Riding your bike is one of the simplest ways to live an active lifestyle, and while it’s always been seen as a leisurely activity—most casual riders would park their bikes in the garage until they're ready for a breezy stroll on a sunny weekend—it has a lot more potential than that. With a few tweaks and accessories, it can also be your vehicle of choice when doing errands such as buying groceries.
It's time to change your impression of what your bike can do. With equipment such as a pannier grocery bag, you can turn your bike from a simple road or mountain biker to a trusty vehicle that can transport your items quickly and easily.
Using gas-powered vehicles has become the norm for doing grocery runs. For example, sedans have adequate trunk space that can fit your weekly food and produce stash. So we keep driving to our go-to supermarkets even if it's just a few blocks away.
On the other hand, gas consumption for these short trips can be hefty. It’s hard to see your bike as an alternative when you’re dealing with bags of groceries—actually, you only need to purchase a bike grocery pannier to make it work. We're here to give you reasons why you should get a bike grocery bag.
Placing a box on top of your bike rack and securing it with a flimsy rope may be a good improvisation idea, but it's not sustainable. The rope may loosen up over time if you don't know how to tie a strong knot. Second, you'll constantly worry about the box tipping over and spilling all the items you bought. So you'll find yourself pedaling like you're trying to balance on a zipline. That's not how you want everyday grocery runs to be.
You'll need a proper grocery bag with the right leveling to keep your items secure even as you tackle rough roads or encounter a bump, and a bike rack bag can do just that.
The paper bags used in grocery stores can only be carried by having your arm support the bottom. This is inconvenient and tiring, especially if you bought plenty of items and there's no shopping cart on sight to help you wheel it outside. It would be better if you had a bag you could sling on your shoulders in and out of the supermarket.
Bike panniers allow you to do that. You can carry it inside, put items on it, check it out, then hook it to your bike rack. Each step will flow seamlessly when you have a grocery pannier.
The best bike panniers for groceries are spacious, and you'll also have an option to use or attach pockets inside for putting small items like your personal belongings. Grocery panniers also can come in pairs. This means you have an option to bring one or both panniers. One bag for perishable and the other for non-perishable items.
The problem with bike baskets is they have gaps on the side and an open top. This exposes your items to rain, sun, and dust as you carry them to your home. A bike rack bag is designed to be enclosed and the materials used are made of nylon or polyester. As a result, you'll be sure that your grocery items will remain dirt-free and dry.
The Banjo Brothers have been around since 2003 and have been creating panniers and bikepacking bags that satisfy a common bike rider's needs. They aim to overwhelm you with outstanding products because they know the feeling of being underwhelmed by one.
That's why we're focusing on Banjo Brothers Market Pannier—a bike cargo bag that overwhelms you with amazing features:
The J-hook allows you to mount the panniers to the side of your bike rack. The panniers have two hooks installed at the back part of the bag end-to-end. There's also a triangular metal with an elastic band at the bottom that holds the pannier steady on the side of your bike.
The market pannier's main compartment is spacious. The 24.5 liters of volume sits larger than it sounds because of its storage-box-like design.
The Market pannier comes equipped with an inside pocket that can be zipped—great for holding items such as your phone, wallet, and keys. There's also an external pocket that's made of velcro to hold smaller items.
Carrying heavy items is common when grocery shopping. And the Banjo Brothers are diligent in adding a feature that prevents the market pannier from sagging—a sturdy bag frame. It's not just any bag frame, it's a heavy-duty frame made with High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE), and it's fitted at the back and the bottom of the bag.
The reinforcement panels are taking the market pannier to the next level. Consider the ballistic panels as your pannier's bulletproof vest. But instead of bullets, it's preventing anything that may rip a hole in your bag. If you're going to shop for some hardware items with pointed edges, there's no need to worry about it puncturing your pannier and making it unusable. These panel reinforcements will keep this item in check for as long as they are inside.
The flap is a clever pannier cover feature. It gives you plenty of clearance when you're throwing huge items, one on top of the other. However, these items may take a lot of space upwards, and if you're using a zipped compartment, your items will be left unprotected because you have to keep the pannier unzipped.
With a cinch-down flap, you get to put the flap over the top and protect the item from rain or sun rays. In addition, the cinch-down allows you to tighten up the space so the items don't move around as you pedal.
What's awesome about the market pannier bag is that you have two options to carry it off the bike rack: hand-held or slung over your shoulders. The handle of the pannier allows you to lift and carry it like your regular grocery eco bag, but in case it gets pretty heavy, you can let your shoulder handle the weight.
The fabric of the market pannier is made of polyester. This material is sewn so tightly that it will be tough to wear it down. The polyester material is essentially plastic, and this type of material can resist water.
The pannier is awesome when it comes to holding large items, but what makes it even more amazing is that it can also fold down to storage size when you're done using it. You won't have to put a large bulky bag down somewhere as this creates extra clutter. Instead, you can store it in the drawer. Once you're ready for another supply run, the market pannier will remain in good shape after you unfold it.
The Banjo Brothers Market Pannier is an easy choice for those looking for a good-priced pannier that serves the exact features you will ever need for the trip to the market. It has an ergonomic design that lets you carry it from bike to supermarket and back with ease. It also has enough pockets in the right places to ensure you put your essentials where you can easily pull them out. Of course, the best part is the storage capacity that's enough to carry whatever items you plan on buying for the week.
