Carradice Barley vs Carradice Super C Audax?

[dim]

don't forget, that the 'best of the best' is Gilles Berthoud 

[rogerzilla]

I've got a Barley.  It's a bit meh; keeping it from banging against the backs of your legs means buying another Carradice accessory or rigging up some sort of spacer between the bag and the seatpost (I use a 40mm black waste pipe connector, through which the seatpost strap runs) and putting something rigid, like a sheet of card, in the bottom of the bag to stop it sagging.  This is an issue on a frame with a slack 1950s seat angle or the Hewitt with its 73 deg seat angle, so it's just a feature.

The snap buckles on a Super C are much more practical but the logos are hideous.  You pays your money etc.

[Oxford_Guy]

don't forget, that the 'best of the best' is Gilles Berthoud 

I like his saddles, I have an Aspin on my Hewitt Cheviot SE



My Brompton has a honey Brooks B17, though

Some of the GB saddles bags look designed to avoid the "droop" problem, very spendy, though, e.g. http://www.gillesberthoud.fr/_en/boutique/fiche.php?CodeArticle=322GB904

[Oxford_Guy]

I've got a Barley.  It's a bit meh; keeping it from banging against the backs of your legs means buying another Carradice accessory or rigging up some sort of spacer between the bag and the seatpost (I use a 40mm black waste pipe connector, through which the seatpost strap runs) and putting something rigid, like a sheet of card, in the bottom of the bag to stop it sagging.  This is an issue on a frame with a slack 1950s seat angle or the Hewitt with its 73 deg seat angle, so it's just a feature.

The snap buckles on a Super C are much more practical but the logos are hideous.  You pays your money etc.

Would it bang on the back of my legs on a Brompton seatpost, for when I want to use it on the saddle, instead of the front carrier? I'm mostly getting it for my Brompton, can always use the rack on my Hewitt for luggage anyway, though was hoping to be able to use it on that too.

[Oxford_Guy]

These Japanese saddle bags look fantastic, but then they should for 24000 yen (about £165)! Looks like they're designed to avoid someof the "droop" problem, as they have an extension towards the seatpost and have internal stiffeners. Wouldn't work so well on the Brompton front carrier frame, though:

http://www.guu-watanabe.com/saddleboote.html

[andyoxon]

Saw this pic in members bikes of barley(?) on classic rack on a folder...  https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=17.msg2157566#msg2157566

The classic rack, attaches directly into the B17 bag loops and immobilises/supports nicely - no swinging etc.  Does add weight though...  Super C Audax + classic rack = ~1kg

[Oxford_Guy]

Saw this pic in members bikes of barley(?) on classic rack on a folder...  https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=17.msg2157566#msg2157566

The classic rack, attaches directly into the B17 bag loops and immobilises/supports nicely - no swinging etc.  Does add weight though...  SuperC + classic rack = ~1kg

I don't really want to resort to using a saddlebag rack on either of my bikes, they already both have the weight of normal racks. Looks like the droop isn't too bad on a Brommie unsupported, though:

[T42]

The straps on the Super C Audax are very long, so that you can heap stuff up under the drawstring bit (operculum?) inside, fasten the buckles and then snug it down tight.  Not too sure about using the buckles with cold fingers, though - on my Lowsaddle Longflap I don't bother threading the straps through the exit side of the buckle** and it's pretty easy to use with cold hands.  When I'm cold I have to fumble a bit with the Super C buckles to feel which bits are squeezable.

**several folk on PBP told me that my straps were awry, including one courteous gentleman who said haltingly "excuse me sir, but your briefcase is not correctly locked".

[rogerzilla]

I think droop is worse if you like a lot of saddle setback, making the bag loops a long way from the seatpost.  The bag ends up at the wrong angle, with the side pockets almost parallel to the ground.  I suppose you could omit the seatpost strap and really let it swing but that might get annoying.

[LEE]

A fairly typical Barley angle of dangle I think.

[Jakob W]

I've also got the Barley and a classic rack; not so much for support (bit of correx on the inside works fine), but because it's nice and easy to remove on the commute/at cafe stops. It is not exactly lightweight, and does poke you in the ribs a bit if you then use a shoulder strap, but it works well enough for me.

[Oxford_Guy]

Okay, in the end I got the Barley and it's currently attached to a modified Brompton S-frame, think it works quite well like this on my Brommie!:











Haven't actually tried using it as a saddlebag yet!

[Cudzoziemiec]

You've got a Kelly!

[Oxford_Guy]

You've got a Kelly!

Au contraire, it's a Keely!