Carradice Saddlebags

What TvH said. I'd be against bending the rods, defeats the purpose of having them there, waste of money. QR mechanism will be at an angle but doubt it's a problem. Thrustvector's comment above confirms this perhaps between the lines?
I can test at home by removing the rod and posting a pic. Although Pendle 11l is much smaller than Super C.
Also, Condor shop if you're in London.

Okay, thanks both! I'll probably get the bagman support anyway for when I'm going further. Might be worth trying to get a custom bend support made, just for funs

Also consider leaving it on the bike (or are the bags themselves also regularly stolen?) and just use a cloth bag inside the Carradice.
Any excuse to post this again.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyRsiU9dc_Q

Like they say, 'What did the hippie have in his bag? Another bag'.

Hey. re: switching rail... Did you resolve this?

I think I have short rail, and want the long one. Got a longflap on here, with the wrong support. Will check when next I’m in the Skullcave to be certain.

@alialias I reckon you’ve got a good idea, I’ve often thought the angle of the verticals are a bit shallow. Maybe just a bit more vertical would be good.

Warning: the rail is STURDY. I was having loosening problems with a Sport a while back, managed to round the securing grub screws trying to fix a rattly sound (the grubs have been since beefed up so I guess I wasn’t the only one), and was riding one day with no bag on. The bar fell out and a terribly observant driver behind me in a mini managed to drive right over it despite me having stopped and was trying to alert them to stop too.

Bar got a tiny bit warped but is basically as good as new.

#csb etc

That would be great, if so!

One thing to think about is thigh rub. If the Super C is fully packed and near the seatpost you will maybe feel it on the back of your thighs with each pedal stroke.

I can slightly with my Barley (Nelson?) but it doesn't bother me.

Couple of photos of my setup below. The major problem with the big bags is that they were designed in an age of slacker seat angles, when the saddle was likely to be pushed forward on the rails (or at least not all the way back); with a saddle all the way back the bags rotate so they're nearly horizontal, as shown in the first couple of pics - note how the straps and buckles have disappeared under the bag. The QR clamp exacerbates this, because it puts the support point a couple of inches below the saddle loops.

I find that with the bag fully loaded with shopping or touring gear it stays in place pretty happily on the rack and doesn't sway, so I usually just let it hang; if going over really rough stuff I just toestrap it to the rack. If I were going custom I'd probably try and get some kind of minimalist saddlebag support rack, a bit like the Nitto ones, but I'm not 100% sure what the best mounting solution for it would be. I agree that the bagman support puts the bag at a slightly funny-looking angle, but as mashton says it prevents thigh rub.

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+1 on Super C with pannier rack. The bag takes loads more weight and 'feels' bigger when its on a rack compared to using the bagman support (I've also broken the bolts on the bagman a few times from carrying too much stuff in it). The seatpost strap attaches the bag nicely to the end of the rack and keeps it pretty solid - I replaced it with a quick release buckle which is a bit easier to get on and off.

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They're good solutions, but if I'm using a rack I might as well use my panniers.

Will go for a standard bagman qr setup to begin with then investigate further.

Rivendell has addressed this angle issue, though at a high cost.

You're Manchester based? Try keep pedalling, they stock Carradice.

I modified the bag, made a stiff inlay from sheet aluminium and riveted pedal straps to the back. Then i made this:

Which works like this:

Top bodgery. Is that a Nelson?

MacGyver by name...

Where can one purchase struts that attach to rear rack bosses and support a Bagman?

Sjs cycles, then a bit of modification

Awesome!

No Nelson, just some old low end ATB with some modern parts + selfmade racks and handlebar.

Functional-tastic! I meant the bag rather than the bike - looks like a Barley rather than a Nelson.

Always good to have an excuse to wander around there, thanks

I don't need an excuse to walk round there. A very fine bike shop, run by good people, who know their stuff.

I have a Super C and use it with a Nitto wire guard along with a couple of sections of light stiff plastic in the bag itself as extra support. Used it touring and commuting and had no problems with flapping or the bag touching the brake whether loaded or nearly empty, I also prefer the bag to sit at that lower angle.

Spam alert. Black original roll for sale, £25 posted UK. Will do a proper classified tomorrow evening.
Jon