Bicycle pannier bags for cycle touring are very expensive. For general commuting cycling something cheaper may be sufficient. A simple way to re-use something that you may find kicking around your office is to convert old conference bags to panniers.
I have made two panniers for my wife. Conference bags are great as they often have a carry handle and a shoulder strap all ready to go. All that is needed is to fit a back stiffener and some hooks to them.
I made some hooks from aluminium strip. They are fixed to a 7mm plywood back using a single m5 bolt with a nylock nut. Position the hooks to ensure that the rider's heel will clear the pannier when they peddle.
You will need some sort of fastening to hold the pannier down when you go over bumps. I fitted a loop to the bottom with a bungy to hook over the bottom of the carrier.
Yay! Almost free panniers.
