Opinions on saddlebags? Swift vs. Carradice vs. Sackville

[Max Bergen]

I'm in the market for a new saddlebag and would enjoy reading some of your opinions. Has anyone used/currently uses any of these saddlebags? If so, I'd enjoy reading about what you like and dislike. Thanks! 

- Swift Zeitgeist (either size) 

- Sackville Saddlebag (medium)

- Carradice Barley or Nelson

Cheers, 

Max

San Diego

[Deacon Patrick]

I'm partial to waxed canvas and love Sackville. But I switched to Frost Rivers bag because it plays better with bikepacking with my tent, sleeping bag and pad on the rear rack because it goes sideways. Love the large side pockets too. Only downside so far is I had to add the draw chord to tighten/loosen the draw flaps that weather proof the bag beneath the top flap. Ought to come with that. https://www.frostriver.com/shop/bike-bags/gunflint-trail-seat-bag/ I'm not sure but I think the design is Grant's Baggins design and there was bad blood there somehow, but whatever happened, the bag is great.

With abandon,

Patrick 

[Philip Kim]

All great choices! Sackville medium is nice if that's your only bag, it's pretty big! It's pretty waterproof

Swift saddle bags are more audux type, a bit smaller. Not as waterproof

The carradice are the cheapest. The leather straps are much lower quality compared to Sackville, and wear out pretty quickly, but it's also significantly less. They are very water proof depending on the model.

I think the Sackville and swift are worth the extra money. Just a matter of sizing and material preference.

[Patrick Moore]

I don't know the Swifts, but I've owned 2 Sackvilles and oh so many Carradices. 

BTW, I think that Carradices today are of lower quality than they were 20 or 25 years ago; those I owned from the '90s had leather that, while not as pretty as Riv's, certainly never wore out on my watch. I've seen 20+ year old Nelson Longflaps, green with age and mould, surviving innumerable wettings, and the leather was as sturdy as new. I filled a early 1990s Nelson with water and it leaked nothing at all.

But the great defect of the Nelson-type design is that the bags hang mouth-downward, which makes them hard to load to full capacity. This doesn't mean that contents are not secure; any number of times I've arrived home after 10 or 15 or 20 miles to find the flap hanging unbuckled after all those miles; and the same for the side pockets -- keys and wallet still in possession despite miles of unbuckled flap.

Still, the Sackville design, which keeps the bottom flat or flattish, and with a high lip, is much easier to load and, probably, even more secure. 

But, although I've owned literally dozens of different saddlebags, I always go back to panniers, which I find easier to load, much more adaptable to the quantity to be carried, much easier on and off; and cheaper per unit volume, by a small margin (REI has 40 liters' worth of a pair of Roller Packers for $240 with member credit versus the admittedly much nicer looking (for a while!) 32.5 liter (stuffed volume) Large Saddlesack at $250))))).).

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[drew]

The carradice and swift designs are similar, but I think the sackville design is a highly improved one. The flat bottom and rear vs top opening system is much easier to use, and keeps items in place better, in my opinion.

Another difference is size. Sackville medium will be a little larger than the largest carradice and quite a bit bigger than the swift, making it work much better on a rack or support. I have a couple carradices and a medium saddlesack. The quality difference is not negligible. The sackville bags are way nicer in quality....as with most rivendell stuff, almost too nice.

[John]

+1 (+2?) for both Swift & the Sackville saddlebags. I own a few of both and love 'em.

One plus for the Swift bags over Sackvilles are the daisy chains and D-rings for lashing gear & stuff to the outside of the bag.

The Sackville design optimizes use of the top of a back rack.

Another favorite are saddlebags made by Dill Pickle Gear: high quality bags like Swift, but with more options & color choices.

John

[Eric Daume]

I had a Carradice Camper, but I really hated having to struggle with the buckles every time I wanted to get in the bag (the traditional Carradice bags use a belt buckle type arrangement on all the pockets). I switched to a Super C with plastic buckles, and it's much easier to live with.

The Super C doesn't feel especially roomy, though.

Eric

Plain City, OH

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[EasyRider]

I have a Carradice Super C audax, which has plastic quick release buckles instead of leather buckles like the Barley. It's a good size for those who over prepare for day rides, or for errands, but it's not quite big enough for me to commute to work with a change of clothes and toiletries. And getting it on and off the bike takes a minute. It works best with some sort of support. Either a rear rack or one of Carradice's. If the leather saddle loop straps tear, I'll replace them with webbing. I think it's a nice complement to a front basket or front panniers.

[ascpgh]

Good picks Max, I've been wondering what to get next myself. Planning for the demise of my Carradice is working out like my old Subaru. The bag got wax replenishment for about $12, the car got front half shafts for $155. The bag is still going, a drunk T-boned and killed the car. 

I like the saddle bag format. the lateral dimensioning keeps the load closer to center of mass. Critics observe it to appear ungainly wide but once on the bike it disappears behind your legs. You would hit your handlebar or knee before the bag if brushing close to anything. 

My Nelson's Longflap is seldom deployed, but makes the bag of two distinct load ranges without the smaller being slack and floppy. I have a bagman support under it and put my items for work into a summit sack (an improved stuff sack with shoulder straps) that goes right in and out. Helmet in it for the day while locked up.

Can't vouch for diminished quality of leather strapping, I'm still using mine. I bought it in 2001 and have bee using it as daily commuting city since 2007. I still wonder what I'll use next, so I'm eager to hear others' responses and observations  since I have also heard Carradice details have slipped in quality. 

Andy Cheatham

Pittsburgh

I have been using a Carradice Nelson Longflap on my daily commuter for over ten years now. 

[Will Ashe]

I've owned Carradice and Sackville. My preference is Sackville due to the snap closures. Getting things in and out of the bag is very easy. Carridice has leather buckles which can be much more time consuming, especially when the leather is new and stiff.

Will
Santa Monica --> Austin

[dstein]

I've had the zeitgeist and saddlesack. It really depends on what you're going to be using them for. The medium saddlesack is definitely larger (18-23L) than the zetigeist (11L).

I've mostly relied on the medium (and large) saddlesack for camping and errand running along with a shopsack up front, usually keeping the saddlesack off the bike unless I know I need it, whereas the zeitgest is something I usually keep on all the time and use for long rides to keep jackets/gloves/food/etc (probably not a whole lot of rhyme or reason to keeping one on all the time vs the other, just the way it is, something about the zeitgeist being smaller i guess). More recently I realized that if I stop using stuffsacks I can actually fit my tent and sleeping pad stuffed directly in my large zeitgest along with my inflatable sleeping pad and pillow, removing the need for a saddlesack, and that combined with a front bag for clothes and food is plenty for an overnighter (i guess smaller is simpler there, no real reason other than i could).

Another consideration is clearance. I'm short and ride 52cm frames and need rack support for both.

[Broccoli Cog]

I had been mulling over the same decisions. Thanks to the good folks on this board and the valuable feedback I received here I was able to make a decision as to which one to buy. I have a Wald basket and a Swift Sugarloaf bag on the front that carries tools, spare tubes and everyday items.  On the rear I have a Nitto R-14 rack.  I wanted to get a bag that worked well with the rack. I was very close to buying the Sackville Medium and even contemplated a large. I also thought about the Swift Zeitgeist but ended up going in a different direction. I ended up buying a bag from Makeshifter. They call it their Outback Saddle. I purchased it from the good folks at Gravel & Grind in Frederick, MD. I just love the size, the styling and the material used. Gravel and Grind is supposed to have them in stock in May. Right now they are taking pre-orders because they have a limited number available. Here is a link to the bag that I ended up buying. http://www.makeshiftercanvasworks.com/bicycle-bags-accessories/outback-saddlebag

On Saturday, April 8, 2017 at 5:12:12 PM UTC-4, Max Bergen wrote:

[Grant @ Rivendell]

The "bad blood" is that the guy who used to own and started Frost River stole our designs and said they were his...and that was after many generous and helpful-in-money ways gestures on our part to help his business get started and stay afloat. It was a bummer, but he was desperate, and I understand the force of desperation.  The current FR owners knew nothing of that and--I just saw them once at an outdoor trade show--and they were willing to undo or do anything I wanted to make it right, and when they made that clear, I didn't care anymore, they can use our designs, and I hope they do well.
There are lots of good bags out there. The Sackvilles are on Pluto, as good as anything we offer and emblematic of all we try to do. I dare anybody to hate them!

[Jay in Tel Aviv]

I commute with a Carradice Super C which I chose over the various longflaps because of the easy opening clips. I've used various supports and racks over the years. This is a great setup for me and I have no reason to charnge it. Having said that, if I were starting over today I'd probably choose either a large or medium saddlesack. They are all really good bags. You can't really go wrong with any of them.

[Lee Legrand]

Are the carradice saddlebags not made as well today as they were years ago?  I was thinking of getting a nelson saddlebag just to hold my basic tools for riding.  Nothing really big just room for pumps, spare tube, patches and multi-tool to have in emergencies.

On Mon, Apr 10, 2017 at 12:45 AM, Jay in Tel Aviv <jayi...@gmail.com> wrote:

I commute with a Carradice Super C which I chose over the various longflaps because of the easy opening clips. I've used various supports and racks over the years. This is a great setup for me and I have no reason to charnge it. Having said that, if I were starting over today I'd probably choose either a large or medium saddlesack. They are all really good bags. You can't really go wrong with any of them.

[Steve Palincsar]

On 04/10/2017 09:10 AM, Lee Legrand wrote:
> Are the carradice saddlebags not made as well today as they were years
> ago? I was thinking of getting a nelson saddlebag just to hold my
> basic tools for riding. Nothing really big just room for pumps, spare
> tube, patches and multi-tool to have in emergencies.

As far as I can tell, they're better. Back in the day, the
"traditional" Carradice bags had a big opening with two side flaps with
tie strings that didn't meet in the middle. Now there's a "skirt" with
a draw-string closure that almost completely covers the opening. It's
much less likely with the new style bag to have things fall out.
Otherwise, the materials and construction details appear very similar if
not exactly identical.

[Philip Kim]

YEp, just hopped on this pre-order. I was able to see this in-person on my last visit to pick up the appaloosa from them. Well-made, and they customized the fabrics and all that. it has a nice nylon inner, that is durable and waterproof.

[Paul Clifton]

Lee,
I can't say what they were like 20 years ago, but mine, that is less that 5 years old, is definitely very good quality.

People keep mentioning that the leather is thinner so here are a couple photos. The leather straps holding the bag to the seat are definitely the weak point. I condition them with Obenofs on occasion. I also take this bag on and off at least a couple times a week and it has lived outside for a few months.

Carradice is still a good choice for a saddle bag.

On Monday, April 10, 2017 at 9:10:14 AM UTC-4, Lee Legrand wrote:

Are the carradice saddlebags not made as well today as they were years ago?  I was thinking of getting a nelson saddlebag just to hold my basic tools for riding.  Nothing really big just room for pumps, spare tube, patches and multi-tool to have in emergencies.

On Mon, Apr 10, 2017 at 12:45 AM, Jay in Tel Aviv <jayi...@gmail.com> wrote:

I commute with a Carradice Super C which I chose over the various longflaps because of the easy opening clips. I've used various supports and racks over the years. This is a great setup for me and I have no reason to charnge it. Having said that, if I were starting over today I'd probably choose either a large or medium saddlesack. They are all really good bags. You can't really go wrong with any of them.

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[Patrick Moore]

The newest Nelsons and Juniors that I've bought are, compared to those of 20 years ago, not as well made: material thinner, leather thinner, buckles cheaper. 

[Patrick Moore]

Carradice, old versus new, quality: Let me explain: the first Longlflaps I owned had leather straps so thick that you had to break them in to make them easy to buckle down. The leather wasn't as good as the best Rivendell supplies for its Sackvilles, but it was PDG. 

The canvas was thicker, and in particular, the wear patch on the bottom of the Nelson Longflap was made from the same heavy, waxed canvas, not vinyl or whatever replaced it. The inside of the Longflap was lined with a thin, supple, greyish cloth.

The Nelson and Camper Longflaps had thick cotton tapes pulling together interior side flaps instead of drawstrings pulling nylon necks tight; one may have his own opinion about the drawstring versus the tapes, but one can't deny that the flaps and the cotton tapes were tightly woven cotton.

The buckles had little rollers on them to make snugging up the straps easier. The metal was thicker, too.

You could -- I did -- fill one of those old Longflaps with water and, for 15 minutes, nothing would leak.

The last ones I've owned, mostly Juniors, but also a Nelson from the mid 2000s, have inferior leather and canvas. They're still good, but not as good as the ones Rivendell first sold in the mid '90s.

OTOH, the Saddlesacks are better than any Nelson, old or new, that I have seen.

You have to see the 1990s Nelson Longflap and compare it to a contemporary one to understand the difference. I wish I had kept my original Nelson LF, Camper LF, and Junior.

[Patrick Moore]

Oh, and you didn't worry about Brooks slots cutting through the leather of the old ones; in fact, you could hardly get the straps through the slots, so thick was the leather.

The current Carradices are still good, btw, and I wouldn't hesitate to own one if I wanted to; and given the prices compared to alternatives, the quality is even more desirable. But man, I miss the old ones!

[Ian Strader]

The medium Sackville Saddlebag is one of the best purchases I've ever made. The interior seems to link to some kind of folded spacetime that swallows large objects into null-space, such is its capacity. With the Nitto quick release, it's pure pleasure!

On Saturday, April 8, 2017 at 2:12:12 PM UTC-7, Max Bergen wrote:

[Justin, Oakland]

The leather on my Carradice is thin, dry and tears easily. If I had the gumption I'd replace it all with clips or rare earth magnets or toe clip cinch downs. It really puts a damper on an otherwise great bag.

-Justin

[Lee Legrand]

Not to turn this is a carradice saddlebag discussion but the one thing I notice is now they offer the bagman support for all their saddlebags.  By using thinner leather, they are not built to be hanged at the seat under load but supported underneath using the bagman support and leather is there just for lateral stability while riding.

Just a hypothesis

On Mon, Apr 10, 2017 at 8:48 PM, Justin, Oakland <justin...@gmail.com> wrote:

The leather on my Carradice is thin, dry and tears easily. If I had the gumption I'd replace it all with clips or rare earth magnets or toe clip cinch downs. It really puts a damper on an otherwise great bag.

-Justin

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[Justin August]

Then the Bagman breaks and....

-Justin

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[Orc]

On Monday, April 10, 2017 at 7:36:24 PM UTC-7, Justin, Oakland wrote:

Then the Bagman breaks and....

... you go out and buy one of the Ocean Air bagman clones?

-david parsons 

[Jay in Tel Aviv]

By the way, there is a ridiculous disconnect between the prices of Carridice stuff ordered from the UK vs the US. Look at SJS and others. And that was before Brexit demolished the pound.

[drew]

Is it possible that it's a quality control issue? I have a Nelson with cardboard feeling, brittle, cracky leather and a camper with much thicker, quality feeling leather. Both purchased in the same year.

[Jeff Lesperance]

On Thu, Apr 13, 2017 at 1:25 AM, drew <drewbe...@gmail.com> wrote:

Is it possible that it's a quality control issue? I have a Nelson with cardboard feeling, brittle, cracky leather and a camper with much thicker, quality feeling leather. Both purchased in the same year.

I have a Camper (longflap) that I bought in the last two years - I suppose it could have been NOS, that has the green canvas and honey leather straps, and the straps are thick and robust. I've had two second-hand Carradice bags over the past five years, one a Nelson, and one a Camper - both were the black fabric with white leather straps IIRC, and the leather on both was thin and appeared to scuff and stretch when pulled tight in the buckles - I'd not have trusted them to last over years of regular usage. I ended up selling those bags, not because of the straps, but they were a concern at the time.

-Jeff

Silver Spring, MD

[Grant Petersen]

At some point in the distant but forseeable future there will be a scramble for sackville bags, and it will be lead by those who already have a bag made with the highest quality materials and a flat-floored pouch that doesn't tilt the load, and has a stiff lower lip and a flap-tongue that contains the stuff inside so securely that the straps are almost superfluous. "distant" is underterminable, but is not a ploy, and "forseeable" is in sharper focus. Debate and wait all you like--the bags are expensive, no doubt, but in 22 years of business, I've run into only four vendor-suppliers (out of a thousand?) whose quality standards were higher than our own, that never needed "guidance" or ramping up, and Waterbury Leather Works--who makes those bags for us in Connecticutt—is one of them.

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[Lee Legrand]

Does anyone have experience with the Acorn bags?

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[Jeff Lesperance]

I've had a few Acorn bags over the years, and still have what was their large saddebag in my inventory, though I think that particular design no longer exists in their catalog. Though I haven't had a new Acorn bag in several years, the bags I've had from them have been of high quality materials and with good/smart design and assemblage. My recollection is that they've been tricky to acquire, so I've looked elsewhere for recent needs.

Jeff

Silver Spring, MD

[Marc Irwin]

I like the looks and quality of Acorn and have seen a few in the wild, but got really frustrated trying to buy one.  They only make a certain quantity each month and the ordering window seems to fill up in minutes.  I've used FR, Sackville and (in the olden days)Cannondale but think Sackville are the best by far for everyday biking.  I have 3 Sackville Saddlebags, a trunkbag,two shopping bags.and a tool roll.  

Marc

On Thursday, April 13, 2017 at 11:16:01 AM UTC-4, Lee Legrand wrote:

Does anyone have experience with the Acorn bags?

On Thu, Apr 13, 2017 at 8:52 AM, Grant Petersen <gran...@gmail.com> wrote:

At some point in the distant but forseeable future there will be a scramble for sackville bags, and it will be lead by those who already have a bag made with the highest quality materials and a flat-floored pouch that doesn't tilt the load, and has a stiff lower lip and a flap-tongue that contains the stuff inside so securely that the straps are almost superfluous. "distant" is underterminable, but is not a ploy, and "forseeable" is in sharper focus. Debate and wait all you like--the bags are expensive, no doubt, but in 22 years of business, I've run into only four vendor-suppliers (out of a thousand?) whose quality standards were higher than our own, that never needed "guidance" or ramping up, and Waterbury Leather Works--who makes those bags for us in Connecticutt—is one of them.

On Thu, Apr 13, 2017 at 4:56 AM, Jeff Lesperance <jeff.le...@gmail.com> wrote:

On Thu, Apr 13, 2017 at 1:25 AM, drew <drewbe...@gmail.com> wrote:

Is it possible that it's a quality control issue? I have a Nelson with cardboard feeling, brittle, cracky leather and a camper with much thicker, quality feeling leather. Both purchased in the same year.

I have a Camper (longflap) that I bought in the last two years - I suppose it could have been NOS, that has the green canvas and honey leather straps, and the straps are thick and robust. I've had two second-hand Carradice bags over the past five years, one a Nelson, and one a Camper - both were the black fabric with white leather straps IIRC, and the leather on both was thin and appeared to scuff and stretch when pulled tight in the buckles - I'd not have trusted them to last over years of regular usage. I ended up selling those bags, not because of the straps, but they were a concern at the time.

-Jeff

Silver Spring, MD

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[Chris Birkenmaier]

Have to agree with the above two posts.  For quite a while I had tried to acquire one but it was like seeking out a 4 leaf clover and I tired of it especially when there are other quality products out there.  I understand the whole cottage industry and all but at some point if you simply can't buy one you kind of drift away from it.

[Bill Lindsay]

Grant prompted me to get off my butt.  I knew I needed (NEEDED, I SAY!) a BLUE saddlesack medium.  Despite the fact that I have one in Olive already the reasons were myriad

1.  It's blue

2.  My kids are 13 and 15 and this is the Summer of Campouts, and both are big enough to carry their own stuff

3.  Riv has a vanishing number of matching blue fender flaps

4.  My olive one has the 'good enough' but not 'best possible' leather bottom.  The Blue one has the best possible new bottom.  

5.  It's blue

6.  I would handwring up a storm when the blue ones are sold out 

7.  It's good for the soul to put money in the register at Rivendell Bicycle Works

8.  The matching blue shopsacks are coming, and will all look splendid on my new 650B Atlantis that's coming

9.  It's blue

So on my way to work I rolled by RBW HQ, saw the cool blueys in person, and bought a Saddlesack Medium and a matching pair of fender flaps.  

Bill bag-matchers-gonna-bag-match Lindsay

El Cerrito, CA

[WETH]

Well done Bill! Today, I put a blue small saddlesack in my cart. I will complete transaction tonight once I make sure I don't "need" anything else! The blue will look great on my Road Stnd and my green Cheviot!

[Bill Lindsay]

Consider the blue fender flaps while they still exist.  Those only get made from scraps.  No scraps means no flaps. 

[WETH]

Thanks for the suggestion! I will add one or two to my cart!

[Allingham II, Thomas J. (Retired Partner)]

Bill's note inspired me to order up a blue Medium Saddlesack, too.
Because it's blue.
How 'bout you?

Sent from my iPhone

> On Apr 13, 2017, at 3:12 PM, WETH <erlho...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Well done Bill! Today, I put a blue small saddlesack in my cart. I will complete transaction tonight once I make sure I don't "need" anything else! The blue will look great on my Road Stnd and my green Cheviot!
>

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The sender of this email is a retired partner of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP ("Skadden") and is not performing legal service on behalf of Skadden. Use by a retired partner of the skadden.com or probonolaw.com domain names is in his/her personal capacity and not on behalf of Skadden or its affiliates.

[Allingham II, Thomas J. (Retired Partner)]

Oh man -- missed opportunity. Time to make another cybervisit

Sent from my iPhone

> On Apr 13, 2017, at 3:24 PM, WETH <erlho...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Thanks for the suggestion! I will add one or two to my cart!
>

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[Bill Lindsay]

Tom

While you are remembering the things you forgot, I'll remind you to remember whether you need to add a tub of Phil Hand Cleaner.  That was the other thing I bought, because my tub just went dry.  If you have a full tub already, then you know.  If you never had one, you can thank me later when you get one.  

Bill

[Allingham II, Thomas J. (Retired Partner)]

Have one. And a backup.  That stuff is da bomb. 

Sent from my iPhone

[WETH]

In addition, I also needed 2 cassettes, 2 long derailleur cables, bioshield, and of course a bandana!

[Patrick Moore]

The Sackvilles are hands, knees, and toes better than anything else out there; almost too nice for a bike. I was lucky recently to score a well used but still very decent Large one for $100 off the list, and that included shipping, so I'm very happy. I had earlier owned a new Medium, sold because I find panniers more useful, but the large is very much closer to my Roller Packers in usefulness. 

I hope Rivendell isn't planning to stop making the Sackvilles? That is what "scramble" seems to indicate. 

I also owned 2 Cartwrights, the Adam and the Hoss, and those were nice, too, better than the best Carradices; but not nearly as nice as the Sackvilles. And I've owned many, many Carradices. There's no question that some, at least, of the later Carradices are far inferior in quality to the best Nelson LFs and Camper LFs of the '90s.

All that said, I have a nostalgia for the Carradices of the 1990s, the old black ones. Not nearly as good as the Sackvilles, but no corners cut, either; rather like a RB-1 compared to a Masi. (Or something.) And what about the first little saddlebags sold by Rivendell in the first years, those with the ties instead of buckles? I somehow came across one a couple of years ago. I think my brother has it now.

[Shawn Granton]

Throwing in my two cents, though I doubt I'll sway anyone:

• I've been satisfied with my Carradice bags. Yeah, the newer ones aren't built as well as the old ones, but I like how they work and I like how they look. And they are repairable. And if you hunt around, you can usually find a used one for a decent price.
• I know that the Sackvilles in all their made-in-Connecticut glory (there's only one "T" at the end of Connecticut, Grant. ;-) ) are good and built well. But (and I know this will get me burned at the stake on this list, but I'll just say it) aesthetically they don't do much for me. I also like saddlebags that are designed to look good and work without a rack, and it seems like anything beyond the smallest saddlebags need a rack. Part of the reason why I want a saddlebag is to not have a rear rack. (Granted, I have used bag supports...)
• The Swift bags are well made, but I like canvas, and their saddlebags are small.
• The Acorn bags are also nice. I have a handlebar bag.
• And since it hasn't been mentioned here yet, one of our fellow list members, David Banzer, makes some pretty sweet canvas bags, including a saddlebag. They are not big, but big enough for day rides. I own this one here: http://treetop.bigcartel.com/product/saddlebag

Shawn "Made in Connecticutt (sic)" Granton

[Jonathan D.]

Thanks for sharing treetop. I like the designs. I bookmarked the page.

[Mark in Beacon]

Just so's ya knows, if you didn't already, Grant is what you might call a creative grammarist, or a poetic speller. I do not know if that applies in this particular case, but consider, blug is not how you spell blog--though it is closer than blahg. Here is a recent headline. Try to find the spelling "errors": "Le SLIVER CARNK & below that, some new joe Appaloosa photos." If you search his writing, you'll likely find one or two more examples. But then again, maybe he got it mixed up with Mississippi and all those homogeneous digraphs. If in fact it was a mistake, Grant is minor league compared to the 63 most common mispellings of Connecticut found here. Talk about creative.

Mark "not a Connecticuter, Connecticutian, or Nutmegger, but grew up in Northport, NY, right across the Long Island Sound from Norwalk, now living in Beacon, near another long, tidal river" Roland

[Shawn Granton]

Well, there is that thing called "spell check. 😏

Shawn "hates seeing that red squiggly line under words" Granton, who lives by not one, but two long tidal rivers to make up for no longer living in the Constitution State

--

[Grant Petersen]

I'm a good speller except for occassions, diahrhea, characature... the CT was just a fastly typed typo. I don't sweat the spellings for these posts, don't go over them.

On Sun, Apr 16, 2017 at 11:18 AM, 'Mark in Beacon' via RBW Owners Bunch <rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

--

[Shawn Granton]

Thanks! I'm going to save this up for the Grant Petersen spelling bee.😉 

(By the way, you spelled occasions wrong.)

Yours,

Shawn "Please don't ask about my disastrous showing in my sixth grade spelling bee" Granton

Yeah, this electronic communiqué comes from "a device".
http://urbanadventureleague.wordpress.com/
http://societyofthreespeeds.wordpress.com/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/urbanadventureleaguepdx/ 
http://bikesspottedpdx.tumblr.com/
Un-electronic communiqués at P O Box 14185, Portland OR 97293-0185

   

On Apr 16, 2017 18:05, "Grant Petersen" <gran...@gmail.com> wrote:

I'm a good speller except for occassions, diahrhea, characature... the CT was just a fastly typed typo. I don't sweat the spellings for these posts, don't go over them.

[drew]

I think occasions was the example

[Shawn Granton]

Oh, there was more than one occasion. ;-)

Shawn "I should probably go to bed now, if I were home" Granton

Yeah, this electronic communiqué comes from "a device".
http://urbanadventureleague.wordpress.com/
http://societyofthreespeeds.wordpress.com/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/urbanadventureleaguepdx/ 
http://bikesspottedpdx.tumblr.com/
Un-electronic communiqués at P O Box 14185, Portland OR 97293-0185

   

On Apr 16, 2017 18:29, "drew" <drewbe...@gmail.com> wrote:

I think occasions was the example

[Grant Petersen]

I spelled all of them wrong. I give up on those words.

[Eric Langley]

Anyone have any experience with the Minnehaha Medium bag?

I have their canvas panniers, and I'm pretty happy with them. Going on a weeklong tour this summer with front panniers, handlebar bag, and a rear saddlebag. 

This one seems capacious enough for my needs, and definitely within price-range at about $60-$70. Quality unlikely to be on par with some of the suggestions, but IDK. What do you think?

[Shawn Granton]

Hey Eric-

I had the small version of their saddlebag for a few years. It was fine. You are correct in thinking the quality isn't going to be as nice as the other options. I found that the leather wasn't as good, and since the canvas isn't as thick or stiff as others, the bag can sag. If you already own a Minnehaha and know what to expect, the bag should serve you well.

Before you decide, you should first do a check of that internet auction site to see if there are any Carradice bags for around that price. Sometimes you can luck out!

yours,

Shawn

No one actually looks at email signatures anymore, but here goes nothing:

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Un-electronic mail goes here: P O Box 14185, Portland OR 97293-0185

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[drew]

I'm selling a basically new carradice Nelson longflap in olive (to fund a blue saddlesack) in another thread, if anyone is interested. 100$ shipped. Pm me

[LeahFoy]

There are a lot of opinions on here already, so what's one more?

I have the medium Sackville Saddlesack in tan, though I wish it was gray. (The gray came out just after I ordered my tan, and I have long lamented it. Gray is my color. Trade ya, anyone?) I also have the tan Backabikes, and the gray multipack - all wonderful.

I looked at all the links posted for the other bagmakers, and I don't see any competition to the Sackvilles in either aesthetics or function. Everything was thought of, and then made beautiful. There are features to the bag that I haven't even discovered, so well thought up were the Sackvilles. I should NOT be dropping more cash on more bags, but I am *this close* after Grant's terrifying hint at the scarcity of the Sackvilles in future times. I should not be admitting this to a group of shameless enablers like you! Next thing, you'll be sending replies about how I need the large, and then suddenly I'll be on the Riv site, swiping my credit card.

[Grant Petersen]

I should be clear about the future of Sackvilles as I see it/predict it.

There's nothing on my visible horizon, but the two principles there are aging and there may be another reason that I don't want to say -- that leads to a retirement of both, and there is no middle-management eager or able to take over the  business. It's not a humming factory, it's small and efficient, but the standards required slow things down, and it takes us up to 2 months to get an order.

If I hear news of the end of Sackvilles, I'll pass it on, and shame on me, but prices will skyrocket at that time. Right now and since the start, we've felt compelled to be price-competitive, but that all will fly out the door eventually. I know how "bad" this candor may sound, but it is the reality and all I'm doing is saying it.

[Stuart Lovinggood]

FWIW, the grommets on the leather straps Swift uses will eat right through your seatpost, as I just discovered on my shiny new Joe Appaloosa. Guess I'll order that sparkly Nitto seatpost I always wanted. Jk. But seriously.

[John]

Hi Stuart, did the grommet actually scratch its way through the seat post?

John

[Stuart Lovinggood]

Just enough to ruin the finish. I wrapped the leather in some electrical tape after I noticed the issue. Hopefully that will keep it from scratching any further down.

[John]

Or replace with a strap from Riv? The Rivendell leather straps have beautiful, smooth, non-scratchy rivets.

[ted]

But you do need the large. You already know that, and don't need us to tell you. So what are you waiting for??

[Coconutbill]

I loved my Swift Zeitgeist - until it got stolen! 

I just purchased a Carradice Camper for $100, hopefully it holds up to the test.

[Patrick Moore]

I always (or, almost always*) cut a wee rectangle of leather and glue it to the underside of the buckle, to cover the metal bits showing through, before I strap anything to my seatpost. 

*If the seatpost is already scratched, I sometimes don't bother.

On Sun, Apr 23, 2017 at 10:52 AM, Stuart Lovinggood <slovi...@gmail.com> wrote:

FWIW, the grommets on the leather straps Swift uses will eat right through your seatpost, as I just discovered on my shiny new Joe Appaloosa. Guess I'll order that sparkly Nitto seatpost I always wanted. Jk. But seriously.

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[Patrick Moore]

They scratch my seatposts; I add the leather patch as described immediately earlier.

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[Stuart Lovinggood]

Indeed – I've already got a large Saddlesack ready to go, which doesn't even have provisions for a seatpost strap. Just waiting on a rack to put it on.