Carradice Super C Saddlebag.

[triaesthete]

I was writing a review on this, the big 23l Super C (not the Barley) and got carried away so I thought I'd post here.

I had to work through Ortlieb pannier and Tubus rack ownership etc and buy one of these as an experiment in order to get here mentally. I thought these lacked structure and rigidity but that is their strength and probably  the reason Ortlieb don't make them. The slight floppiness and looseness makes them stuffable, expandable, reducible and destresses the mountings and absorbs some road shock. This movement is not noticeable when riding.
  
They are the simple solution from simpler times and still relevant today because the cap type lid and super c catches address the functional and ergonomic drawbacks of the flappy lid and buckled originals and the cotton duck, unexpectedly, just feels so nice.
  
I made a cardboard cross section template of the bag to check clearance over the rear wheel and the real thing actually took up less room when fitted. Thorn 26" wheels also help in this area.
  
I hang mine from Brooks saddle loops and strap it to the seat post in the traditional manner which is quick light and simple. Fitted like this there are many advantages over a pannier and almost no drawbacks. Yes, it touches the back of my leg on the downstroke and I was concerned about this prior to buying but in reality it is not an issue as it just touches but does not rub or slide to irritate and is bizarrely comforting! The advantage over a pannier : no rack (weight, rust, expense, seized or loosening fasteners and metal fatigue: all gone!). Sits higher up so stays cleaner and easier access and no heel clearance issues.  Sits further forward (ahead of rear spindle!) so no frame whipping when honking up hills. Yes it "looks" like it would raise the bike centre of gravity but it doesn't feel like that in practice. I am also convined it has less aero drag than one big pannier.
 
Weight!  900 odd grammes to carry 23 litres with no additional hardware. This is NOT heavy in my book. One 20l pannier is a little bit heavier  before you factor in the rack. Or look at it like this, it's only 50% heavier than a Barley saddle bag whilst having almost three times the volume.
  
I think this bag hits a sweet spot on the cost, weight, volume, durability and ease of use trade off.

Happy days indeed,
Ian

[Andybg]

Can't agree more. I bought one of these along with the Super C Audax bag thinking the 23 litre bag would just feel too big and heavy on the bike. In reality you hardly notice it is there and the amount of flexibility it gives you from a few tools up to everything you could possibly need for a day ride or longer.

The audax bag looks very nice on the side storing bike bolts

A fantastic timeless bit of kit

Andy

[triaesthete]

Yes Andy
it was the pic of yours fitted after your UK shopping holiday that helped  convince me to try the big one.
Almost no difference in feel to a Barley, but I can carry a big padded coat in case I have an unplanned  stop in poor conditions. No more risking suffering or hypothermia in pursuit of miniscule weight savings I hope.
Ian

[ZeroBike]

I have one of these (the 23 litre version) on a sherpa.

I would really recommend getting the Carradice SPR bracket.

Firstly its quick release and I do find the carradice straps to be a bit fiddley.

Secondly it allows you to have the bag a little higher than the saddle if you wish, I found that although the bag fitted nicely without the bracket, when riding the bad kept knocking the the mudguard so being able to lift it a little higher made all the difference.

As for the bag, I found a site selling them for £55 which was only £5 more than the 9 litre version, I was worried about the size because when it arrived I thought it was massive,, but when its on the bike it doesn't look out of place and its big enough that you can fit anything you could ever want for a day ride in it so Im really happy I got the 23 litre version over the 9 litre audax version.

It seems like it will last many many years and as for weight, Thorn don't make light bikes so the weight of a saddlebag shouldn't even be a deciding factor!!.

[martinf]

I have a Carradice LongFlap Camper, similar size to the Super C but more traditional finish (can't remember when I bought it but probably at least 20 years ago).

It fits on a "Kwiklift" aluminium alloy bracket bolted to the saddle, so quick release, but I don't use this feature all that often.

I use this on my 700C lightweight. The saddlebag gives me enough luggage space on this bike, which generally gets used for day rides.

[jags]

i have the  camper the barley and the rack bag all fantastic bags .
the camper is not great for day rides  bit to big but fantastic for weekend or overnight camping trips ,
the barley is just spot on i have this on my raleigh  all the time love it.
the super c rack bag sits on the sherps rear rack great bit of kit .

yeah ther sure know here stuff carradice. ten out of ten