Thank you for a very clear review - a non roll top brand with good versatility and a long history is Carradice - each bag signed by the maker... Also thank you for your vlog - I have learnt a lot
I just finished a 6,000 KM bike tour with the shields and while they survived that, I have exact same thoughts as you pointed out in your summary. Non adjustable clips are annoying but it’s the rattling that is my biggest issue. I had them pop off a few times as well.
Thanks for this review. I have been using the Shield for 18 months on my daily commute and the bag fell off the rack three times. I bought this bag specifically because it has a protective sleeve for my laptop and I really like it in every other way, but the mechanism is not secure. I don't think it is just about the weight because my laptop weighs quite a lot! Even though I securely clamp both clasps before setting off, I regularly find one of them open when I arrive at my destination. I mostly cycle on Dutch cycle paths which are tiled and therefore do produce quite a lot of vibration. Luckily the bag did not fall into traffic yet, however, I think I will need to look for a different bag because I no longer trust this one.
I added a carabiner on the pannier handle and hooked it in on the bike to relieve my mind a bit! But yeah, after all for me the fact that I was constantly worried of loosing a pannier made me switch them out for some ortliebs 😉
Thank you. This comment and the video just led to me cancel my order for a 17L Thule Shield! I was going to use it for 13km work commute into London with a laptop. I cannot risk it falling off.
@@armandsakmens549 I definately did think about that, it is a good idea. But I think you would need to replace the whole slider system that the clasps are positioned on. So if you had an old ortlieb bag to destroy, it could be a good solution. Me, I went for an ARKEL bag and I am pretty happy with it. But the layout of the Thule bag internally was much better, just let down by those clasps.
@@JamesEtchells-w4l I checked that at least in Germany you can buy the sliders separately too and they are pretty cheap so, this might be doable without destroying an old bag.
My thule shield panniers lasted about one year of commuting before the bottom developed lots of pin holes. The vaude panniers I got lasted me 5-6 years before they developed a hole in the roll top.
I own the small version. I mostly agree with this review. Although i never list a bag and i even ride with empty ones. But the roll up buckle system really sucks. It takes away so much volume to roll it up completely and even then it’s a struggle close the buckles.
@@Longtack55 good for you. Still it’s not a great design. Half of the volume is gone ofter closing them properly. It’s too stiff and can’t really be adjusted in any way. I don’t mind those bags, but the roll up system sucks, i stick to that.
Thank you for your honest review, along with Mr. Putman’s comments , I would add , having used Arkel paniers for the last 30 years, their closing system is ultimately beyond the closing system you described. Additionally, their price ,quality, workmanship, closing system, volume choice, are really compelling. The color choice could make it’s selection less compelling, however, the price would make them VERY attractive…..in my opinion…..
@@biking_beyond there are several sizes available and the prices are for a pair, (2) paniers, the price for Orcas , 32 Litres 265$ CDN They are not published in Euros .. but I am sure you can find a conversion , also worth a mention are the LOCK system on your rack, you will never loose them…
I started out with an even cheaper alternative but I gave them away after a week, they had developed lots of small holes 😳 A tip for not dropping you rear bags is to bring a wire lock and thread it through their handles and the rack. I use that when commuting in urban areas to prevent theft when stopping at streetlights (unfortunately a thing were I live).
I have a set of the 13L panniers but in black... The reason they were falling off her rack was due to operator error. There is a way to manually lock and unlock the latch mechanism on the bags. It takes some fiddling around with the handle and latches but sometimes it will make a satisfying click when it locks onto the rack and other times it locks on silently. I visually inspect the system to make sure it's securely locked on before I ride. I haven't had any problems with the bags falling off (except one time but that was also due to operator error) and I can put as much or as little weight in them and they're fine as long as everything is secure. She is right about the side straps lacking adjustment though I thought that was kind of stupid too.
First of all, OF COURSE I know how to lock the bags. Still they fell off several times when not completely full (aka. heavy). Also, no need to speak about me in third person in a comment under my video…
I have the same 25l, only I own the black ones. They are amazing. A little edit...mine were a little more expensive. I paid €150 for just two bags of 25l. Think I have an upgraded version of Thule. I never had any issues with losing the bag or wear off and mechanism is good, but a little stiff. Great video anyway :)
My Ortlieb bag ripped at the seams during my 2 week ride in Sweden. Went to a shop and he said all bags rip if to heavy or stored in the wrong temperature.
Nice and honest review 👌🏻 I had Vaude Aqua Back Plus and the mounting mechanism is really good but I had quality problems with open seams, I’ll say bad welding or materials (Warranty replaced them), now I switched to Ortlieb full Bikepacking set up not only because Vaude failed on me but because I don’t want panniers anymore (except for the Ortlieb Bikepacking panniers), I ride pretty much off road and want a compact and lighter set up. Cheers!
I urge you to give serious consideration to Arkel bags. The mounting system is foolproof, the components are excellent, and the different models are versatile.
I would also recommend the Arkel saddlebags. I have used a pair on 5 trips ranging from 1 to 3 weeks on a Scott hybrid. No problems at all. They attach securely and unlatch for removal easily. Quite a few days on gravel roads and even snowmobile trails without any problems.
Are you sure that you click inn the paniers correctly on the racks? You have to use some pressure to install them correctly. Never had issues with losing them.
Is it possible to lock these? I ve seen some people have locks. I personally use this one never felt down from my bicycle, but now looking how to lock it so I dont have to take every time off from my bicycle.. thx
Thanks for the honest comments. I am also a cyclist and use Ortlieb panniers (works great). However, I am sadly disappointed with some of the other Thule products. I have three different Thule trunks for attaching the bike to the car (I have Thule because they have priority in the market), in terms of quality the materials are really good, but the construction itself is very unsuccessful. In short, they are very useless, or rather, very unfriendly to the user. It seems as their designers do not go into detail enough, like they are exploiting some of their old glory. I think they are being overtaken by competing companies. I have decided not to buy any of their products anymore.
3 out of 10 is still too much if you lost your bags several times. It's simply not functional and not safe in that case, so changing it to 5 is unnecessary. And thank you for your review! I wanted these bags because the Thule rack is one of the easiest to mount but really expensive. And I thought that with the Thule rack it may be the easiest to use these bags, but if they are not safe to use... 😢 I would like to carry my notebook and other valuables so nope. In that case these bags aren't an option for me.
I think you have missed a trick here? Do you and your partner cycle in Deutschland during the autumn, winter and spring? If so, you could of posted programmes for the last several months. Also, what about using a go-pro camera to show the two of you descending hills! Which would of been impressive on your mountain descents!😊
Thanks for your review, you saved me from buying the tule, I'm going to invest in some ortlieb better, the roads I'm going to travel have many stones and uneven terrain, greetings from Mexico.
You know I wish I had seen your review before I bought my Thule 25l bags I am very disappointed as I feel almost half of the bag is lost in folding the lid. I had a set or Ortleibe panniers before and they were brilliant but some scrote stole one of them. The strap design on these Thule ones is absolutely rubbish, why oh why couldn’t they have made the fasteners adjustable in length or better still use the same strap method as Ortleibe. I also bought some Vaude panniers once and they were very cheap and excellent and I’d say much better value for money than these Thule ones. The only reason I went for Thule is because I had a Thule roof rack but even that isn’t that good… ye0 Thule probably need to sack their children designers because their designers clearly don’t really have much of a clue in ergonomics and practicality
I know I know, I am correcting myself multiple times in other videos saying drive instead of ride, but it seems to be internalized somewhere deep in my brain 😄
I have the first generation Thule bags that use a magnet connector on the bottom (not solid). I do like that you can close them according to whatever load you have, unlike the current version. Thanks for your objective review.
Thank you for the honest, unbiased reviews of your bikes and gear.
Thank you for a very clear review - a non roll top brand with good versatility and a long history is Carradice - each bag signed by the maker... Also thank you for your vlog - I have learnt a lot
Thank you for your honest review - it was very helpful. I will check out Ortlieb bags.
I just finished a 6,000 KM bike tour with the shields and while they survived that, I have exact same thoughts as you pointed out in your summary.
Non adjustable clips are annoying but it’s the rattling that is my biggest issue. I had them pop off a few times as well.
Thank you for the review,I will keep on looking. I need the ultimate bag's for my lifestyle .
Thanks for sharing your experience with Thule brand. I will definite look into better locking mechanism. Very good review and liked the style.
Very nice review, thank you! I recently ordered a pair of the black 25L variant. Can't wait to use them!
Thanks for your review. The rack mounting system and fixed closing straps are deal breakers. My Ortlieb bags just work so well in this regard.
Thx for the feedback, now that my Vaude panniers opened up… i ordered the ortlieb city
Thanks for this review. I have been using the Shield for 18 months on my daily commute and the bag fell off the rack three times. I bought this bag specifically because it has a protective sleeve for my laptop and I really like it in every other way, but the mechanism is not secure. I don't think it is just about the weight because my laptop weighs quite a lot! Even though I securely clamp both clasps before setting off, I regularly find one of them open when I arrive at my destination. I mostly cycle on Dutch cycle paths which are tiled and therefore do produce quite a lot of vibration. Luckily the bag did not fall into traffic yet, however, I think I will need to look for a different bag because I no longer trust this one.
I added a carabiner on the pannier handle and hooked it in on the bike to relieve my mind a bit! But yeah, after all for me the fact that I was constantly worried of loosing a pannier made me switch them out for some ortliebs 😉
Thank you. This comment and the video just led to me cancel my order for a 17L Thule Shield! I was going to use it for 13km work commute into London with a laptop. I cannot risk it falling off.
has anyone tried to just switch the holding clips out for ortlieb ones? Isn't that doable? I mean it shall be cheaper than to buy the whole bag :D
@@armandsakmens549 I definately did think about that, it is a good idea. But I think you would need to replace the whole slider system that the clasps are positioned on. So if you had an old ortlieb bag to destroy, it could be a good solution. Me, I went for an ARKEL bag and I am pretty happy with it. But the layout of the Thule bag internally was much better, just let down by those clasps.
@@JamesEtchells-w4l I checked that at least in Germany you can buy the sliders separately too and they are pretty cheap so, this might be doable without destroying an old bag.
Very fair and quality review. I enjoyed listening to you. I was looking for a lower cost alternative to Ortlieb but this isn’t it.
My thule shield panniers lasted about one year of commuting before the bottom developed lots of pin holes. The vaude panniers I got lasted me 5-6 years before they developed a hole in the roll top.
I own the small version. I mostly agree with this review. Although i never list a bag and i even ride with empty ones.
But the roll up buckle system really sucks. It takes away so much volume to roll it up completely and even then it’s a struggle close the buckles.
The purpose of the roll up is to keep the water out and allow a variable volume. Nine years - no problems.
@@Longtack55 good for you. Still it’s not a great design. Half of the volume is gone ofter closing them properly. It’s too stiff and can’t really be adjusted in any way.
I don’t mind those bags, but the roll up system sucks, i stick to that.
Thank you for your honest review, along with Mr. Putman’s comments , I would add , having used Arkel paniers for the last 30 years, their closing system is ultimately beyond the closing system you described. Additionally, their price ,quality, workmanship, closing system, volume choice, are really compelling. The color choice could make it’s selection less compelling, however, the price would make them VERY attractive…..in my opinion…..
Oh i just had a Brief look but the price seemed very high?! Did that change or was I up to some wrong website? 🙈 what did you pay for yours?
@@biking_beyond there are several sizes available and the prices are for a pair, (2) paniers, the price for Orcas , 32 Litres 265$ CDN They are not published in Euros .. but I am sure you can find a conversion , also worth a mention are the LOCK system on your rack, you will never loose them…
@@biking_beyond my conversion , an average of 1 month of currency rates, are 189 Euros for 35 litres Orca bags (pair of two)
Oh okay i think the price is quite “high” to be honest 🙈 thank you for all your research!
I started out with an even cheaper alternative but I gave them away after a week, they had developed lots of small holes 😳 A tip for not dropping you rear bags is to bring a wire lock and thread it through their handles and the rack. I use that when commuting in urban areas to prevent theft when stopping at streetlights (unfortunately a thing were I live).
I used carabiner/ trigger hooks 🤫
I have a set of the 13L panniers but in black...
The reason they were falling off her rack was due to operator error. There is a way to manually lock and unlock the latch mechanism on the bags. It takes some fiddling around with the handle and latches but sometimes it will make a satisfying click when it locks onto the rack and other times it locks on silently. I visually inspect the system to make sure it's securely locked on before I ride. I haven't had any problems with the bags falling off (except one time but that was also due to operator error) and I can put as much or as little weight in them and they're fine as long as everything is secure. She is right about the side straps lacking adjustment though I thought that was kind of stupid too.
First of all, OF COURSE I know how to lock the bags. Still they fell off several times when not completely full (aka. heavy). Also, no need to speak about me in third person in a comment under my video…
Sorry
If they keep falling off I think you either have a defective product or you're doing something wrong cuz my bags work flawlessly and I use them a lot
@@vintagesteel good to hear! 😊
I have the same 25l, only I own the black ones. They are amazing.
A little edit...mine were a little more expensive. I paid €150 for just two bags of 25l. Think I have an upgraded version of Thule. I never had any issues with losing the bag or wear off and mechanism is good, but a little stiff. Great video anyway :)
Wow that’s interesting! Maybe yours are a follow up model? 😊
My Ortlieb bag ripped at the seams during my 2 week ride in Sweden. Went to a shop and he said all bags rip if to heavy or stored in the wrong temperature.
Nice and honest review 👌🏻 I had Vaude Aqua Back Plus and the mounting mechanism is really good but I had quality problems with open seams, I’ll say bad welding or materials (Warranty replaced them), now I switched to Ortlieb full Bikepacking set up not only because Vaude failed on me but because I don’t want panniers anymore (except for the Ortlieb Bikepacking panniers), I ride pretty much off road and want a compact and lighter set up. Cheers!
Nice!
Good honest review - thank you!
Thanks, you made me choose the ortlieb😊
I urge you to give serious consideration to Arkel bags. The mounting system is foolproof, the components are excellent, and the different models are versatile.
I might have a look then!
I agree!
Arkel's saddlebags, besides being expensive, are also crazy... The best saddlebags are the Ortlieb Roller Classic (115€)
I would also recommend the Arkel saddlebags. I have used a pair on 5 trips ranging from 1 to 3 weeks on a Scott hybrid. No problems at all. They attach securely and unlatch for removal easily. Quite a few days on gravel roads and even snowmobile trails without any problems.
Like your honest reviews 😉👍
Great review! 👍
Are you sure that you click inn the paniers correctly on the racks? You have to use some pressure to install them correctly. Never had issues with losing them.
After 5 months of using them daily, I am pretty sure I know how to use them 😉😜
& as I said, I only lost mine when they were to empty/ light
There is one biketourer on youtube that lost his ortlieb pannier, and never found it :) so none is perfect:)
@@pauliui78 I never lost an Ortlieb pannier in 20 years
Is it possible to lock these? I ve seen some people have locks. I personally use this one never felt down from my bicycle, but now looking how to lock it so I dont have to take every time off from my bicycle.. thx
nice and honest review
Thanks for the honest comments. I am also a cyclist and use Ortlieb panniers (works great). However, I am sadly disappointed with some of the other Thule products. I have three different Thule trunks for attaching the bike to the car (I have Thule because they have priority in the market), in terms of quality the materials are really good, but the construction itself is very unsuccessful. In short, they are very useless, or rather, very unfriendly to the user. It seems as their designers do not go into detail enough, like they are exploiting some of their old glory. I think they are being overtaken by competing companies. I have decided not to buy any of their products anymore.
3 out of 10 is still too much if you lost your bags several times. It's simply not functional and not safe in that case, so changing it to 5 is unnecessary.
And thank you for your review! I wanted these bags because the Thule rack is one of the easiest to mount but really expensive. And I thought that with the Thule rack it may be the easiest to use these bags, but if they are not safe to use... 😢 I would like to carry my notebook and other valuables so nope. In that case these bags aren't an option for me.
I think you have missed a trick here? Do you and your partner cycle in Deutschland during the autumn, winter and spring? If so, you could of posted programmes for the last several months. Also, what about using a go-pro camera to show the two of you descending hills! Which would of been impressive on your mountain descents!😊
Super review!
Would've been nice to demonstrate the mounting process.
True, I simply forgot to film that and thought the same when editing! But the bags are sold already 🙈
Mine fall off the bike very easily when cycling over bumps. The locking mechanism isn’t very well designed.
Good review!
Nice review! Is there any sort of screw you can adjust to tighten the mounting mechanism?
Thanks for your review, you saved me from buying the tule, I'm going to invest in some ortlieb better, the roads I'm going to travel have many stones and uneven terrain, greetings from Mexico.
I also got some Ortlieb panniers recently! 😉
@@biking_beyond ¡Yeeaaaa!
they look good but the main thing that puts me off is the lack of closing size adjustment
Thank you!
Nice design.
You know I wish I had seen your review before I bought my Thule 25l bags I am very disappointed as I feel almost half of the bag is lost in folding the lid. I had a set or Ortleibe panniers before and they were brilliant but some scrote stole one of them. The strap design on these Thule ones is absolutely rubbish, why oh why couldn’t they have made the fasteners adjustable in length or better still use the same strap method as Ortleibe.
I also bought some Vaude panniers once and they were very cheap and excellent and I’d say much better value for money than these Thule ones. The only reason I went for Thule is because I had a Thule roof rack but even that isn’t that good… ye0 Thule probably need to sack their children designers because their designers clearly don’t really have much of a clue in ergonomics and practicality
True 😕
Thanks god bless
I bought my bike for 80 euros 😂.
Decathlon has good panniers if you are on a budget
Now i know not to buy Thule thanks!!!
Conclusion: buy Ortlieb panniers
Depends on what you want I guess 🙈
You do not drive a bike, you ride a bike. Your English is very good just some little grammar adjustments. Buy Ortlieb!
I know I know, I am correcting myself multiple times in other videos saying drive instead of ride, but it seems to be internalized somewhere deep in my brain 😄
@@biking_beyond No big deal I did not mean to bother you.
I have the first generation Thule bags that use a magnet connector on the bottom (not solid). I do like that you can close them according to whatever load you have, unlike the current version. Thanks for your objective review.