Way back in September of last year, I posted a review of the Seattle Sports “Fast Pack” waterproof pannier. Here’s how the bag looked when I first got it for review:

Well, this bag has been on many journeys since last year…hundreds of miles of “soul crushing” loads of pointy-cornered hardbound library books, groceries, dress shoes, tools and assorted other weights. The bag is discolored from sun exposure, tree sap and road grime and has been through 15 or 20 rainstorms, cold weather and any other condition central Florida could throw at it. Here’s how the bag looks now:

My verdict on the pannier is this: this bag is indestructible. I’ve stored it outside for all these months on three different bikes, and the only time water ever entered it was when I left it open accidently and my neighbor’s poorly-aimed sprinkler shot over the fence and soaked the bag. Since the bag’s liner hangs from the rim of the external waterproof layer, I simply pulled the liner “inside out” and it dried in a matter of hours.

Despite the bag’s rather wretched appearance, there are no loose seams, gouges or tears anywhere on it. I’ve carried 40 lb. loads of books in there, fully expecting those corners to punch through, but this bag took it all and asked for more!

The mounting system continues to impress me…I’ve never bucked the pannier off its rack mounts despite those punishing loads and they hold tight to virtually every rack I’ve hung the bag on. That’s good quality and great design, in my opinion.

Sure, there are flashier bags out there with more features, but I appreciate the understated “workmanlike” appearance of these panniers. They get the job done without drawing too much attention to themselves. It’s like this: If you value your loads and need them to arrive clean, dry and safe, these panniers by Seattle Sports are hard to beat.

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Bike Commuter Essentials at PricePoint.com