How to choose a top frame tube pannier

For a basic orientation in the selection of bike panniers for the top frame tube this text will help you, if you want to ask for further details or consult your choice, we will be happy to help you directly in our brick-and-mortar shop Ski and Bike Radotín.

About top frame tube pannier

On longer bike trips, it's important to have enough storage space to carry your personal belongings. One of the most popular and practical accessories is the bike top frame tube pannier.

• This pannier allows easy access to the things you need to keep on hand during your ride without stopping and dismounting your bike.
• Therefore, most often these panniers are used to carry your mobile phone, power bank, food accessories such as bars or sports gels.
• The top frame tube pannier is very practical and can be used every day even on shorter rides
• In this article, we will introduce you to the different types of panniers, suitable positions for placing them and different ways of attaching them.

Panniers by method of fastening

Basically, top frame tube panniers can be attached to the frame in three ways:

Velcro fastening

The most frequent solution, you pull the Velcro around the frame tube and fasten, a simple and well working solution.

PANNIERS WITH VELCRO FASTENING
 

Bolt on - to the bolts on the frame

This solution is visually the cleanest but requires preparation on your frame. Modern gravel, road or mountain bikes are factory prepared for this type of mounting. You can tell by the holes on the top frame tube for the bolts. These are either directly visible, or covered by a blanking plate that you just need to remove. Mounting is done from the inside of the bag by fixing two screws directly into the frame.

PANNIERS WITH BOLT ON FASTENING
 

Position of panniers on the frame

a/ front position by the handlebars - the most popular position - the pannier is best at hand and you can see it well,

b/ rear position by the seatpost - the second alternative, with the pannier underneath you, attached to the top tube of the frame and to the seat tube of the bike.

Both of these positions can be combined. Most panniers can simply be flipped over and mounted in either position. This does not apply to bolt-on panniers, as the bolt holes are, with a few exceptions, only on the front of the top frame tube (see below).

Many cyclists own two panniers and use both at the same time on longer rides. In these cases, the longer slightly lower pannier is usually chosen for the front position and the shorter taller pannier for the rear position, but it depends on your preferences.
There are also long panniers that are more or less the full length of the top frame tube.

Equipment and design of panniers

Please pay close attention to the design of the panniers.

The bag must fit and hold its shape perfectly. At the same time, it should be lightweight. Especially in the position of the seat tube, an improperly chosen pannier could cause your feet to come into contact with the pannier when pedalling, which could be a disadvantage on longer multi-day rides. So choose panniers from proven brands on the market that have a track record of development backed by the experience of long-distance cyclists and racers. For our part, we can put our hands up for Apidura and Restrap panniers, which are among the best on the market.

A pannier for longer rides should be waterproof, especially if you'll be carrying electronics in it.

Reflective elements are also useful to increase your safety while riding.

Selected panniers also have separate zippered pockets to hold documents or other valuables. Some are equipped with a hole for stretching the cable. This makes it easier to charge your navigation or mobile phone on the handlebars from a power bank.

Accessing and closing the panniers

With top frame tube panniers, you can reach into the pannier while riding. It is therefore a good idea to choose a pannier that is equipped with easy access.

The easiest access while riding is with various magnetic locks on the pannier flap. You can reach into such a bag even when riding off-road.

Much more common, are the zippers that are used on most panniers on the market. With these, it's a good idea to have a look if the zipper is waterproof, and most importantly, you need to make sure that the zipper is easy to walk on and has an extra eyelet on the slider for easy handling.

Accessing and closing the panniers

Think carefully about how much you need to carry and choose the right size pannier accordingly . In our e-shop, you can easily filter your bags by their volume in litres. The dimensions in centimetres can then be found on the detail page of each product.