First off, this is a beautiful hand-made pannier built in Portland, Oregon, by folks who ride bikes. Queen Bee was created by Rebecca Pearcy in 1996 and is still going strong. Along with her crew, they make all sorts of really rad bags- not just panniers...so take note!
One of the reasons we started our review section was because there weren't- and still aren't that many smaller companies helping out other like minded smaller companies, so i'm really glad we got the chance to work with QB.
Queen Bee's products will generally appeal more to females, but they're stuff is geared that way, so it's all good. So all of you girls/ladies/women/etc. out there looking for a good day to day pannier, make sure you check out QB. That said, let's get down to the nitty gritty.
The front flap and front bottom pocket are made out of PVC-free faux leather, with beautiful stitching on the cover. I went for the flock of birds, but there's several different options available as far as graphics go. The rest of the pannier is made of Cordura Ripstop Nylon with fully reflective side panels, and a water resistant nylon interior lining.
Other features include a hard-shell back, measures 10.5"w x 5" deep (7.5" wide at base). Cargo capacity is 830 cubic inches, and together it all weighs a light 1lb., 10 oz. The pannier mounts to a rack with J-hooks at the top and a steel O-ring at the bottom.
It has a handle for easy carrying/mounting, and also comes with a removable, adjustable shoulder strap for convenience. The front flap has velcro closure, and there is also a snap on each side at the top to easily adjust just how much it will hold. Snap it for light days, and unsnap when you've got a little more to carry.
This pannier will work on either side of your rack, and also includes side loops to clip on lights for safety, clip on keys for easy access (or mace for that matter!), or just about anything else that you'd want to clip, you can.
Opening the top flap, I was surprised to find a 3/4 size pocket on top of a full size pocket. Inside of the large pocket, there's an even smaller pocket against the back! And technically, you could say that there's one more pocket in the back- it's really where the hard back is installed, but it's open, so I say it's available. I think it would be a nice pocket to keep files/a folder or two, but since i don't think it's meant for that, so I wouldn't try to over-stuff it.
Overall, I think it's a pretty sweet day to day bag- great for trips around town, going to work, hangin' out, running errands... super easy on/off, grab it and go bag. Not something you'd want to use if you were planning on many miles/days, but great for general daily use. All of their models of this pannier feature a really rad design and they really stand out from the crowd. Highly fashionable and completely portable, if you love bags and are looking for something truly unique, visit Queen Bee Creations and i guarantee you'll be glad you did.
need a website? go for a ride with greeze!
