COFIT Bike Trunk Bag 25L / 68L, Extendable Large Capacity Saddle Bags Waterproof Bicycle Rear Rack Luggage Carrier Perfect for Cycling, Traveling, Commuting, Camping and Outdoor

As a first time pannier user I can't offer the expertise of other more experienced bike trekkers. Our bike trip was (a mere) three days along a graveled trail. My pannier bags held all of the clothes and accouterments my husband and I needed for our trip (except he was responsible for hauling the snacks and extra water). NOTE, we did not do any camping, so we weren't carrying camping supplies. The people we were cycling with had different panniers which were similar to mine, so I am going to mention a few of the features I liked a lot better about my bags over their slightly more expensive ones. FIRST-- and this is a big one-- the COFIT panniers I got have a separate zippered pocket specifically for the bags' rain covering, and additionally the neon covering was held in place inside that pocket by a wide elastic band (which came in handy when I kept unzipping that pocket by mistake). That small pocket had room left over to keep a small flashlight. The panniers of our fellow travelers had no special place to keep their bags' coverings and so every time they went to get something out of their bags they were wrestling with their cumbersome neon covers. (Of course they could have put the covers in a plastic ziploc bag to keep them contained, but, you know: hindsight.) Second, their panniers had over-the-rack bags that detached from their side bags. Unfortunately, those over-the-rack bags were constantly sliding askew of their bike racks. It didn't result in any problems, but in comparison, my bags held firmly in place. Third, their over-the-rack bags had clips which didn't fasten tight enough...my over-the-rack bag had D-rings that held my bags snug, and clip fasteners for the side bags which were easily adjustable. Everyone's pannier sets attached to their bikes fairly quickly and likewise, removing them from the bikes was no big deal. If the panniers were installed on the bike racks correctly they stayed on the bike without rubbing against the bikes' tires, and we didn't have any trouble with our straps interfering with our tires or spokes, but I did tie up or use elastic bands to make sure my straps would keep clear of my spokes anyway, just because I'm like that.I liked that my panniers had zippered water bottle pockets as opposed to net ones. Those came in handy for carrying my husband glasses case and can of sunscreen. Had I not had a handlebar bag to carry our cameras I would have used one of those zippered pockets for our cameras. The outside zippered side pockets of the bags were really handy for carrying maps, a small first aid kit, some travel games, etc. The bungee on top was extremely useful for holding my husbands tripod while still keeping it handy, as well as carrying a jacket and few other odds and ends that I can't remember now. They also held up well to my using them as handles when I was carrying the panniers, though I probably shouldn't have done that as often as I did. (Our fellow travelers' panniers' over-the-rack pack had net pockets that zippered instead of a bungee, which they used for their cell phones, etc.)One thing I would recommend: though I was very confident in the waterproof-ness of my COFIT panniers, I still put our clothes and everything else in various sized ziploc bags because I could push the extra air out of the plastic bags to make everything more compact and it helped keep everything more organized.I was a little concerned that the packed panniers might make my bike top heavy or harder to pedal, so a few days before our trip I did a ten-mile stint with the bags already packed and discovered they barely made a difference. The weight of the panniers with all of our stuff in them came to about 15 pounds, but the bags and my bike could easily have held a lot more. We saw all different sorts of panniers on our trek and quite a few wagons being toted behind bikes as well. I wish I could have had a chance to learn more about the other bikers' preferences and why they made their choice of bag, but maybe next time. Most of the panniers we saw were packed to the gills, hauled by bikers who were traveling farther than we were and/or were camping en route. (Mine were packed absolutely wimpy by comparison.) The people we were riding with we'd actually met up with after they'd already done three days of riding. Their panniers were about the same size as mine and easily held all they'd needed for their full 6 days.My panniers were extremely easy to clean after our trip. (They did get spackled with quite a bit of gravel and some mud along the way.) The only wear and tear they suffered was one of D-ring my straps had a little fraying on the end, so I went over all of my strap ends with clear nailpolish when I got home. I'd saved the zippered plastic bag the panniers had arrived in, so after I cleaned them I packed them back into that and they hardly take up any space at all. (I'd used that plastic bag on the trip, too, to keep my husband's t-shirts in.)One last thing I nearly forgot to mention...one of the reviews I'd read about these panniers suggested using vaseline on the zippers to help them glide easier and help them stay more waterproof. That was terrific advice! The zippers were much more easy to open and close after I'd applied the vaseline. (THANK YOU, whoever offered that tip!!!)Overall I was very pleased with these COFIT panniers and hope to get a lot more use out of them. Since they aren't a big pain to install, don't interfere with the performance of the bike, and aren't that big of a deal to put away afterwards, I'm thinking that even for some of our day trips I'll be using them for hauling jackets, our lunch, and since my handlebar bag's zipper suffered a failure, maybe even our cameras and tripods now, too. Happy biking!

When I ordered the Cofit 68L Bike Trunk Bag, last Fall, I was on a budget, and in a hurry to get outfitted, for an upcoming, first, bikepacking with some Engineers from work, in the nearby Sierra's.It was the only good-capacity bag, in the sub-fifty dollar range, with the capacity needed for the three night trip, I wasn't expecting much. Boy, was I pleasantly surprised!To me, one of the best features was the wide mounting platform, about ten inches. Since I have the typical skinny, six inch wide rear pannier, I immediatly "beefed up" the platform with 2" x 2" x 8" high density foam scraps and non-marring heavy duty ties wraps. For heavier loads, I added the Allsop Server desk stand, it is a small metal fixture, designed to allow large servers, that are normally rack-mounted, to be stably set on a normally desktop, vertically. Flipped upside down, it filled the bill perfectly, as shown in the photo. The wide stance of the Cofit bag keeps the side saddlebags well-clear of your wheels, greatly increases capacity, and is one of my favorite features in the Cofit bag.Also, as shown, the bag has held up well, for five months, through the northern Nevada winter, and numerous outings in wind, rain and snow. I credit this to the overall build quality of the Cofit bag, as well as periodic application, of a quality silicone waterproofing spray, with UV protection. I have used both the 3M Scotchgard w/ UV protector, and the product shown in photo, with equally good results. Note that the maker also thoughtfully provided a rain cover, in the forward pouch, that I did not find until I had already waterproofed, with the 3M spray, face red, LOL 😀This bag has come through for me, in thick and thin, perform well, and stowing an amazing amount of gear without complaint, it is my best bikepacking friend!I highly recommend this bag, and suggest to also periodically lubricate zippers with a quality zipper lube, or dash of vaseline, to aid water resistance, and keep everything running smoothly. As shown, the bag looks like new, after five months, these pictures were taken the third Sunday of February, 2020, the bag was purchased, and put into use, in October, 2019.This workhorse bag, with a little proper care, will quickly become your go-to bikepacking best friend, too! Happy bikepacking, all!

It leans to the side on my rack and wobbles, that being said it is pretty nice bag, if i was to do it again i would of got a more solid cooler type. The side bags that fold put is a great idea but never use them and have been tempted to cut them out to get the extra space since it just takes of the very limited space on the side pockets, just dont like them hanging down dangling. I would use them if it was a very rare trip just wish they zipped out instead of always attached. But is a nice bag and have been happy with it.

I’ll admit, when I first got this bag I thought I would end up returning it. It’s smaller than my old bag, and has less pockets. It’s also not padded like my old bag, which acted like insulation for my drinks.BUT I took the bag on a camping trip. I bicycled to the camp store, and I fit an entire gallon in the main bag without using the extension part (like a suitcase extension). Then it became a game, next trip I put a carton of a dozen eggs in the main bag.I love the hidden panniers, because most of the time I don’t need them, but when I do, they’re there for me. I’ve even accumulated stuff during a ride and opened up the panniers for more room.This past weekend I really put it to the test- a 7 lb bag of ice 😂It did fit, all the way extended.This bag isn’t going to stand up well against a $80 or $100 bag, but it’s a great bag for the lower price point!!