Saturday 17 July 2010

Help, please

So recently I got new pannier bags for my bike (I say 'pannier bags' because it will make Alex point out that that's like saying PIN number or ATM machine, and I appreciate when people show concern for my education).  Anyway, I can't figure out how to attach them, so I asked on bikeforums.net, but they can't really tell me much without photos.  But also the photos can't be uploaded to their site; they have to be uploaded to somewhere else and then linked to.

So, when I need to dump anything online, I stick it on the blog, and this also gives the opportunity for all the blog viewers to chip in with ideas.

Here's what I have so far:

This is the bike, obviously.  You can see the pannier rack attached to the back wheel.  This, I believe, is what we're ultimately aiming to attach the panniers to.


These are the panniers.  Nice, huh?


This is what the back of each bag looks like.  This is sideways, so when the bag is on the bike, this is like a sad face mouth.

These little clip things came with the panniers, and are the only part of them which are referred to in the instructions (of which more presently).  The little round black bit (which can be seen on the top one) has a flat bit which fits into the sad face mouth as shown in the previous photo.

This is everything that came with the panniers.  In the centre are the clips, as discussed above.  The bag contains 4 cable tie things.  Around the clips and bag is an 'n'-shaped piece of plastic, which has holes in (it may have a more technical name).  To give an idea of scale, the 'n' is about a foot high.
This is diagram 1 from the instructions.  I think the point is that I'm supposed to remove the screw from the clip thing.

This is diagram 2.  I am not sure what this is trying to tell me.


This is the actual instructions.  The text says:

Bottom Strip
The hook can be rotated through a full 360 degrees.  We recommend installing the hook as centrally as possible with the hook's opening facing the rear of the bicycle.
1. Screw the hook onto the metal plate so it isn't quite tight and can still be moved around somewhat.
2. Determine the position you want the hook to be in so that it fits around one of the carrier tubes properly.  As soon as you have determined the correct position, unhook the bag and screw down the hook, then restore the bag to the original position.

It then repeats all of the text in some other languages.

So, based on these instructions, can anyone help?  Does anyone know what the 'metal plate' is?  Why do I have to unhook the bag 'as soon as' I have determined the correct position?  If I pause for a few seconds, what consequences will befall me?

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Okay, the "n" shaped thing goes into the little pockets on the backside of the panniers. that will go to the rear of the bike when the panniers are thrown over the rack.

The plastic parts that go in the slots will then be slip into the slots facing forward and adjusted so they are over the rear leg of the rack, then tightened down.

It may be helpful to wait to put in the "n" shaped piece until both of the inner pieces are adjusted.

It looks like there are some straps under the front, I'm guessing these have some kind of hardware to attach to the front of the rack.

for more permanent mounting use the cable ties to attach to the rack.

Stuart McDonald said...

No idea, but they are lovely panniers. I'd like some.

ScatterCode said...

Thanks Anonymous, I'll try that...

Bresker, they are very nice. I wanted blue ones to match my bike (that was, in fact, my only criterion). They also come in green and brown, and possibly red.

Valentina said...

I recently purchased the same panniers but in brown/ red, and had the same issue, did you cable tie the panniers to the rack and leave them there, or do you remove them each time you leave your bike? I'm not sure which to do.

ScatterCode said...

I didn't tie them on, just in case I want to remove them. To be honest, I don't very often leave my bike anywhere, so it's not a huge issue for me. I think if I was leaving it, I'd rather the panniers were securely attached.

Valentina said...

Ok, thanks :)