New vs original grid grey fabric and leather trimmings...

[René Sterental]

I just received my new XS Grid Grey Saddlesack (they are just back in stock) and to my surprise, the fabric is very similar to the original but not quite the same. The same is true for the leather trimmings. The good news is that the grey fabric doesn't seem to be discontinued in general, just the original version. I haven't been able to find out what happened, but my guess is that they ran out of the original and the newest shipment isn't quite the same.

If you aren't crazy about matching bags, it'll be OK. If you are... I miss those light colored lines.

Check out for yourselves: http://tinyurl.com/3qomrqr. 

René

[Rob]

Hm, I like the new leather finish, but not quite sure about the fabric. I've been psyching myself up for a year to buy a grid-grey Saddlesack Medium when I get more work...slightly bummed it's changed. Maybe I'll get used to it....

Rob in Seattle

[Peter Pesce]

That looks different enough that they should be calling it by another name.
I'm disappointed - I had been waiting for a grid grey XS, but that won't match my current bag any better than a green one would...

-Pete

[grant]

The bagmatching blues are inevitable when you're dealing with small
production runs of fabric, leather, finishes...and those are at the
heart of all of our bags. The grey grid fabric is made for truck
tarpalins, and truckers don't care. They're just looking forward to
the weekends. The same fabric happens to be super for our bike bags,
and the maker makes a few runs of it a year---for high volume truck
tarp use. I don't want to be the guy who cries out for a certain
visibility-of-grid, or insists on them shipping the new stuff back at
their expense (the Scots would tell me, in thick brogue, "go to bloody
he**!"), and then wreck what started slow but has become a decent
business relationship.

I remember a batch of Carradice bags we got many years ago. That
fabric stunk to high heaven. Carradice admitted it smelled "a bit
dodgy"---a term I'd never heard before, but I can't even see a Dodge
these days without thinking about it. They suggested we air them out
for a day before filling orders. Tried that, but the stuff was not
going away. Maybe it took a few weeks.

A less visi-grid is less of a problem than that. BUT I getcha and
agree. Same boat, same page, and I imagine I'll get used to it, too.
It lacks the classy gangster-Yankee look we all recognize, but hey,
the new leather looks kinda nice, don't it?

Ultimately the grey grid fab will likely go away. It comes too narrow
(36-in, compared to 60-in), and there's more waste.

One thing, though. I bet the new look is the result of a thicker, even
more superbly waterprooooooof coating. Could be that over time, those
fine white lines will resurface.
G

[NME]

Based on Rene's photos, I'm kind of digging the new less-griddy grey,
temporary as it may be. Reminds me of the look of the Berthoud bags,
which I find (also) beautiful. And the old and new actually seem to
complement each other well, if not quite match. My anal-retentive
side says it'll be fine.

So says Nicole, who is looking forward to receiving that now-in-stock
BarSack to go with a set of well-loved TourSacks.

[Earl Grey]

Kinda ironic that the fabric specifically designed for trucks (which
are presumably longer/wider than 36") only comes in the narrower
width. I like the look of the new leather and new fabric, even though
it won't match my Shopsack L.

Acorn also seems to be varying their shade of beige occasionally,
presumably because of what is available. It's just life. And don't
forget, bags fade, so a new one of identical fabric might not really
match the one you've had on your bike for a year, anyway.

Gernot

[René Sterental]

The new leather is certainly very nice. I'd say nicer than the original. The new grey fabric is very nice in itself and I agree that it's nothing to get hung about. I'm certainly going to be using the new XS SaddleSack with the other grey bags I have. It's just too much fun to go changing bags and feeling like you've got a new bike. Kind of why people dress up and vary their clothing too, right? Some are very concerned about their looks and some aren't quite as concerned...

 

My surprise with the grey bags (originals) was that contrary to my initial assumption and expectation, they didn't quite "go" with the Hunqapillar as they do on the Atlantis. I guess it's mainly due to the different but not too different shades of grey, the tan leather details on the bags vs. the black leather saddle and grips. They just didn't stand out as a "package" as much as I thought they would. Therefore, I proceeded to get a green Large SaddleSack plus a green SlickerSack and have just moved the Platrack from the Atlantis to the Hunqapillar in preparation for Saturday's S24O. The green bags and the grey/wine Hunqapillar don't match, but then again, that is by itself a great match, isn't it? Looking at the bike last Sunday before I had to travel again this week, with the green bags front and rear felt really good. Does it make any sense?

 

I have to add that the Large SaddleSack in person is just amazing... And it fits perfectly on the medium version of the Nitto Big Rear Rack that is more tapered than the large one which means its front is closer to the seat post and therefore right under the rear of the saddle. The medium SaddleSack fits better on this rack, but not quite as well as the large one does. I'd still prefer the Nitto R-14 rack for the medium SaddleSack.

 

Photos to be posted when I get back home.

 

René

[Beth H]

On Sep 20, 8:02 am, grant <grant...@gmail.com> wrote:
> The bagmatching blues are inevitable when you're dealing with small
> production runs of fabric, leather, finishes...and those are at the

> heart of all of our bags. [snip]

Many years ago I purchased a Lowsaddle LF that had been made in a
limited run of dark forest green. The ad copy at the time indicated
that this was a one-time thing, a stopgap measure because the black
was temporarily out of stock; and that when these bags were gone they
were gone.
A good warning against overzealous bagmatching if ever there was one.
I wanted a saddlebag, and needed a Lowsaddle for my bike size, so I
bit the bullet. Today that bag has faded amazingly, beautifully; has
weathered daily travel in all climates and taken small repairs with
dental floss (use the waxed stuff, it's easier to sew with); it
carries my lunch, a couple of books and a sweater easily. True to
Riv's word, there has been and remains nothing else out there to match
this dye lot with. And nearly 14 years later, it remains no. big.
deal. Good bags is good bags.

[William]

It's just another opportunity to remind your customers to buy a whole GRIP of matching Sackville bags at once while they match.  A little while back it was the metal tags had converted to sewn-on labels?  Maybe you could promote one-time bag matching.  Call it a bag GRUPPO.  Buy any 6 matching Sackville bags all at once and you get a $50 credit towards your next purchase. 

[Thomas Lynn Skean]

Usage definitely trumps looks. As for bag matching, it's at best a forlorn hope. I have an olive metal-plated SaddleSack Medium that I've used virtually every day for about a year. It and my Nitto R-15 rack and saddlebag grip are just unbeatable for convenience and reliability (i.e. stuff doesn't fall out, no matter how stupidly I fail to zip/buckle/fasten it) for my daily commute: bike-train-walk mornings, reversed evenings. I take no particular care with it. The corners are worn but not frayed. The shape isn't crisp. The leather has darkened and stretched. I've added a couple of D-rings for a shoulder strap, so it's "personalized" now. It just works.

 

Recently, I've once or twice used my beloved (dare I say, "my precious"?) SaddleSack with another bag I have; this "other" bag rides nicely on my PlatRack in front and doubles my hauling capacity. Functionally, it's a great combination for getting groceries or running other errands. However, it certainly is *not* a good aesthetic bag-match with my regular bag. The "other" bag is an almost new olive metal-plated SaddleSack Medium.

 

I guess I could bring about bag-matching perfection by switching from my current daily driver to my other SaddleSack until it also develops appropriate signs of use-without-care and then alternating usage. But I'm not really into bag matching. I'll just use my other SaddleSack Medium on those few occaisions when two are called for. Then, when "my precious" falls apart, I (or perhaps my heirs) will pick up where I left off with my "other" bag.

 

Used bags contain the journeys taken. And I do love journeying by bike, even when it's just to/from work.

 

Yours,

Thomas Lynn Skean

 

[PATRICK MOORE]

Speaking of bag matching, I have two elusive and wonderful Banana
Bags, beausage but otherwise excellent (no tears, abrasions, holes,
missing bits) and I am interested in trading one for a slightly longer
and bigger mountain wedge.

Now the wedge I have in mind is one I haven't seen for almost 2
decades, but it was a well made, modern type that was huge, probably
almost as big inside as Carradice's smallest saddlebag; it was made I
think by Jandd but I may be wrong. The reason is that the Banana don't
have enough room for 3 big, fat 29er tubes plus a few bits plus the
largest of the three (but still very small) hose-equipped Lezynes.

I can't use a Carradice or like because I use a Flite and hate bolt on
loops, VO and especially and above all Cyclo. (Note: VO's are good of
their kind; it's the kind I can't stand.) No rack, neither.

So: nicely made, cordura, longer and at least as fat if not fatter
than the Banana. If you've got one and want to trade, LMK.

And BTW: those nifty removable Presta cores? Really annoying with
screw on pump hoses: screw on, pump hard, unscrew, core comes with
hose, air rushes free.

[Thomas Lynn Skean]

On Sep 21, 2011, at 2:27 PM, PATRICK MOORE <bert...@gmail.com> wrote:

> ...

>
> And BTW: those nifty removable Presta cores? Really annoying with
> screw on pump hoses: screw on, pump hard, unscrew, core comes with
> hose, air rushes free.
>

>

Red-strength threadlocker solves that problem. I only had the issue with my micro-floor-pump, though. My other Lezynes' hoses' heads must have more forgiving threading.

Yours,
Thomas Lynn Skean

[William]

"my precious" reminds me of a baseball story.  Walt Weiss (A's and then Braves shortstop) used one glove for his entire pro career.  He'd try to break in new ones and always go back.  He'd repair it, stitch it, relace parts, and keep it going.  It was called 'the creature'.  It literally fell apart during the final game of his moderately noteable career.