Carradice Saddlebags

I think the problem is threefold.

1. bag loops on Brooks saddles are not as smoothly filed as they used to be, causing more wear on the leather straps. I'm sure I remember there being extra inserts on some as well that would have more smooth edges?
   
2. Carradice leather straps do seem a little more prone to cracking up, but this is just conjecture on my part - in the past I gave them less of a workout anyway because...
   
3. Also in days of yore folk would just strap a bag on and leave it there for years. Nowadays due to security concerns we expect to be able to attach and remove it daily, which adds to the stress on the straps. I can recommend the boat cleat trick
   if you're attaching and removing on a regular basis. The bag ends up hanging a little lower, but it's worth this mild annoyance to save on the faff of attaching/detaching twice a day on my commute.
   
   

Incidentally my Nelson longflap was manufactured by Debby, so I've added that onto the list.

28 x Sue
12 x Priscilla
11 x Debby
9 x Janet
7 x Christine
7 x Andrea
4 x Susan
4x Emma
2 x Kelly
2 x Margareta
1 x Debi
1 x Gill
1 x Vicky