CarraDry Saddlebag - Opinions

[GeekDadZoid]

Evening all - more questions

I have been looking at sorting out a medium sized luggage option for my road bike, I don't want to put a pannier rack on as I want it to be temporary but quick to change. I am not looking at doing tours but may look to do some longer day trips where I may want to take a small shelter and cooker, or just a change of clothes to stay in a hotel. Additionally if I want to commute on the road bike I'd like to be able to take a change of clothes etc without having to use a rucksack. I have a bike for commuting so this would be adhoc.

I have had a look at the various bags out there and the CarraDry from Carradice looks like it would do the job quite nicely. Paired with the Bagman Support I think it would be quick enough to put on and off the bike ( the support ) but would also be quite versatile, however there seems to be little about it on these forums or anywhere else other than on a few commercial review sites. Does anyone have experience? Are there other options I am missing?

https://www.carradice.co.uk/bags/saddle ... -saddlebag

[whoof]

Other options are bike-packing style saddle packs. These mostly fit to any saddle and don't have supports. The Carradice bag plus support will be around £100 so there's plenty on offer up to this price range.

This £35 for an 11 litre version, one reviewer says it's a bit of a 'wagger'

https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CCPDWSB/p ... addle-pack

12 litre £44 with £5 off voucher.

https://www.tredz.co.uk/.Altura-Vortex- ... KZ8_D_BwE#

https://road.cc/content/buyers-guide/21 ... ags-237007

Not saying you should get one instead of a 'normal' saddle bag but it's an option with plus and negative points for both.

[GeekDadZoid]

Other options are bike-packing style saddle packs. These mostly fit to any saddle and don't have supports. The Carradice bag plus support will be around £100 so there's plenty on offer up to this price range.

This £35 for an 11 litre version, one reviewer says it's a bit of a 'wagger'

https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CCPDWSB/p ... addle-pack

12 litre £44 with £5 off voucher.

https://www.tredz.co.uk/.Altura-Vortex- ... KZ8_D_BwE#

https://road.cc/content/buyers-guide/21 ... ags-237007

Not saying you should get one instead of a 'normal' saddle bag but it's an option with plus and negative points for both.

Thanks for the response, they are an option, but my concern (which may be unfounded ) is that the bike packing ones look like they would be more suited to stuffing lots of smaller items in, where the shape of a more traditional saddle bag would looks like it would allow for larger (but fewer) items. If I was to say want to fit a pair of jeans, a tshirt and some trainers, from the dimensions of the carradry bag I am sure they would fit fine, but with the bikepacking bags it would involved squashing it all in.

I may be wrong in all this though

[whoof]

Other options are bike-packing style saddle packs. These mostly fit to any saddle and don't have supports. The Carradice bag plus support will be around £100 so there's plenty on offer up to this price range.

This £35 for an 11 litre version, one reviewer says it's a bit of a 'wagger'

https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CCPDWSB/p ... addle-pack

12 litre £44 with £5 off voucher.

https://www.tredz.co.uk/.Altura-Vortex- ... KZ8_D_BwE#

https://road.cc/content/buyers-guide/21 ... ags-237007

Not saying you should get one instead of a 'normal' saddle bag but it's an option with plus and negative points for both.

Thanks for the response, they are an option, but my concern (which may be unfounded ) is that the bike packing ones look like they would be more suited to stuffing lots of smaller items in, where the shape of a more traditional saddle bag would looks like it would allow for larger (but fewer) items. If I was to say want to fit a pair of jeans, a tshirt and some trainers, from the dimensions of the carradry bag I am sure they would fit fine, but with the bikepacking bags it would involved squashing it all in.

I may be wrong in all this though

I've got a bag of this type and clothes are no problem. I went away this weekend and had, boxers, trousers, long sleeved base layer, shirt, rain jacket, socks and woolly hat and gloves in the bag. I've also carried sleeping and bivvy bags and tarps. Shoes, no for such trips I wear a pair of SPD shoes and use them on the bike and in the evening. Even for weeks of touring I wouldn't carry a second pair of shoes just a light pair of flip-flops. I wouldn't tour with jeans either there are plenty of lighter trousers that pack a lot smaller.

[GeekDadZoid]

I totally get what your saying, the jeans and trainers are less for touring but more for if decide to commute on the road bike, our office plans are in in the air so I am trying to cover all.the bases.

Price wise I could probably stretch to both types and then use the most suitable, especially if I wait for the inevitable planet X sale

[JakobW]

IMO if you're just going to pack everything in for one journey and not disturb it, then saddlebag or seatpack doesn't matter, but if you want to repack and/or add shopping, etc, then the easier access of the transverse saddlebag comes into its own. The Carradry saddlebag looks to be very similar to the Cadet, but made from welded PVC rather than cotton duck. The two fabrics each have their own pros and cons, as evidenced by the fact that 'Carradice or Ortlieb' remains an unresolved question on here...

FWIW I prefer bags with side pockets, as I can shove a tool kit and spare tubes in there, and keep the main compartment free for whatever I'm carrying that day. The Carradry has the same capacity as a Nelson (except all in one compartment vs. the Nelson's main compartment and pockets, which I'd use for commuting with a D-lock, jacket/gilet, packed lunch, and change of clothes (incl. shoes), or for credit card touring. Depending on your saddle setback and on how much weight you're going to load it up with, you might get away without a support, but the bagman works well - if you're going to be removing the bag much go for the bagman QR.

[rmurphy195]

I echo the comments about side pockets being useful. The big plus for the Carradry is the closure straps, which are the plastic snap-shut type which are much easier to handle than the leather straps on some of the others, especially when new.

I've found the classic saddlebag rack very useful in the past - the bag straps to the rack, the rack has a pair of hooks that just locate into the loops on the saddle - assuming you have them (I'm a user of B17's which have the hooks built-in). I rarely used the additional strap in my younger day, the weight of the bag and contents kept it all in place. https://www.carradice.co.uk/products/saddle-fixing-systems/carradice-classic-saddlebag-rack.

[nomm]

I have a Carradice Super C saddle bag with an SQR uplift (23L with D rings for extras) and a ortlieb ultimate 6 classic (7L) bar bag - this is more than enough for v.light multi day camping

for day riding and commuting I run the bar bag or the Carradice Super C SQR slim - can get a laptop, change of clothes and lunch in it

all items are excellent quality, very waterproof and v.easy to get on/off with the SQR system - the SQR slim has a nice zip bag flap pocket thing which makes grabbing those quick items really easy.

I think they are worth the money - both carradice bags I picked up off ebay for about £50

[GeekDadZoid]

The SQR uplift looks great I could just stick a spare bracket on the other bike.

I do like the look of the Cotton Duck bags and if I do get into touring and longer trips I might look at one of the larger bags.

I think I am going to stick the CarraDry on my secret Santa wish list and see if I get it.

[pwa]

The SQR uplift looks great I could just stick a spare bracket on the other bike.

I do like the look of the Cotton Duck bags and if I do get into touring and longer trips I might look at one of the larger bags.

I think I am going to stick the CarraDry on my secret Santa wish list and see if I get it.

Cotton duck is a great material for bike bags. And the SQR bracket works. But I had a thin walled aluminium seatpost snap after I used one of those on it for a while. If you do use one, I'd recommend putting some insulation tape around the post so the metal band doesn't scratch the tube.

[rotavator]

I have recently started using a Carradice Cadet saddlebag with the SQR and most of the time it works fine and dandy, e.g. my legs don't touch the saddllebag and it is quick and easy to fit and remove the bag. However, the one snag is that when I 'honk' (i.e. get off the saddle and stand on the pedals to get up a short steep hill) then the bag wags to and fro annoyingly. You have been warned!

[Oldjohnw]

I have a Cadet on the rear and a matching Roll bag on the handlebars to carry small items. Works brilliantly and looks quality. Perfectly waterproof.

Spa often has good offers on Carradice.

I have a pannier rack which carries my ebike battery - as well as panniers.

[mattsccm]

SQR system and what ever bag you fancy. Easy to take off. The actual bag is very much to your tastes not ours.

[pwa]

I have recently started using a Carradice Cadet saddlebag with the SQR and most of the time it works fine and dandy, e.g. my legs don't touch the saddllebag and it is quick and easy to fit and remove the bag. However, the one snag is that when I 'honk' (i.e. get off the saddle and stand on the pedals to get up a short steep hill) then the bag wags to and fro annoyingly. You have been warned!

I didn't like the bike handling with an SQR Tour bag when it was full. Too much weight sticking out and affecting the steering. My solution was to ditch it and get a Super C rack top bag on a pannier rack, which weighs a little more but is rock solid and does not waggle at all. You cannot feel that it is there. It has a similar volume to most saddlebags but without all the stability faff. I'd not go back to having stuff dangling off the back of the saddle or clamped onto the seatpost. The weight saved by not using a rack comes at too high a price with regard to handling.

[PH]

Couple of things, before you spend your money.
Mainly about weight, I'm surprised that the Carradry is over a kg By the time you've added a bagman, it's the weight of a lightweight rack and rack bag or single pannier (Not far off a pair if you go for lightweight ones)
I like the Bagman, I have two, but I find them a bit of a faff to fit, there's not much room under the saddle to manoeuvre the parts in, OK to do once in a while but I wouldn't want to be doing it too often. Once set up, I can get a rack on and off quicker than a Bagman. I used to do so for Audax camping weekends, ride down with camping gear, rack off for the audax, back on to go home, then I got seduced by racks so light that there's no point removing them (Though there probably wasn't anyway...)
Agree with the point made about transverse bags, I have an Ortlieb saddlepack which is good for it's use, but if I want something out of it I'll usually have to unpack it all. Also agree that traditional buckles are not as convenient as the plastic clips, though there are a couple of other Carradice options that use clips, like the Audax if you can get away with 9lt.
I know people stuff their saddlebags with enough kit for a weeks camping, but I like to keep mine fairly light, if I was looking to carry shelter and cooking gear on a road bike, I'd probably be looking at other options, for an easily removable one, I'd probably go for a half frame bag and lightweight saddle bag (Which I'd leave on the bike)