DIY coroplast panniers, about 100 liters

[frankvl]

I made some panniers for my cruzbike style bike made from wrecks. The material is the thicker style of coroplast, commonly used for big "for sale" signs. It's held together by zip ties, guy lines and finished off with duct tape. The slightly rounded shape makes it very solid; you can actually sit on it. It's not detachable without taking it apart. It weighs about a kilo or so, maybe less. I also made bottle holders and a quick access holder for my ereader/navigator. It's much more aerodynamic and stable than normal panniers and I can go on steeper roads now with the same weight.

First I wrapped coroplast around the rack, attached the rear panel, folded 2 panels on the sides and then added the panel at the front. On top there are 2 flaps that open up to access the contents; they stick in place under the top of the seat. Once the initial field test is passed, I want to compartmentalize it and have at least another opening on either side to access the stuff on the bottom more easily. Ideally it would have drawers, but I'm afraid I'll have to settle for just a normal opening and stashbags, because I need all the storage I can get for my tour.

My previous version was just a big pannier on one side using pannier clips, but that was sagging a lot under the weight and the stress from crappy mountain roads.

 

[Venkman]

Wow that is some nice

Wow that is some nice innovation there.

 

[frankvl]

With a creasing tool (heated

With a creasing tool (heated metal roller) you could make it more sturdy and professionally looking. It's probably best to place the material with the lines going semi-diagonaIly. Vinyl graphics (car stickers, or you can buy rolls of a color) is the best way to color it. If you do paint it (which will scratch easily), it's best to use a spraypaint, because a thicker layer of paint will peel off. A product called Scotch Weld is recommended for gluing this material, if you don't have the tools to melt it together nicely (a big hot knife might work). Some stapled on velcro strips should be a good way to close it. Valuables could be securely attached to the frame (on the inside) using a stainless steel mesh portable travel safe.

I added a box on the rear (one of those supermarket fruit boxes from the dumpster, but made from the same material) for easy access to my day pack, and can also be used as a table. It just fits into a cut-out slot in the panniers; worked even when loaded with 10 liters of water. Moves up and down a tiny bit, but that could be sorted by making 2 supporting triangles on the bottom, like a book shelf.

I also made a big screen all the way over my legs, like half a fairing. This should protect and cool my bare feet, legs and hands from the scorching tropical sun (and also the rain, but that's not really an issue). A square or otherwise optimized design that goes more tightly around the legs would probably be better. I don't think my version improves the aerodynamics that much, because it's so wide (40-80 cm). The frame is made from a zip tied-on triangular bars of coroplast and is very sturdy. The sides are folded over using guy line for additional strength and to avoid the sharp side. The reflector and torch holder were zip tied later on at the front. It could be dismounted and folded up if desired, without losing significant strength. It catches everyone's full attention and nobody understands what it is, so I'm going to stencil "cross-country recumbent" on it (and paint it black); hopefully that will cool their brains off a bit and give me some privacy.