Carradice's Super C panniers have offered the same tried and tested formula for years – and for good reason.
Their superbly stitched cotton duck construction is tough, repairable, breathable and almost fully waterproof, with the fibres expanding to keep all but monsoonal downpours at bay. They’re also low-key and won’t stand out on tour.
Their capacity is a cavernous 48 litres, with roomy outside pockets and tabs for LED lights. The latest incarnations feature Rixen and Kaul’s Clickfix Modul mounting system (for 10-16mm racks), which is more refined and easy to use than the effective but clunkier Carradice clasps.
On the downside, while touring on unusually rough roads we found the aluminium rails prone to bending slightly, because they’re only attached to either end of the pannier rather than being bolted across its length.
The thin cord that helps removal also came off, but that’s not a big deal and the clasps are still easy to unclip.