Delivered 2 days ago. Installed top-peak tourist rack last night. All allen-headed bolts provided as necessary. Fitment to dropout lugs easy, albeit a little compression necessary to squeeze the rack stays in to fit narrow road-racer dropouts. Fore-Aft bracing was a conundrum - mono-seat-stay >> old alloy road Trek frame. Used an old seat post clamp for a light around the mono-stay (with rubber sleeve) and bolted 1* brace from the rack onto the light mount position of the clamp. Solid as a rock.
Then I installed the bags. Good hook mechanism on 2 upper hooks means they *cannot* come off the rack, no matter the jolt - the mechanism completely encircles the rack bar. Then I lifted the rear of the bike up by the rear of the seat, and, WHOA, you notice the weight even empty.
Combined would be about 2.5kg? Instantly dispelled all thoughts of bigger, heavier tyres.
But combined they would hold 58L, which is more than my backpack holds.
They're aren't quite what you'd call military spec, but seem very well made and rugged given their design parameters and the fact I'm already whining about the weight of them.
Put 'em quite a ways back to prevent heel strike - it's a road bike afterall. Rear of these large bags still ends some 15cm short of rear of wheel; bottom of bag level with axle and 98% protected by large plastic backing in this region. Top of bag maybe level with top tube? Central mass of bags is more rear of axle than I planned, but it feels okay. Seems maybe 8-10cm wider than my legs when packed,.so crazy traffic filtering is not really on, and on bikeway I was conscious that I liked having just the right pannier and being 'slimmer' on the left side, but they don't cramp your style too much otherwise.
Anyway, took them out onto the Coronation Drive Proving Grounds today - aka BikeWay - where the Australian Army famously tests all it's vehicles prior to deployment.
It was high tide + Wivenhoe Dam release
2-6 inches of briney water OVER the bikeway in parts. Muddy detours, large pieces of floodborn debris. Low-range was required several times. There were actual waves breaking on the tarmac.
AND bits of timber and garbage in the waves. I was forced to get off at one point and push it through a narrow gap between the embankment and seat (to avoid water) - the right bag (only trialling the right one at present) was easy enough to still wheel the bike around easily on the back wheel, and it didn't fall off while doing this, which was good.
I got a little too clever at the next water crossing and attempted to time riding slowly through with the gaps in the waves, which was working brilliantly, until a large branch washed in front of my rear tyre when I wasn't watching and....I fell over... on the right side, with the bag, in 6 inches of water.
Thoroughly wet arse.
But the contents of the bag remained dry.
Backpack actually got 30% wet.
They actually have a big shower proof top that you pull tight with a draw-string BEFORE you then flip the top lid over and buckle it down.
I hereby certify them fit for amphibious landings and use on all unsealed roads.
I am somewhat miffed at the fall which would not have happened without a load, but which probably would only have been worse with everythign loaded in the backpack.
Yes, I am actually still using the backpack atm for laptop, and use at end of ride. Can't quite put the laptop in the bag yet...still worried about those few really big hits the frame takes from the road every ride. And I don't think I can fit the empty pack in either pannier - it's almost as big as the two of them together. And the bags are not convenient to use off the bike, tbh, compared to my pack. I could if I had to. But may simply stick with 50/50 spit in pack/pannier for a while.