are your bags waterproofed?
frequently responded answer:
Our panniers are all vinyl lined like the interior of a messenger bag (there is no extra fee). This makes them 98% waterproof…the hitch is that when we stitch through the vinyl it does puncture the seams and hence loses its efficiency. Companies like Ortleib heat seal or heat weld their fabric making them seamless, and hence totally waterproof.
We take measures to divert the water by putting a vinyl tubing along the seam which encourages the water that may enter down along the tubing and away from the interior of the bag and your belongings.
All that said, I commute 20 miles daily to my afternoon job, rain or shine, and have found dampness (as opposed to downright wetness) only twice: riding through two inches of street water.
It’s a totally valid concern to get picky about!
In Rain or Shine,
Martina and Goods