Adjusting Your Pannier & Cam-Lock® System
Adjusting Your Pannier & Cam-Lock® System
How To Install And Adjust A Bike Pannier?
Arkel bike panniers comes fully assembled and ready to use! But sometimes it will be necessary to make few adjustments to make it fit perfectly to your rack. Thank god it is fairly simple!
Here are some issues you might encounter in the process.
Don't hesitate to contact us if these solutions don't work for you.
The movement of the cam is restricted or your heel touches the bag?
If the cam don't move freely because of the design of the rack, or if your heel touches the bag, you'll have to adjust the hooks, it is an easy fix! With the help of a 3 mm Allen key, you can loosen the screw at the base of the aluminium hook. This will allow you to slide the hook where you want it. Simply re-tighten the screw and you will be ready to roll.
The aluminum hooks are too small for your rack?
Then you'll need to get oversized Retrofit Cams.
To make sure these fit on your rack follow the instructions to measure them.
The hook sits too low?
Shorten the bungee to your desired length and simply make a knot. A knot may not win beauty contests, but it sure will not break! If you ever tied a knot in a rubber band you know that the more you pull on it, the tighter it gets; so the knot undoing by itself is practically impossible. By the same token, a knot is something that needs no tool to adjust, so you can undo it anywhere you want should you want to.
Slotted Hook Retention System
There are 3 positions for the wire hook that will allow you to optimize rack fit and provide you with the best heel clearance. This option is not available and necessary on certain smaller models (Orca 25, GT-18, Bug etc.). The first sign that the wire hook needs to be relocated is that the panniers will be pulled back towards the center; when this happens simply relocate the wire hook to a different slot. The wire hook is free floating on the bungee cord, meaning it will slide either forward or back depending on your bike and rack. This is really great for adjustability.
Remove The Bungee & Lower Hook
No room to place the lower hook on your rack? Don’t worry, the effectiveness of our Cam-Lock mounting system is what makes it possible for us to remove the lower bungee and hook without compromising its performance. As soon as you have a bit of weight in it, the pannier will not flap around and it will stay in place just as well as the panniers equipped with the lower hook.
Why Don't We Install A Lower Hook On Some Bags?
Our patented Cam-Lock® self locking system with opposing cams is very effective in locking the pannier to the rack. When the opposing cams close on the rack, the pannier is automatically locked in place and can't be removed unless the release handle is pulled...
No Tension On Your Handle?
Make sure the system is set up correctly.
Wrap the strap around each cam and then go up and under the retaining horizontal strap (in blue).
To see if it works, when you'll pull the handle up, you'll feel the tension and both Cam-locks are going to move.
Tips to care of you bags
Here are some good pieces of advice to make sure your bag lasts as long as possible.
No Need To Compromise
Keep Your Gear Safe with the Cam-Lock