’s been some rattle, but you expect this with partially loaded panniers – front one’s in particular, but there’s been absolute security. You’d hope for this and its many a long year since I had a pannier go for a bounce along the road – and that was low-rider rack failure. Even so, good news.
The closure is via straps, which you pull to tighten and loosen. I’ve found this a little less convenient than the quick click and clip closures I’m used to. However, that’s very much along the same lines as an unwanted update which ‘improve’ the functioning of your GPS I swear a bit, and then get used to it. Pleasingly, I’ve not noticed any annoying flapping, even when I’ve not properly secured the straps in their clip. Equally, the corners are held in place automatically, withoutthe need for additional straps when carrying a full load.
More of a concern, initially was how secure and watertight the closure would be. Drizzle had caused no problem, but I wondered about heavy rain or water puddling on the pannier when not fully loaded. Entering a drier spell of weather, I reached for the hose-pipe and watering can. What happened? Well, the water just rolled off. Perfect. There was some puddling up on top of the pannier when it was not fully packed – not a surprise – but the fold-top closure held firm against any ingress.
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​The little zip pocket does not seem to have any detrimental impact on waterproof credentials. I’ve used it for those little things that can easily go astray inside a pannier; charging cables, batteries (wrapped in a plastic bag, etc.
Care and durability 3.25/5
Wipe them over with a damp cloth, maybe with a bit of bike cleaner or a gentle detergent. That’s all really on the cleanliness front. Of course, allow to dry if water does get in. As ever, it’s worth checking that bolts are pinched up, especially after the first few outings, but every now and again anyway.
Whilst the fabric does not look as robust as some, it has survived contact with the enemy, in the form of thorny undergrowth. It wasn’t deliberate, but no harm was done to rider or pannier.
Value 3.5/5
You’ll pay anything between £100 and £174 for a pair of Ortlieb front panniers, but they will give you additional capacity, some adding an additional 10 litres per pair. Similar capacity is offered by the Carradice Super C panniers, which cost around the £100 mark and add 8 litres capacity per pair.
Of course, cheaper models are available. However, at around the same price as the Roswheel, Toliari offer a 12 litres pannier at £44 for one. Restrap offer another litre per pannier, for around £87 each.
Thus, the Roswheel Tour Panniers Small come in at a middle price point. There are cheaper models, but they are often water-resistant, as opposed to proof. Equally, this is a competitive field, and, in that field, the Roswheel Small Pannier holds its own.
Summary
The Roswheel Pannier Small, is a useful addition to the luggage options. They seem to fit especially well on the Roswheel racks I have been testing, although that could just be because they were all spanking new. Price sensible, design is sensible – although the closure took me a little while to master – and capacity likewise. You’ll find higher price and bigger capacity, but I’ve found these as more than adequate as part of a heavyweight touring set up, as well as suitable for day rides and commuting (mounted on the rear).
