It occurred to me today, whilst gazing at Olive, that saddlebags are just the same now, as they were 60 years ago, yet mostly we fit them differently. They used to hang from the saddle loops and attach to the seat post, at a sort of 30 degree angle, yet now they mostly tend to sit on racks and supports , and be level. But in their intended position, I can’t help wondering why the flap was never put on the other way round. Basically they are ‘hinged ‘ at the top so most stuff falls out when you open it, but if they were hinged at the bottom, they would open like an old Mini boot lid, and you could retrieve stuff, and rummage, without loosing most of it.
Likewise , Brooks saddles, after being in production for well over 100 years,you think some bright spark would have re designed the frame a tad, to make the rails longer to suit modern bike designs and geometry. Typical British do nothing attitude , me thinks.