Thinking about a Carradice Barley or Pendle

[SA_SA_SA_SA]

...I reckon saddlebags, while undeniably appealing to a certain aesthetic, are a terrible way to carry Stuff on a  ....

I feel I should defend saddlebags

As a rack bag needs a carrier, it seems only fair to compare them to a saddlebag supported on the same carrier: in which case it only needs the saddle QR bit of the bagman 2 (and a (toe?)strap through anti-sway loop) although, I have only ever used, on an upright with rack,  the heavier SQR bracket , but modified to be 'up and out' rather than the standard 'down and up and out' (why did Carradice do that?). And carriers are a useful place to mount proper (large lit optic) rear lamps (I prefer to just use mudguards  for auxiliary backup rear lamps )

A Super C saddle has side  pockets* can hold extra stuff under flap. A pouch can be attached to the top D rings. Most rackboxs seem smaller than a Super C or Camper Longflap.
On an upright the rider shields the saddlebag from rain a bit. 

I found the 4 velcro straps on a Caradura Brompton rack-box a pain: and replaced them with one to stop rearward sliding (on Brompton's sloped rack) and a Fastex belt through the side D rings and the rack.

Perhaps rack boxes are better for tidy people who bring tiny amounts of food/gels, few or compact extra clothes, ,  hardly any warm clothing etc. I tried one instead and quickly returned to a Saddlebag.

*I suppose most rack boxes have side pockets too but the overall capacity seems small and hard to extend to me.

[Kim]

Sure, but you still need a saddle to dangle them from   

[LEE]

I reckon saddlebags, while undeniably appealing to a certain aesthetic, are a terrible way to carry Stuff on a bike.  Once you're adding scaffolding to your saddle to support a larger saddlebag, you're clearly doing it wrong^[1].


_{[1] Cantilevered luggage, while sometimes necessary, is a work of Stan.}

I'd agree if I hadn't used all sorts of luggage-carrying options.

Logically I'd think that a rack mounted rack-pack would be the obvious way to carry an Audax worth of stuff.  I've done so.

The problem I have with rack-packs is that, when heavily loaded/crammed, I can feel them "wagging the bike".  I notice the weight out back more than a similarly loaded saddlebag.  I've actually had a couple of "shimmies" on descents and they were both whilst using a rack mounted bag*

Although a saddlebag sits higher (not by much) it's more "inboard" and it's weight is usually insignificant compared to me sat on the saddle its attached to.

I confess to adding scaffolding to my Super-C, to stop it sagging, and agree that it's an indication of a design fail (even more so when I see Carradice supports that also include frame struts) but I really wouldn't want a Super-C's worth of stuff sat high on a rack like a pendulum.

My Barley(s) however has a clear indication of a design win.  That's the fact that they are still going strong in the 21st century.  It needs no extra support, takes a heck of a beating, it adaptable to carry all sorts of stuff and basically...(and I know this shouldn't be the case).....it's better than my Ortlieb Saddle pack for grimping around Snowdonia on a rainy and dark weekend.

*Also... Racks without luggage look bloody awful on a bike

[Kim]

The problem I have with rack-packs is that, when heavily loaded/crammed, I can feel them "wagging the bike".

I've experienced that on barakta's trike, which suffers it chronically with 13kg of battery on the rear rack (but wasn't much better with heavily loaded panniers).  It means that cornering above 20mph is unwise.

I notice the weight out back more than a similarly loaded saddlebag.  I've actually had a couple of "shimmies" on descents and they were both whilst using a rack mounted bag*

I've only ever had shimmy on the Streetmachine at ~10mph in artificial (no arm weight on the bars^[1]) conditions.  But as ever with shimmy you can't predict what particular combination of factors is going to cause it.  Rack bags may cause shimmy on your bike, but cure it for another rider on theirs.

My Barley(s) however has a clear indication of a design win.  That's the fact that they are still going strong in the 21st century.  It needs no extra support, takes a heck of a beating, it adaptable to carry all sorts of stuff and basically...(and I know this shouldn't be the case).....it's better than my Ortlieb Saddle pack for grimping around Snowdonia on a rainy and dark weekend.

I think that sums up what's good about Carradice products generally, and a lot of it applies to their panniers and rack bags.

Also... Racks without luggage look bloody awful on a bike

Agreed, but if one of my bikes is bike's being ridden, it's got luggage of some form on it.  I don't really care what it looks like when it's being stored, but your storage arrangements may vary.


_{[1] It's not a bike that can be ridden no-hands, so this never happens in real life.}