Bicycles Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for people who build and repair bicycles, people who train cycling, or commute on bicycles. It only takes a minute to sign up.
Sign up to join this community
I've managed to tear a couple holes in my panniers. Nothing enormous; they can still hold their contents, but they definitely need patching.
What would be a good way to patch them, keeping them waterproof and hopefully durable?
They're Detours, 50% nylon and 50% polyester, just simple one-piece bags. They're several years old, and they were a gift - haven't managed to find the exact same thing online.
The reality is that panniers are very similar to camping equipment. You have, "50% nylon and 50% polyester". So go to a camping store or online retailer and find a patch kit designed for that fabric combination. It may be included with the kit, but if not, you'll need a sealing compound to cover the patch.
All you really need is some fabric to repair the whole (nylon) and a cheap blue tarp. You can sew the nylon/tarp combination to the outside of the bag then use seam sealer on bot the outside and inside to cover the seam and make the stitches waterproof. Even better if you can place the seam sealer between the fabrics and stitch through it then apply it to the outside.
Tear-Aid is a great product that I use to repair drybags that I use on river trips in the Grand Canyon. It is self-adhesive, durable, flexible, and waterproof. Sticks to nearly anything. River supply stores like NRS will carry it. If you search the web for "tear-aid" you will find both the manufacturer's site and Amazon, which has it.
I have used this to repair bags that hold my down sleeping bag and keep it dry when it's lashed on top of a gear pile on a boat running the V-wave at Lava Falls. The stuff works. My sleeping bag has always been dry on four Canyon trips.
I gave up trying to keep my panniers waterproof - they're cheapish ones I got over 15 years ago from MEC. I just stuff my clothes and other gear inside a plastic bag (I'm using the white kitchen garbage bags now). Bags last for months before wearing out (eventually, something pokes through) and work well enough to keep my stuff dry in hard, driving rain.
At least in the short term I would recommend duct tape. Duct tape will stick even after it gets wet and is pretty solid. It may not be the best long term solution but it is easy and cheap. It will not add any structural properties to your bags but it will definitely deal with water proofing.
