The Brilliant, Simple Evo Pannier

The sleek and effective Evo pannier.

I found a simple, large volume pannier at Sierra Trading Post last fall for 20.00. Since then the Evo grocery pannier has come in handy as a supplemental carrier when I need more capacity, say if on a whim I decided to shop at lunchtime and wanted to carry home my packages, needing extra cargo space. The pannier is normally left at the office. Since it holds a grocery bag's worth of items, I knew it would also come in handy to haul my once a week, farm share pick up home.

Off the bike, fold over fasteners so they don't snag on clothing.

Last week I used it to lug my laptop, keyboard, mouse, and heavy power brick home. What a brilliant, lightweight addition for my commuter bike!

Made of rip-stop nylon with ample sized tote straps, the bag attaches to rack with two extra strong hook and loop pieces placed over the rack then threaded though plastic loops and doubled back onto the webbing. The system is easy enough in theory, except  a full bag is heavy so I am often balancing the weight in one hand while trying to attach the first 'hook". Afterward, the second one goes more smoothly.

The top zipper works well, but if you happen to over stuff the bag, leaving the bag open in transit does not create dangerous sway. Pretty ingenious, considering the bag lacks bottom attachments - all weight is suspended by the two very secure straps. There's also an internal small zippered pocket. A quick wipe down of the material is all that's needed if it becomes dirty from road spray. The bag lies flat against the rack until packed (if empty) or stored collapsed inside my office cubicle, taking up little space.

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For low cost supplemental storage, the simple Evo pannier has nailed it for style and functionality. Unfortunately, it looks like it's currently only available on eBay.