Pannier Bag Heel Rub and How to Fix it

Heel rub can be a real problem and a potential safety concern when cycling with panniers. Heel rub occurs when the heel of your foot hits the pannier bag on the back pedal. Some factors that contribute to this condition include: bikes with a short wheel base (common with many mountain bikes); large pedal crank diameter; shoe size and pannier size/ how it rides on the pannier rack. Of course you can’t change your shoe size and the wheel base or crank diameter was not likely a bike selection criteria. So to avoid heal rub, choose panniers that fits your personal set up. Alternatively choose panniers with an attachment system that allows adjustment to the hang that will eliminate the heel rub factor.

Fortunately all of Brule Adventure Gear’s larger panpack models (these include, World tour, Weekender and Euro Tour PanPack models) allow for adjustment to the hang of the side compartments to eliminate heel rub.

Here’s how the hang adjustment system on the panpack works:

• At the bottom of each side compartment there is a double 1″ strap that extends the width of compartment. These straps are fixed together with a slider and sewn into the seams.
• Move the slider on each compartment towards the front of your bike (leave enough space to allow the swivel hook connector to fit between the 2 straps.

• Feed the attachment strap with the swivel hook between the 2 straps towards the front side of the slider
• Tighten the attachment strap while pushing on the bottom of the side compartment so that it moves back away from the bike pedals.
• This will shift and fix the bottom of the side compartment towards the rear of your bike away from your heel eliminating the heel rub!