Budget Cycling trip: 2000km on a 50 euro bike

I am on a budget trip around Europe for a few months now. After traveling by bus/train/hitchhike/walk, I decided it would be a good idea to travel by bike for a while. So I went in search of a cheap bike in Zagreb, where I was at the moment. It was pretty had to find used bikes, and they seemed expensive to me. Best find was an old MTB for 50 Euros. After replacing a bottom bracket and the front tyre, buying repair kit, tools, pump, and a spare tube, it costed me around 80 euros. Now I only needed the panniers. I quick look, and the cheapest one I found that would serve my needs was 100 euros, used.

So... I went to the recycling company, found the plastic section, and scored two 30L gallons and a basket.

I cut to bottom of the gallons as to make a lid, and wrapped the opening with old inner tubes I got from the bike shop, as to protect my gear from ripping when i stuff it in and out of the gallons. I also helps with sealing it a bit against splashes of water and rain.

I put two hooks in each gallon and that was enough to fix them to the gear rack. Then I added the basket on top of the gallons, secured with a bungee cord.

I was lucky enough to meet a great friend in Zagreb, which had some graffiti experience, and was willing to help me add some colors to my panniers.

At the end, I put my backpack on top of everything and there it is, a 6 Euro pannier :)

When I bought the bike and was scouting the area for shops which could fix some things, most of them dismissed me teeling me the bike was shit and I should not travel with it. But in the end, I did 2000km from Croatia to Romania with only 2 punctures, and one break cable failure. Success and a happy cyclist :)