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{{Short description|One of a pair of baskets, bags, boxes, or similar containers}}
{{About|the type of luggage|other uses}}
{{Refimprove|date=July 2010}}
[[File:Loaded touring bicycle.JPG|thumb|Modern touring bicycle with panniers]]

A '''pannier''' {{IPAc-en|ˈ|p|æ|n|i|ər}} is a [[basket]], bag, [[box]], or similar container, carried in pairs either slung over the back of a [[working animal|beast of burden]], or attached to the sides of a [[bicycle]] or [[motorcycle]]. The term derives from a [[Middle English]] borrowing of the [[Old French]] ''panier'', meaning 'bread basket'.<ref name=OED2009>{{Cite web |title=pannier, n.1 |work=[[OED Online]] |date=December 2015 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Pannier |website=Merriam-Webster.com |access-date=2016-01-21 |url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pannier}}</ref>

==Animal panniers==
Traditional panniers for [[Pack animal|animal transport]] are typically made of [[canvas]], [[leather]], or [[wicker]]. Modern panniers may be rectangular boxes of hard-sided plastic. Panniers are loaded in such a manner as to distribute weight evenly on either side of the animal. For [[Packhorse|horse packing]], and when carrying particularly heavy loads on other animals they are supported by a [[pack saddle]] to distribute weight more evenly across the back of the animal. In some cases, additional items are placed on the back of the animal, between the panniers.

{{Gallery
|height = 170
|width  = 200
|File:Mme Bellanger née Péan de St Gilles et autoportrait, 1833..jpg|Tourists riding in panniers in France, in a drawing by [[Louis Hersent]], 1833
|File:Pack Horse.jpg|Pack horse with soft-sided panniers
|File:Lloyd the Llama.jpg|Panniers on a llama used to transport waste in a U.S. national park, 2005
}}

==Bicycle panniers==
[[File:2009-11-28-fahrradmesse-by-RalfR-27.jpg|thumb|Modern waterproof bicycle touring panniers from [[Ortlieb Sportartikel| Ortlieb]], Berlin, 2009]]
[[File:15-05-02-Reiserad-beladen-RalfR-dscf4852-33.jpg|thumb|Touring bicycle with several panniers]]

There are many styles of bicycle panniers. [[Bicycle touring|Touring]] panniers are usually sold in pairs, intended to hold enough equipment for self-sustained tours over days or weeks. The most common setup is to use a pair of smaller panniers (10 to 15 liters each) mounted on a [[Low rider bicycle luggage carrier|low rider]] and a pair of larger ones on the rear carrier (20 to 30 liters each).

Commuters who bicycle have pannier options designed to hold laptop computers, files and folders, changes of clothes or shoes and lunches. There are also panniers that convert to backpacks or shoulder bags for easier carrying when not on a bicycle.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cyclingabout.com/list-of-convertible-backpack-panniers-that-can-be-strapped-to-your-back-or-bike/ |title=13 Convertible Backpack Panniers That Can Be Strapped to Your Back or Bike |website=cyclingabout.com}}</ref>

Panniers designed specifically for bicycles were patented by John B. Wood of [[Camden, New Jersey]], in 1884.<ref>J.B. Wood, "Saddle-Bags for Bicycles," {{patent|US|299609|, issued 3-Jun-1884.}}</ref> Hartley Alley designed a [[Bicycle handlebar|handlebar]] bag and other bicycle luggage that he manufactured and sold under the ''Touring Cyclist'' brand in the 1970s until his retirement in 1984.

===Construction===
Bicycle panniers are usually made of [[nylon]] or other synthetic [[Textile|fabric]] that can be stitched, or, in the case of waterproof panniers, welded together.

As bicycles are often ridden in the rain, many panniers are built to be water-repellent or waterproof by themselves. Others include built-in rain-covers, or rain-covers are offered as accessories. The shape of the pannier may be enforced by a frame or stiffening panel made of plastic or metal to help keep it in place and prevent it from contacting a wheel.

Panniers are usually built to attach to a rear [[Luggage carrier|rack]] or [[Low rider bicycle luggage carrier|front rack]] already fitted to the bicycle. Removable panniers hook onto the top edge of the rack and are often held in place by a latch or elastic mechanism.

==Motorcycle panniers==
<!-- This section is linked from [[Motorcycle]]. -->
Motorcycle panniers are generally hard box containers with lids, made of metal or hard plastic. The panniers may be permanently fixed to the motorcycle or may be removable. Soft cases may be leather or fabric, usually without permanent mountings, and are often called ''[[Saddlebag#Motorcycle|saddlebags]]'' or 'throwovers'.

{{Gallery
|height = 200
|width = 200
|File:Craven Silver Arrow pannier 1950s.JPG|Craven Silver Arrow pannier from the 1950s
|File:Craven Golden Arrow motorcycle saddlebags.jpg|Craven Golden Arrow panniers from the 1960s
|File:Craven-panniers.jpg|Craven Concorde panniers
|File:KTM Adventure motorcycle with panniers.jpg|Panniers fitted to a motorcycle
|File:Panniers 5467.jpg|A pair of dismounted motorcycle panniers}}

==See also==
* [[Outline of cycling]]
* [[Pannier (clothing)]]
* [[Saddlebag]]
* [[Pannier market]]
* [[Pannier tank]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Motorcycle suitcases}}
{{Commons category|Panniers (bicycle)}}
* {{Cite EB1911 |wstitle=Pannier |volume=20 | page=680 |short=x}}

{{Horse equipment|state=collapsed}}
{{Bike equipment}}
{{Motorcycle components}}

[[Category:Bicycle parts]]
[[Category:Luggage]]
[[Category:Saddles]]