Bikes & GearHow To Guides

DIY PANNIERS

Transforming your bike into an urban workhorse needn’t cost you the earth. Cape Town cyclist and author Dr. Helmke Hennig shares his ingenious, DIY solution to create panniers out of upcycled materials.

Cape Town based author an retired lecturer, Dr. Helmke Hennig, uses his bicycle for purely utilitarian reasons. Living far from public transport routes and no longer being able to drive a car because of failing eyesight, Helmke’s bicycle is often the only way he can travel beyond five kilometers. When presented with the challenge of transporting boxes of fruit from the local market to home, Helmke came up with an ingenious low cost solution to create pannier saddle bags out of old shopping bags and reused hardware supplies. What follows are his detailed instructions to guide you in making your own.

WHAT YOU NEED:

  • A bicycle rack
  • Copper tubing (2 pieces as long as the width of your rack)
  • Cable ties (x 4)
  • Hose pipe with a diameter that allows the copper tube to be inserted.
  • Fabric shopping bags or similar which have grommets to reinforce the handles.
  • Metal rods that are flexible enough to be bent, but strong enough to hold weight (Helmke used the rods from an old asbestos drying rack)
  • Plastic tube to fit over rod
  • Two pieces of cord

BUILD IT IN 5 EASY STEPS

1. Slide garden hose pieces over the ends of the copper tubes (this will reduce rattling). Tie the two copper tubes to the pannier rack with cable ties.
2. Bend the U-wire rods. Place plastic tubes on the end of the U-wire rods to reduce rattles.
3. Wedge the cords in the pannier struts (these will be used later to secure the bags)
4. Place your shopping in the Green Bag. Push the U-wire rod through the grommets of the Green Bag. Lift the Green Bag and U-wire rods and push them into the copper tubes.
5. Once both sides of the pannier have been inserted, tie them down with cords to secure. Now you are ready to roll!

 

Credits
Photographs by Ursula von St Ange.
Asbestos drying rack wire rod donated by Al Lastovica.

  • CONTRIBUTED BY
  • Author Posts
Leonie Mervis
Director & Founder of BICYCLE SOUTH
Leonie is the founder & creative director of Bicycle South. A designer & environmental activist, Leonie is passionate about sustainability and a keen advocate for bicycle cities. When she is not blogging on local bicycle culture, you’ll find her adventuring on her gravel bike.
http://bicyclesouth.co.za
leoniemervis@gmail.com
×
Leonie Mervis
Director & Founder of BICYCLE SOUTH
Leonie is the founder & creative director of Bicycle South. A designer & environmental activist, Leonie is passionate about sustainability and a keen advocate for bicycle cities. When she is not blogging on local bicycle culture, you’ll find her adventuring on her gravel bike.
http://bicyclesouth.co.za
leoniemervis@gmail.com
Latest Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *