I just ordered the Ortlieb Sport-Roller Classic. However, I now realize the Gravel Pack has nearly identical dimensions and capacity, but is lighter. The Sport weighs 65g per pair, while the Gravel is just 40g per pair. And the Gravel has a second bottom hook for better retention on your rack.
Does anybody have experience with both? I'm sure they're both great, but I like the idea of shaving 25g. What would I be sacrificing? Durability? Anything else?
This! I love the sport rollers on my bike and would not trade for the gravel packs on my girlfriends for the reason of less capacity with the hooks on the side and durability. However, i will add a second hook before my next ride - although not really necessary but to get a bit more stability
I've had the Gravel-Packs for many years now. The material is a little thinner than on my Ortlieb Classics, which I think accounts for the lower weight. And the double lower hook is nice, though a single hook seems adequate to me even on very rough roads. I use them as front low-riders and they've always been very secure.
However, I don't like the buckle on the side. It makes for a nice slick package but provides less expandability than with the Classics, that buckle together on top. I also find that since you can't really get your hands around the female buckle welded onto the side, they can be hard to work with gloves or cold hands. I actually bought extra Ortlieb buckles and made an extender with two female buckles and a short bit of webbing, so I could buckle one of the panniers on top.
And one other complaint is true of all the Ortliebs, I think, which is that the spring-loaded clasps that hook on the top of the rack can easily get clogged with mud. The mechanism works great for going to the grocery store, but for dirty/muddy conditions I'd rather have a simpler but more reliable mechanism.
I've read you shouldn't hook the Classic together on top because it supposedly will cause excessive wear where the material crinkles. I guess you're supposed to buckle them to the included strap, and hook the strap under that lower hook on the front of the bag. But honestly that seems kind of janky.
Regarding mud under those clasps, I wonder if some Gorilla Tape or gaffers tape would solve that problem for you?
Interesting, I had no idea that I wasn't supposed to do that (though I'll admit Ortlieb never shows them that way). I've had my Classics for 10 years or so now and am not seeing any wear, so I think I'll live life on the edge and keep doing it.
For the clasps, it's usually more mud getting between the body of the clasp and the rotating clip. Usually I just leave the panniers on the bike for a full trip, but sometimes I use one for food, in which case in bear country I want to take it off to hang it at night.
I’ve got a pair of classics that are twenty years old and have been joined on top their whole life. Other bits like buckles have failed but the fabric is fine.
I totally agree with everything you’ve said here. I was actually planning to make a double ended female buckle too for the same reason. Why did Ortlieb put those stupid buckles on the side of the pannier when the standard roll top design is perfect? Where did you find the female buckle ends?
I couldn't find matching buckles elsewhere, so I had to order extras direct from Ortlieb. They came as male/female pairs so I have two extra male buckles.
Thanks. It’s a shame Ortlieb charge 10x the price for their buckles!
The Sport weighs 65g per pair, while the Gravel is just 40g per pair.
Not sure where you got those numbers from. Ortlieb's website says 2x 795 g for the Sport-Rollers and 2x 580 g for the Gravel Packs.
So the difference is 2x 215g = 430g.
Sorry. I meant ounces, not grams.
I've Gravel Pack front rollers and Classic back rollers. The Classic is "thicker" and maybe more durable. My oldest Classics are over 20 years old, now. The second bottom hook is really a nice feature. I'm using my Gravel Packs at my Burley Coho and they hold bomb proof and are easy to remove nevertheless.
Personally I like the Sport-Packer Plus most (I've got the gravel set and the back roller classic). Good size (e.g. for a laptop), storage is not just one section. The gravel pack is too small for me...
I think you’ve covered everything. Weight and the extra clip are my understanding of the differences, I doubt they’re more durable as they’re lighter weight.
I’m pretty sure you can get extra clips to add to any ortlieb pannier so you could do that to the sport rollers if you’re worried about them coming off