Josh King lives in Seattle, where he commutes by bike every day, rain or shine. He switched to full-time single speed commuting in 2010. You can read his thoughts on going gearless at www.singlespeedseattle.com
When you want to unseat the king, you’ve gotta bring your “A game.” The king here? The Ortlieb Back-Roller Classic, the de facto pannier choice of nearly every bike commuter in Seattle — and anywhere else a bike commute mixes with rain. The scrappy contender? Seattle’s own Velo Transit. VT is looking to knock off the Teutonic champion with its own waterproof pannier, the Metro 20.
Here’s how the battle shakes down:
Exterior: The Metro 20 exterior is 500 D Cordura, with a waterproof liner. Ortlieb uses a single waterproof layer with a shinier exterior. It’s really a matter of personal preference here; I think the Metro 20 looks nicer but I suspect it will get (and stay) dirtier.
The Metro 20 also uses reflective hang tags rather than the ominous Ortlieb patch. Both bags come with removable shoulder straps — handy if there’s much of a walk at one end of your commute:
Edge — Tie
Interior: The Metro 20 basically replicates the interior structure of the back roller. However, they’ve made their inner lining out of high-visibility yellow fabric. This solves a minor annoyance familiar to Back-Roller Classic users — trying to find smaller items in the bag’s dark and cavernous interior.
Edge — Metro 20
Pockets: In addition to mimicking the interior file pocket/mesh pocket design of the Back-Roller, Metro 20 ups the ante by adding an outside pocket.
Now this pocket isn’t truly waterproof, but it’s fine for my in-city commute. I rode with it through a couple of major rainstorms and only a drop or two got in around the end of the zipper. But it solves a major frustration of mine: I am forever forgetting to put something — wallet, paperwork, etc. — into my pannier until I’ve already rolled up the top. I love having an outside pocket in which I can quickly stash these items.
Yes, sometimes it’s the little things.
Edge — Metro 20
Size: The Metro 20 is 1500 cubic inches; the Back-Roller is slightly smaller at 1220 cubic inches. Part of this owes to the boxier construction of the Metro 20, which makes less of a concession to heel strikes than does the Back-Roller Classic.
Edge — Metro 20
Mounting Convenience: This is the main area where Ortlieb finishes ahead. One of the Back-Roller Classic’s major selling points is the fact that its mounting system is dirt simple: Lift the handle to activate the mounting latch.
Velo Transit has probably gone as far as they can without infringing on an Orlieb patent, and the Metro 20 is a close match for convenience "“ you need simply place the bag’s hooks over the side of your rack and rush down two thumb locks. But even with practice, it still takes a second or two longer than the Ortlieb.
Edge — Back-Roller Classic
Price: At $120, the Metro 20 isn’t cheap. Back-Roller Classic panniers can be found for as little as $75, but you usually need to buy a pair.
Edge — Back-Roller Classic
Other: Velo Transit makes its bags right here in the USA. Ortlieb? Germany. That’s a +1 for bringing manufacturing back stateside. Metro 20 also offers a lifetime warranty to Ortieb’s five-year warranty.
Bottom Line: Velo Transit has obviously given the Back-Roller Classic a close study, and improved on it in a number of ways that are subtle, but important to commuters who rely on their pannier day-in and day-out. The pricing and mounting system will probably prevent Velo Transit from achieving the ubiquity that Ortlieb enjoys in the waterproof pannier world, but the Metro 20 is, overall, the better bag for most commuters.