Carradice Saddlebags

Do you affix the Carradice to the rack in some way on the bottom? or just let it chill?

Excuse me for stepping in, but I’ve never noticed people affixing their saddlebags to racks. Either using the bagman or other hanger OR off the saddle itself and around the seat post is the norm.

No worries. In the photo it looks like they have their bag sat flat on top of a rack suggesting no use of bagman or seatpost (wouldnt be flat if it was tucked up to the post).

I should add the caveat that I have actually attached the seat post strap to a rack when it has that lip at the front to prevent forward slippage.

Just looked at that pic again, what a monster!

@withered_preacher Step in if you wish to illuminate but I've been doing it for ages.

Attach strap at back of bag downwards to some part of the rack or rack-stays that pulls the bag taught downwards. Then if heavily loaded or large bag, to prevent it sort of twisting around, either loop the staps at the front of the bag around the rack top, or use a bungee looped around the saddle-straps, down the front of the bag to the rack top.

It's the most secure way I've ever found to use a saddlebag. My experiences with bagman things is that the bolts shake themselves loose too easily (I know, loctite) and the bolts round out if you keep adding torque (again, loctite).

See above.

The only big downside with this approach is that if your contents are lumpy heavy things and it's not a particularly full bag, the bag tends to sag around the rack top.

Just looked at that pic again, what a monster!

i take it you're referring to my longflap? Hah yeah it was pretty large. I've done less gear for just one night away and less gear, but still camping, and it seemed way less overloaded, in the picture by the locks at Devizes.

edit- Just noticed I was experimenting with a vintage back support in that pic, it clamps onto seat stay and totally fucks up your paint. Great.

3 Attachments

Also attached a look at how I've used the bungee and rear strap

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Also enjoying the pro technique on the closure buckles - leaving a little bend of strap so that you can undo it more easily.

@Skülly lives and breathes Carradiché....

Thanks, I’ve used the Carradice almost exclusively in town so tying down the bag has never been really necessary for me. Your technique sounds very secure, and I agree about bagmans et cetera; they seem to be an incomplete or not quite thought through design to my eyes.

Any real world experience with the Velo Orange saddle loops on here?

Not used the VO ones exactly. But I have used some cheaper equivalents in the same design, that I got from Condor I think, for years. They have been fine for a fully-laden Super C Saddle Bag with and without a bagman for commuting and longer journeys. Make sure the inside edges are all smooth (had to file mine as they frayed the edge of the leather straps). Took a little tweaking to get the position right on the rails and then I left them on. Will see if I have a pic.

Edit: checked Condor and they don't seem to do them anymore.

Anyone interested in a Super C Rack Bag? I have one that is essentially brand new - been on a grand total of one 3 mile bike ride.

Happy to let it go for grand total of say 50 quid posted.

Cheers! I was mostly worried they wouldn't stand up to bagmanless use so this is reassuring, I've ordered a set of the VOs.

Yes, the mounts are fine for bagmanless. I always worried more about the straps!

This might be blasphemy in a thread full of luddites but treat yourself to some Voile Nanos!

Heresy! Might look into them though.

Thanks for taking the time to explain your setup. Like with most bike stuff you have to just buy it and see if it works for you if you want to find out. I'm planning some off road touring this year and I want to be excellent and run large volume carradice and not be scared. The scared-guy option is big waterproof tube pointing off the back. We shall see...

My cadet has arrived, made by Sue.

It holds the necessary items perfectly.

They seem to have a new design of seat post / clamp straps with enlarged oval holes for the buckle prong. Is this progress? We shall see.

I’m not at home now so can’t show you but my straps were the same on my latest. The hole pattern looks like a drunkard’s path and the leather is thinner than previously; these are definitely not signs of progress.

I'm thinking about putting a 'stiffener' inside my audax bag, don't want to use plastic sheet (HDPE), as I don't want to hear my stuff rattling around in there, would something like a foam camping mat work (obviously not the whole thing, but pieces cut to size and bonded in)?

stiffener

Bit of Correx, cut from an estate agents’ sign or similar.

Yeah, similar to HDPE sheet, thought of foam for it's sound deadening properties. Wondering if anyone had tried it.

I use an old foam camping mat inside a soft hold-all to give some structure for a front rack and it works surprisingly well, better than I expected to be honest! I did cut the mat a little larger than the base of the bag in question to provide some tension and that seems to have helped. Not sure it would necessarily be strong enough for an older cotton duck fabric which is much heavier, but the lighter audacious fabrics I could see it working.

Where are you based? I’ve got some offcuts I can bring to Central London tomorrow if you don’t have any?