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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.