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Wasted $40 on a 'waterproof' pannier that leaked on day one

Grabbed a cheapo pannier off Amazon last spring for my ride to work downtown Portland. Looked fine, zippers seemed tough. First actual rainstorm on the commute, my laptop bag inside was soaked. Took it back but the return window had passed by three days. $40 down the drain. Has anyone else had bad luck with budget gear like that?
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3 Comments
alicecooper
Call it a lesson learned and move on. $40 for a pannier that lasts through one season of rain is actually a solid deal in the bike world. My Ortliebs cost over $150 each and I've replaced the mounting clips twice already. Cheap gear isn't supposed to last forever, it's meant to get you by until you save up for the real stuff. You got what you paid for, plain and simple.
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murray.cole
Wait, you've replaced the Ortlieb clips twice already?
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the_lisa
the_lisa1mo ago
@murray.cole has a point about those clips. $40 for a season of dry commutes ain't bad, cheap gear is disposable by design. Ortliebs hurt upfront but they actually last.
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