Carradice saddlebags
Carradice saddlebags
Can anybody tell me if carradura or super C saddlebags have LED mounting straps please
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thirdcrank
- Posts: 36740
- Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 2:44pm
http://www.carradice.co.uk/index.html
I have a Super C bag which does not have them but it was bought about 6 years ago (so may have been made anytime).
In the pics on the www none is shown and no specific mention of one is made. It is shown on the Super C panniers so by deduction I assume the answer is 'No'. Why not contact the company? They are always very helpful.
(I know this was not the Q but IMO LEDs are so directional they need a solid mount. It was OK for a battery lamp to flop about a bit but if you do not point an LED lamp precisely where you want it to shine, you are greatly reducing its effectiveness.)
I have a Super C bag which does not have them but it was bought about 6 years ago (so may have been made anytime).
In the pics on the www none is shown and no specific mention of one is made. It is shown on the Super C panniers so by deduction I assume the answer is 'No'. Why not contact the company? They are always very helpful.
(I know this was not the Q but IMO LEDs are so directional they need a solid mount. It was OK for a battery lamp to flop about a bit but if you do not point an LED lamp precisely where you want it to shine, you are greatly reducing its effectiveness.)
Thanks a lot. I've managed to fit one LED already to a seat stay and have one of them new all singing zillion LED cateye jobbies and couldn't fit it without a major bodge, just one way to load it, then it's too wide and goes into the wheel. I'm after a bag and couldn't see any fittings on the pictures so I thought I'd ask
I have a Super C saddlebag which has one webbing strap central on the bottom edge of the flap. Whether or not your light is at the correct angle very much depends upon what you have in your saddlebag.
You would be amazed at the ingenuity displayed by us cyclists (or should it be 'we' cyclists?) to enable proper fixing of more than one rear light to the pannier carrier. I like to ride with three rear lights, one constant and two flashing, but with constant options as a precaution if one light fails. To be fair, rear lamp failures are much less frequent since Ever Ready were sperseded by Cat Eye LEDs.
JohnW
You would be amazed at the ingenuity displayed by us cyclists (or should it be 'we' cyclists?) to enable proper fixing of more than one rear light to the pannier carrier. I like to ride with three rear lights, one constant and two flashing, but with constant options as a precaution if one light fails. To be fair, rear lamp failures are much less frequent since Ever Ready were sperseded by Cat Eye LEDs.
JohnW
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Peter Rowell
- Posts: 134
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I suppose you realise that it is not legal to have a lamp which is not fitted to the bike itself (including carriers). The reason is that lamps should be properly aligned for roadusers to see them, not waggling all over the place on a saddlebag. A good lawyer would take you to the cleaners on that one.
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thirdcrank
- Posts: 36740
- Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 2:44pm
So many people ride without lights at all, it is hard to imagine anyone being prosecuted for a lamp on their luggage.
However, I have mentioned before that in West Yorks, at least, and probably elsewhere, it is routine practice for the police to photograph the 'conspicuity' of the victims of fatal accidents for a report to the coroner.
Putting all that to one side, it seems to me that if you are going to the trouble of fitting decent lights, you might as well get the best benefit. Unless LED rear lights are very accurately aimed, a lot of their benefit is lost
However, I have mentioned before that in West Yorks, at least, and probably elsewhere, it is routine practice for the police to photograph the 'conspicuity' of the victims of fatal accidents for a report to the coroner.
Putting all that to one side, it seems to me that if you are going to the trouble of fitting decent lights, you might as well get the best benefit. Unless LED rear lights are very accurately aimed, a lot of their benefit is lost
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thirdcrank
- Posts: 36740
- Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 2:44pm
I have a Blackburn rack on one bike which has no LED bracket. I use a Carradice Super C bag. I bought an excellent adaptor from a chap who used to make all sorts of bits and pieces and sell them at York Rally. It is a couple of inches of seatpost with slots on opposite sides. This is a snug fit on the back of the rack. The lamp's fastening band holds it all in place - rock solid. Anybody with a short length of seatpost or handlebar could make a copy. I have a couple in use.
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thirdcrank
- Posts: 36740
- Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 2:44pm
One small step for a computer nerd, one giant leap for me.
A pic of the bracket in situ, Carradice Cuper C saddle bag in place.
Incidentally, anyone considering mounting multiple back lamps should have a read of the relevant bit of Cyclecraft where JF suggests that from a distance, you might look like a bigger vehicle further away. I am not sure I agree with him, but that is not the issue. Somebody above commented on lawyers. If you were to be run down from behind, you would not want to be fighting from a hospital bed (or the grave) allegations of contributory negligence from a bullying, foot-dragging insurance company. When there is £££ at stake they will try anything
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Paul Smith SRCC
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Re: Carradice saddlebags
As others have corectly stated, yes the modern Carradice saddle bags do indeed have a small strap for LED lights.
As to should they be used or not is up to you, the law aside, it is your responsiblity to both yourself and other road users IMO to be as bright as possible.
Personally I use 3 independant (so should one fail the other two work OK) on the rear on both my winter bikes, plus bright clothing.
Of course I use both the bikes in the dark on a regular basis. On my Audax bike that I take on tour I will only ever ride at night if I get caught out or arrive slighty late in the evening. That bike I would be more than happy to carry just a clip on front and rear led to get me out of trouble, they are small enough to attach as and when needed, plus handy if in the mountains and the weather closes in.
Paul Smith
www.bikeplus.co.uk
As to should they be used or not is up to you, the law aside, it is your responsiblity to both yourself and other road users IMO to be as bright as possible.
Personally I use 3 independant (so should one fail the other two work OK) on the rear on both my winter bikes, plus bright clothing.
Of course I use both the bikes in the dark on a regular basis. On my Audax bike that I take on tour I will only ever ride at night if I get caught out or arrive slighty late in the evening. That bike I would be more than happy to carry just a clip on front and rear led to get me out of trouble, they are small enough to attach as and when needed, plus handy if in the mountains and the weather closes in.
Paul Smith
www.bikeplus.co.uk
Shogun wrote:Can anybody tell me if carradura or super C saddlebags have LED mounting straps please
Paul Smith. 39 Years in the Cycle Trade, I managed the CTC Shop from 2001-4. My personal cycling blog, Bike Fitter at C & N Cycles
Member of the Pedal Club
Member of the Pedal Club
Well. Thanks to everybody for their input, it appears a quite innocent seeming query stirred up quite a bit of furore. The final outcome is
2 Cateye lamps FIXED to the seat stays with the Flex tight bracket, 1 each side of the bike. Then another one on the saddlebag mount. We know we become invisible when we get on our 'magic' disappearing bikes and the only time (hopefully) I have been hit was in broad daylight, so no amount of LED's or fixed or flashing didn't make any difference. Let's hope all the talk of lawyers was just talk and is never used in anger. Thank you all again.
2 Cateye lamps FIXED to the seat stays with the Flex tight bracket, 1 each side of the bike. Then another one on the saddlebag mount. We know we become invisible when we get on our 'magic' disappearing bikes and the only time (hopefully) I have been hit was in broad daylight, so no amount of LED's or fixed or flashing didn't make any difference. Let's hope all the talk of lawyers was just talk and is never used in anger. Thank you all again.
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Paul Smith SRCC
- Posts: 1197
- Joined: 13 Feb 2007, 10:59am
- Location: I live in Surrey, England
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That sounds like a healthy set up, nothing wrong with fitting a lamp to a bag, but like you if communting I would also add some more to the bike.
Having them on both stays will also give you width, always a good idea to mount them apart like that, in your case you will see three lamps, if mounted close together you can reduce the effectiveness.
Paul Smith
www.bikeplus.co.uk
Having them on both stays will also give you width, always a good idea to mount them apart like that, in your case you will see three lamps, if mounted close together you can reduce the effectiveness.
Paul Smith
www.bikeplus.co.uk
Shogun wrote:Well. Thanks to everybody for their input, it appears a quite innocent seeming query stirred up quite a bit of furore. The final outcome is
2 Cateye lamps FIXED to the seat stays with the Flex tight bracket, 1 each side of the bike. Then another one on the saddlebag mount. We know we become invisible when we get on our 'magic' disappearing bikes and the only time (hopefully) I have been hit was in broad daylight, so no amount of LED's or fixed or flashing didn't make any difference. Let's hope all the talk of lawyers was just talk and is never used in anger. Thank you all again.
Paul Smith. 39 Years in the Cycle Trade, I managed the CTC Shop from 2001-4. My personal cycling blog, Bike Fitter at C & N Cycles
Member of the Pedal Club
Member of the Pedal Club
It has been suggested above that two lights, one on each side of the bike, can be mistaken for a larger vehicle further away; it did happen some years ago and was reported in the CTC "Cycletouring" - the motorist having used that as an excuse for hitting the cyclist.
I use three lights, close together in a cluster, with two in flashing mode, but switch-over-able to constant in the case of a failure of the constant light. The constant light is the Cat-Eye TL-AU1008S, as shown in thirdcrank's picture above.
As for insurance company wriggling - my own experience is that the first commandment of insurance is "thou shalt not pay" - and that Turner and Wall worked miracles for me in my most recent accident claim. (Why they were kicked into touch by the CTC is another question).
We cannot be too careful, we must be visible and give 'them' as little wriggling out space as possible if they hit us - my belief is that 'they' don't think its wrong, they only wish to escape blame and accountability.
JohnW
I use three lights, close together in a cluster, with two in flashing mode, but switch-over-able to constant in the case of a failure of the constant light. The constant light is the Cat-Eye TL-AU1008S, as shown in thirdcrank's picture above.
As for insurance company wriggling - my own experience is that the first commandment of insurance is "thou shalt not pay" - and that Turner and Wall worked miracles for me in my most recent accident claim. (Why they were kicked into touch by the CTC is another question).
We cannot be too careful, we must be visible and give 'them' as little wriggling out space as possible if they hit us - my belief is that 'they' don't think its wrong, they only wish to escape blame and accountability.
JohnW