| OYB Retro Pannier -- Modified Vintage Swiss Army!
April 09, 2013
[$59 postpaid in USA for ONE pannier. The postage part is about $10, so the pan part is $49. Internat'l customers pay excess postage.]
Presenting the Original OYB Classy Retro Pannier!
Dang, they're sharp.
(Thanks, "Bicycle Times," for your nice review!)
[UPDATE: Hooray! Thanks to Robert we now have a fresh supply of base cases! It's been since Nov. since we could find any. Get 'em while ya can. These leather'n'canvas Swiss items are VERY HARD to source. We might have the only supply in the US right now!]
The base cases I use to create this pannier are high quality, rare, vintage Swiss military surplus in very good used condition --- just a few nicks, scuffs, stains and/or rumples. A few years ago I saw one in a surplus shop and realized it would make a sweet pan. I'm glad I did! These goodies have "beausage"---the beauty of use. The leather can vary in shade. They are made of VERY thick leather and canvas. It's like saddle leather. The canvas is stiff, twice or thrice as thick as a messenger bag.
The size is 8.75" tall, 4" deep, 11.25" wide. This is a SMALL pannier (at 5.4 liters) but it's still good for lots of things! Inside length "as is" is 10.75". If that's fine, great. If you want it to fit 8.5x11" items, simply get a stack of a couple dozen magazines and insert them one at time until the pannier is completely filled, tightly, like a brick, then let it "rest" a few hours before removing mags.)
Modifying each bag takes a lot of work. I feel like a blacksmith. Depending on what options you order, there are at least 6 stout copper tube rivets in each. It takes a half hour of hammering, drilling, tugging, and pulling to set one up. I recently met a silversmith who said, "Ah, now there's someone else who works with his hands!" I thought this would be a nice little change of pace from desk-work. Well, it is! ...And then some!
Waiting for Your Order Speaking of typing, I still make media here. That, and my backorders list, means that it'll be a week or so before I can make and ship your pannier.
Pick the Right Clip! The pans come by default with clips to fit 8mm Blackburn-type racks. If you have a 10mm Bontrager or 12mm Tubus, be sure to let me know. Also, let me know if you have a Plescher rack (with the sprung top holder) -- it needs a longer bungie. Also, let me know if you have a compact "rando" rack like a VO -- I'll need to set the pans 1/2" rearward to avoid heel-strike risk. And if you have size 12+ feet plus a rando rack, it should go back an inch! Lastly, if you have a 17mm rack, it'll be an extra $10 per pannier as I'll have to hammer and rebend my biggest 12mm clips to fit, a tricky labor-intensive operation.
Don't Forget the OYB Bike Bag! The Bike Bag with Stick-mount option is a world-class saddlebag -- and more. It's listed under this pannier in the Luggage section.
Two Logo Patch Options! OYB panniers and bags now come by default with a leather logo patch riveted on. Note: the patch in most pics is light-colored, but after two weeks of sun it'll darken right up. Also, the patch can function as a blinky-light strap -- just clip your light onto it. But! I can install an embroidered patch instead, if you like, and if you add a note telling me to do so. So, you can either go classy or colorful! Any other requests, just let me hear it and I'll see what I can do.
Optional Set-ups I also offer it as a shoulderbag with clip-on strap or as a saddlebag/handlebar bag (with 3 leather mounting straps), in addition to the pannier mode. See pics below. It's an extra $15 for the Strap or the saddle/bar mode. Pile on the options!! Mix'n'match. Click the yellow "Add to Cart" button once for each option you want. (If you get all options, it'll be an OYB International Model Perfection 4-Way Lunchbox!)
Shoulderstrap Option: ($15) I offer 2 lengths of shoulderstrap. The default strap is 1.5" wide, brown synthetic webbing, adjustable (to very long), with black metal clips on copper-riveted pivoting d-rings. If you are under 5'7" please let me know, as I have a better length strap -- it's dark green, 2". If you prefer the brown strap, that's fine, you'll just have excess doubled-up length under the slider.
Saddlebag/Handlebar Option: ($15, with 3 leather straps)
Buy Two, Get a Discount? Sorry, no can do. Margins are too small, time-per too high. (I now better appreciate why other leather pans and bags can cost $250!)
Blinky Light Strap Option: For an extra $5 I'll rivet on a little lower strap that you can clip a blinky-light to.
Money Back Guarantee & Warranty: If you don't like it, return it for a refund in a week. If something ever breaks, I can send you a part if it's easy to replace, or send it back and I'll do the repair and I'll pay for Parcel Post shipping. (These items are very tough. None have needed mail-back repair yet.)
Decaleur Bag? It seems like this item would work great as a front bag with a decaleur and front rack---in that case, no attachments are needed at all (you'll just screw the mount bar to the bag). The price would be just $30 for a plain base case. If interested, email me.
This was my first customer response...
"Thanks! It's one of the best pieces of design I've ever seen." --Dr. E. Parker; Leicester, UK
It's enough to go to your head.
This has to be the cheapest leather-canvas pannier out there. The others are about $100! I think it has the most leather of ANY pannier.
More Neat Features... Check out the closure-tang thing---sweet.
Each pannier has a stiff leather band inside the top front and back edges and the whole bottom area. 5 metal button-stands let it stand nice and protect the bottom leather. There are two partial-flaps under the main flap. The handle is designed to slide down flat.
The hook is tensioned with a bungie cord. Now, such a bungie rig is meant for moderate duty. I wanted the backside fittings to have a low profile. (Arkel makes nukeproof fittings for $44 a set...) The attachment is not meant for off-roading or wretchedly bumpy pavement. The worst case is you'll have to replace the bungie after awhile if you really use it hard. The case itself is water-resistant, sure, but not waterproof.
Monogramming... If you like, for an extra $5, I can stamp your initials vertically (and about .5" in size each) into the closure strap or the left area of the front leather panel. See pic below. Use button below to add the $5:
Non-US Customers You SHOULD see an option for postage to their country (or near enough). This pannier requires the *3-4 pound* postage rate.
Why Luggage at OYB? I offer these items to support and fund the cause of OYB: to promote indie outdoor culture & heritage. Nowhere else offers a wide "roundup" view of the scene. (A general overlook isn't considered a strength of the web, but I feel otherwise.) No one other vendor keeps such a range of outdoor book and media classics alive and available. The 1500+ free articles here give a unique view, but I still need to pay my way. So feel free to explore -- and shop -- and support the loyal indie advertisers -- at OYB!
Here's a close-up of the OYB Classy Lunchbox Pannier (with new leather patch -- but before I started using copper rivets):
Here's how one looks on a bike (old patch alert!):
Here it is as a shoulderbag:
Here's a bunch on a bike:
Here's a shot showing the backside attachments (attached with pop-rivets in this older pic; now I use solid one-piece split rivets):
Here's the $5 blinky strap in action. (You can also see optional shoulder-strap swivels):
Here's how the optional initials look that I'll stamp for you for an extra $5:
The $10 handlebar/saddlebag option:
Here's the backside of the bar/saddle option:
(Note: Lower mount shown is the pannier option. If you order it only as a bar/saddle bag I'll rivet the leather strap vertically (unless you're only using it with a rear rack---please, let me know). Also, this bag should work fine with a decaleur and front rack---just screw the mount bar on---there's 2" of thick leather at the top of the bag to back up the bar. I'll provide pics and feedback for decaleur use as I hear back about it.)
The same option set up on the saddle:
Note: It only works with Brooks-type saddle loops, and it's steadiest to *zip-tie* it to the loops. If it cants too much for you, I can provide a lovely whittled superstrong Osage Orange "stand-off" stick for $10 (just click the Option button). (An Osage stick is shown at the 6-Way Bag listing to give you an idea of its niceness.) ...When mounted in full-cant my thighs just touch the bag when riding. It'll also mount nice'n'vertical'n'steady on a bike with a rear rack (with gap b/w rack and loops of 8" - 12").
Speak of the devil, here's a pic of bag with "stand-off" stick (not Osage; also, it would have a stabilizing hole in the stick to zip-tie to the leather base strap):
Here's how it works with a rear rack:
Customer Photos:
Here's a customer with a VO rack (close to heelstrike territory):
Looking bag-matched and proportionate on a Raleigh 20! (Courtesy of the Veloscene blog at http://www.veloscene.net/2010/12/oyb-pannier-on-raleigh-twenty-first.html.)
Here are two on Mike's bike at Mike's Bike (and Skate) Shop in L.A. (it's a 1960's Ideor -- Italian -- 12-sp with Campy Gran Sport group):
Ah, a "character" bike project! Looks great!
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