Review: ORTLIEB E-Glow, a Bright Spot on the Ha...
Till now, lights and handlebar bags were separate accessories. ORTLIEB combined them both. Now, urban biking is that much safer.
Imagine if Danny MacAskill was a banker - then he would probably ride to work with this special ORTLIEB classic...
Danny MacAskill can probably do as many tricks as there are version of ORTLIEB’s classic Back-Roller. The 33 year old Scot and the southern German hydrophile are also roughly the same age. In 1987, the Back-Roller went to series in Nurnberg and quickly took over the world. To call it the VW Golf of panniers would be an understatement. If you meet a Touring cyclist on gravel road in Patagonia, Scotland or Laos, the chances that they have a Back-Roller on their rack are somewhere between 98 and 99 percent. It isn’t boring or mainstream, instead it’s the result of an unrivalled product that is simple, reliable and robust. I’m sure that if Danny MacAskill gave up his professional carrier and pursued a “serious” profession, e.g. banker, he would use the Back-Roller to commute to work. Fittingly, ORTLIEB introduced a version that gets full style points: the Back-Roller Urban.
The “Urban” is the much cooler sibling of the long-running “Classic”, both in colour and feel. The material is eye candy for all those who love a clean look. Compared to the smooth and tough truck tarp surface of the “normal” Back-Roller, the textile impression of the Cordura cotton blended fabric of the Urban version feels like a finely knitted Merino wool sweater. Not like the classic yellow fisherman’s rain jacket, but still just as waterproof. For the sticklers: IP 64, protected from water splashing from any direction. Alright, now I have never heard of a diver using a Back-Roller on their underwater bike, but to be clear laptop & co. are protected from every type of on-land wet. Often, when I am riding with the Urban, I get comments like “That material is really waterproof? Looks like a normal fabric.” The textile outer surface of the Back-Roller Urban is outfitted with a polyurethane (PU) coating on the inside. This make the material completely waterproof - so much that a 100 metre water column (100,000 mm) is needed to bring the water repellent to its knees. Even a Southeast Asian monsoon rain couldn’t get the job done. Thanks to the Cordura ratio - an extremely robust and wear-resistant plastic - in the fabric, this pannier will last decades, so be sure you pick the right colour. Luckily, the reserved and clean look eliminate the risk of any colour overkill.
Those who have already put some cash into a stylish City bike should have a look at this version. Why not use a stylish accessory to complete the whole package? Oh yeah, and the Back-Roller Urban’s outer surface is also sealed up too. The sealant ensures that the fabric doesn't soak up the water and leaves rain drops rolling off. Just to be clear: this has nothing to do with the 100 % waterproofness of the material. That is taken care of by the PU-coating mentioned above. It is only there to ensure the pannier doesn't soak up water through the cotton fabric and get heavier.
The outer surface of the fabric is sealed to be waterproof so it does not soak up moisture and get heavier. This way, water rolls right off.
Closing up the Back-Roller is child’s play and can be done in two ways. Either like a classic dry bag, roll down and clip. Or by clipping the included strap on one side, rolling then clipping it again on the other side and hooking the strap on the bottom end of the pannier, tightening or loosening the strap depending on how filled it is. Note: One roll down will keep things in the bag, but to meet the IP64 protection standard (6x = dustproof, 4x = protected from water in every direction), the pannier needs to be rolled down four times. ORTLIEB says that only 9 milk bags (= 9 kg) should be loaded in each bag.
A rack, that doesn’t fit the Back-Roller really doesn't exist. ORTLIEB offers two mounting options: the QL2.1 and QL3.1. QL stands for “Quick-Lock” and is the most uncomplicated, fast and still secure ways to attach a Back-Roller. QL2.1 works with hooks that open and close when lifting the grip strap. 16 mm rail diameter is standard, but reduces for 8, 10, and 12 mm rails are included. For really thick rails, e.g. on some E-bikes, switching to 20 mm hooks with handle is also an option.
When the Back-Roller isn’t on the rack, the tightening strap can be used as a shoulder strap. Those who walk alot when going to work or shopping will find the QL3.1 system interesting. The advantage: unlike the QL2.1 the QL3.1 doesn’t have hooks, which are great on the hips and for those around you. A special QL3.1 mounting set a type of adapter, is installed on the rack. To attach, the bag is hooked first on the lower mount and then clipped to the upper mounts by sliding the pannier from left to right
With the QL3.1 system, the Back-Roller is hooked into the lower mount and then slid into the upper until is clicks. This removes the need for the QL2.1 hooks, making carrying more comfortable. However…
…you need the special QL3.1 mount installed on your bike.
The inside of the Back-Roller Urban is the same as its Classic sibling: a pocket and mesh zip compartment store things like keys, wallets or files. To be honest, you don’t need anything else either.
The ingenious Hartmut Ortlieb was right on the money with the accessories when he invented the Back-Roller 30 years ago. Those who aren't into the shoulder strap can also convert the Back-Roller, and almost every ORTLIEB pannier, into a waterproof backpack with the optional back harness system To secure the QL2.1 mount from thieves there also a QL2/Ql2.1 theft protection. Super practical if you leave your panniers on your bike for a longer period of time.
Maybe Danny MacAskill will reshoot his "Way back home" video – this time as a banker, with the Back-Roller Urban.
20 litres per pannier. Space for two large DIN A4 folders, jacket, other files and much more.
Small stuff that can easily be lost are best kept in the mesh zip compartment.
A true classic for City bikers and commuters who are looking for that extra something to look good and protect their stuff 100 %.