Best all-around useful saddlebag?

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Chris K

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Apr 15, 2022, 6:20:56 PM4/15/22
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Hi all - I'm new to the group and figured you all would have opinions on "the best all-around useful saddle bag," if you could only own one.

For context, I ride a Bridgestone CB-0 set up with a front rack and Wald basket. This is great, but I sometimes wish for a little more capacity in the form of a bag. Based on Rivendell's site, the Bagboy or the Happisack seem to fit this "all-around useful" purpose and size. I mostly ride around town but want to do some overnights this summer as well.

Would you recommend definitely getting one over the other? I'm also looking at the Swift Zeitgeist or Catalyst.

Thanks!

Patrick Moore

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Apr 15, 2022, 6:45:19 PM4/15/22
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The Wald Newsboy basket was the biggest single bike luggage carrier I ever used, tho' a full Newsboy load in front might mess up your handling.

I've used dozens of saddlebags, and I think that the Medium Saddlesack or whatever they call it now is the best all-round for capacity and for fitting normal bikes. I've still got one for occasional use. I've carried 30 lb grocery loads in them.

For less money and less but still ample capacity in currently produced bags, the Carradice Camper Longflap. For ditto and smaller commuting loads (I've carried pair size 10 loafers, thick tweed jacket, pants, lunch, the usual repair kit with 2 tubes), the Nelson Longflap. (The RIv Baggins Hoss and Adam respectively were even better, but haven't been made for a decade or 2.)

For smaller loads, day rides when you need to remove and carry a jacket with your kit, the Carradice Junior, or similar Cadet which has the side pockets. I still have a Junior for the gofast in winter. The Jr will even carry small grocery loads, as I proved just yesterday.

Me, after trying all of these, most of them several times, I've always gone back to a stiff rack and Ortlieb panniers because I can mix and match according to loads, or remove entirely.

Bikepacking seat bags from Revelate and others, the sort that stretch out behind. These work well when saddle-to-tire clearance is small. The Revelate Tangle carried groceries for dinner for 2 including steak, veg, pint ice cream, bot wine; and the Ortlieb I have now is almost comically big; it will carry a 6-pack and still have 1/2 the vol left over for other things. Problem is that it's not as well supported as a transverse bag and, #2, you have to pack strategically: the bag widens from the bottom, so the 6 pack would have to be placed about halfway up, where it would probably wag the bag as you rode. Still, the cinch-up mechanism is sturdy and the bag works well for occasional loads, even large and heavy ones, on my Matthews 1:1 with wheels ~30" tall.




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Patrick Moore
Alburquerque, Nuevo Mexico, Etats Unis d'Amerique, Orbis Terrarum

Joe Bernard

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Apr 15, 2022, 6:59:36 PM4/15/22
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IMO you're trying to cover two ideas that have different answers, BagBoy for around town and HappiSack for overnighters. So my answer is get the biggest one you can fit, you won't care if it's mostly empty sometimes. 

Joe Bernard 

rlti...@gmail.com

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Apr 15, 2022, 8:03:06 PM4/15/22
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I have used Carradice bags for years along with many of the older Riv offerings. I think the Bags by Bird Goldback and Fabio’s Chest bags took those bags and improved them quite a bit. If I had to choose one it would be the Fabio’s Chest. Lots of mounting options, long flap, useful collar for securing large loads and the collar can be folded inside the bag making it somewhat like a basket. Both bags have integrated stiffeners so they keep their shape and don’t sag.

Robert Tilley
San Diego, CA


Sent from my iPhone

On Apr 15, 2022, at 3:20 PM, Chris K <cmka...@gmail.com> wrote:

Hi all - I'm new to the group and figured you all would have opinions on "the best all-around useful saddle bag," if you could only own one.

For context, I ride a Bridgestone CB-0 set up with a front rack and Wald basket. This is great, but I sometimes wish for a little more capacity in the form of a bag. Based on Rivendell's site, the Bagboy or the Happisack seem to fit this "all-around useful" purpose and size. I mostly ride around town but want to do some overnights this summer as well.

Would you recommend definitely getting one over the other? I'm also looking at the Swift Zeitgeist or Catalyst.

Thanks!

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ascpgh

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Apr 16, 2022, 6:55:38 AM4/16/22
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I have used a Carradace Nelson Longflap I've used for daily commuting and overnight trips for 20 years now. For medium and higher trail bikes putting loads on the rear are less detrimental to handling than the front. The Nelson's lateral shape keeps things as well forward as possible. I got it for a ridiculously light ride across the country (credit card camping and eating) on my Rambouillet. Simple, useful and adaptable.

Andy Cheatham
Pittsburgh

larson....@gmail.com

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Apr 16, 2022, 11:29:29 AM4/16/22
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I have a Carradice Pendleton for everyday use-it is a really nice mid-sized bag. I also have a Nelson Longflap for times when I need more capacity, and I really like the longflap feature. I really like the simple, functional and durable aesthetic of Carradice. That being said, I could see the advantages of a modern version like Swift or Bags x Bird. Someday I hope to have a Waxwing custom saddlebag, which might be the best of both worlds.
Randy
Wisconsin

Eric Marth

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Apr 16, 2022, 12:03:10 PM4/16/22
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Hi Chris – Welcome! 

I've been running a Sackville "Happisack" (I just think of it as the "medium") for over a year and love it. Great size for me as I do a lot of grocery trips and it fits a large clamshell of salad or a twelve pack of seltzer. Also can accommodate my laptop, documents, sweaters, etc. Great size for me and wouldn't want any bigger or smaller. I run mine supported by a Nitto R14 rack. 

I don't think you could go wrong with either the Bag Boy or Happisack as a compliment to your basket. Joe's right, too: you won't notice when it's empty, except as a handsome accessory dangling off the back. 

George Schick

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Apr 16, 2022, 1:29:39 PM4/16/22
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My favorite was the Carradice Barley "super C" model coupled with the Carradice Bagman Sport bag support.  The Super C Barley was great in that it had plastic quick-detach strap connectors.  Also, it had a slightly larger capacity than the standard Barley bag.  But apparently they only made the Super C version of that bag for a few years and it's no longer available.  Likewise, the Sport model of the bag support does not appear to be available any longer, either, other than in a QR version.  The standard size Bagman is too large for the Barley bag.

Matt Beecher

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Apr 16, 2022, 1:52:05 PM4/16/22
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I've got a few Acorn bags.  The medium and tall rando bags are the best I have seen, if you want to consider a front rack bag and are willing to commit to a decaleur.  The saddle bags are good too, but more on par with competition.  The only fault I give Acorn is that they are hard to get, though it seems this is a small two person side-hustle, so you cannot really blame them for this.  

I have some Sackville bags and they are pretty nice.  I have no complaints here, but the fabric does not seem quite as durable, though I think this might be an unfair statement.  I've never had a Sackville fail on me before and the quality is good.  That said, if I were going to ride across the country and needed a saddlebag to last those miles, I would probably go with the Acorn.  

I also have two Minnehaha bags.  I picked them up about a decade ago for a very cheap price.  I think they were on clearance for about $25.  Without a support, I am not a fan, as they have a tendency to sway due to a lack of reinforcement.  I like them with the bagman support I picked up.    

Surprisingly, I don't think I have ever seen a Carradice in person, though I hear good things about them. 

Best regards,
Matt in Oswego

Patrick Moore

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Apr 16, 2022, 2:33:16 PM4/16/22
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I've owned 2 medium Saddlesacks and 1 large, 1 of the mediums and the large older models. Yes, the fabric on the newer medium is not as good as that on the earlier M and L. Still, I doubt the new and current one will fail in my lifetime.

I've owned a couple of smaller Acorn bags including 1 Junior/Cadet-sized saddlebag. They were good, but I didn't think that the fabric was better than Carradices, at least recent Carradices, not to mention the stalwarts from 30 years ago; Carradice did go through a a period in the '00s or early '10s where the material and leather was much poorer.

Does anyone still have one of the Cartwright series? I owned an Adam and a huge Hoss; nice, but more like Carradices in better quality than like the Saddlesacks.

On Sat, Apr 16, 2022 at 11:52 AM Matt Beecher <beec...@gmail.com> wrote:
... I have some Sackville bags and they are pretty nice.  I have no complaints here, but the fabric does not seem quite as durable, though I think this might be an unfair statement.  I've never had a Sackville fail on me before and the quality is good.  That said, if I were going to ride across the country and needed a saddlebag to last those miles, I would probably go with the Acorn. 

Bill Lindsay

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Apr 16, 2022, 2:36:18 PM4/16/22
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The OP included the phrase:  " if you could only own one."

LOLOLOLOL!!!  Only one!  That's hilarious.  :)  

OK, seriously, I strongly endorse the Swift Zeitgeist as a very very good first saddlebag.  It's great quality, great design, great materials, and MUSA.  It is well-known, so a high resale value is guaranteed no matter how much you use it.  I won't know whether to pity you or admire you if it turns out to be the only saddlebag you ever own.  Buying bags is a noble pursuit.  

Bill Lindsay
El Cerrito, CA

Joe Bernard

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Apr 16, 2022, 3:00:56 PM4/16/22
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"I won't know whether to pity you or admire you if it turns out to be the only saddlebag you ever own. Buying bags is a noble pursuit."

There is a disturbingly good chance I've owned at least one copy of every Sackville ever made, and most of the Baggins.* Which I probably shouldn't admit! 😬

* The only Riv bag I have now is this SaddleSack Medium with this lovely 'looks like a Clem L' patch hidden under the kangaroo pouch that Leah (Bicycle Belle Ding Ding) applied before selling to me. It stays with the Riv Custom I'm never selling, you can't have it! 

Joe "actually down to one bike and one saddlebag now" Bernard

Screenshot_20220416-120026_Gallery.jpg

Alex Wirth- Owner, Yellow Haus Bicycles

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Apr 16, 2022, 3:15:11 PM4/16/22
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Chris, I dropped a bunch of bags on the "rivendelicious" facebook page very recently.  If you haven't checked that site out, it's where people sell stuff (in addition to or alternative to here)

IMO go big

Cheers!

Garth

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Apr 17, 2022, 5:38:46 AM4/17/22
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  Hey George ...... Among my recent bag pursuits which included all things Carradice, the standard Bagman Sport(saddle loop dependent) is as available the Expedition and the QR versions. Perennial Cycles in MN, Britishcycle in OR, and Ben's Cycle in WI all have it in stock in the USA, not to mention the plethora of UK vendors. 


For George and/or Anyone Else ..... how much open seat rail space does the Bagman clamp require, in millimeters ?  

What prevents/minimizes the bags from swaying laterally when cornering, sprinting, mashing, thrashing, whaling ... you know .... throwing all thought to the wind in playful abandon ? Since the answer depends on how heavy the load, for reference I'm talking a lighter/smaller bag like a Barley or Lightweight Audax loaded with whatever you carry ? 

Garth

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Apr 17, 2022, 5:51:37 AM4/17/22
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Best all-around useful saddlebag? Oh, britishcycle.com is in Arizona.   Yes ... that's a very weird contrast. 

Nick Payne

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Apr 19, 2022, 2:00:50 AM4/19/22
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For a reasonable size saddlebag that needs no rack underneath, the BXB bags are pretty nice, but also quite expensive They come provided with a stiffener inside, a piece of dowel to prevent the sides of the bag coming forward into contact with your legs, and also a nylon strap with hook that attaches from top to bottom of the centre of the opening to prevent the middle of the bag sagging onto the tyre when loaded. Here's the one I have:
IMG_20200726_180051.jpg

For greater capacity, I use a Carradice Camper Longflap hanging off a Nitto R50 saddlebag grip and with a Nitto saddlebag rack underneath. That holds enough for a several day long tour if I'm staying in hotels/motels. Here it is loaded up for such a tour in the Australian Alps:
IMG_0102.JPG

Nick

Richard Rose

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Apr 19, 2022, 8:32:55 AM4/19/22
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All this talk of saddlebags has me curious; do they work with a B67?

Sent from my iPhone

On Apr 19, 2022, at 2:00 AM, Nick Payne <njh...@gmail.com> wrote:


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lconley

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Apr 19, 2022, 8:58:11 AM4/19/22
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I was unaware that there were Alps in Australia.

Laing

Drw

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Apr 19, 2022, 3:33:41 PM4/19/22
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Another vote for BagsXbird. I was a perennial saddlebag switcher for years, but my small bxb bag hasn't left the bike since i got it. I also bought a bigger one for overnights/touring. They are expensive but the quality is phenomenal and he's really solved/added some cool and useful details to the standard design. 

Chris K

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Aug 24, 2022, 8:50:38 PM8/24/22
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Wanted to say a quick thank you for all of these really helpful replies. Being my first post, it didn't appear for several days and I sort of lost track of this thread. Next thing you know it's a month later and I found all of your great answers. Haven't bought a bag yet, but it will surely be one of the ones mentioned here. Delayed the purchase as I'm thinking of buying a new bike first :)

Joe Bernard

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Aug 25, 2022, 1:47:00 AM8/25/22
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I respect your decision to buy a new bike for your upcoming new bag 🙂

Brian Turner

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Aug 25, 2022, 8:45:53 AM8/25/22
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Just now seeing this thread, so I thought I would share some thoughts. After trying several of the more common brands you see most folks using these days, here's my ranking on experience:

Carradice Nelson longflap - I bought this direct from the UK (cheaper) after using a "zipped roll" for over a decade. I also bought a QR Bagman support because I ride smaller bikes (54 cm range) and don't have a lot of space between my saddle and rear tire. The Nelson has a good deal of room and I find myself using the extra flap quite a bit on overnights. I added a thin sheet of poly material to the interior to give it some internal stiffening because I don't like floppy bags. The price, reputation, and classic styling of these Carradice bags makes them a good choice, but my main sticking point for daily use is the dang leather straps and metal buckles. I know it's part of the classic charm but I find them annoyingly fiddly and am always wishing for the ease of plastic clip buckles and nylon webbing.

Fabio's Chest - I have a small waxed canvas version, and it's a very handsome, well-made bag. Even the small is more than enough for my bikepacking needs for overnights or multi-day trips (although I'm always running front AND rear bags when bikepacking). The roll-top combined with a long-flap feature is perfect for over-stuffing and still keeping your stuff dry and secure. The side pockets are huge, and I love the ability to close them simply with the velcro tabs OR a nylon buckle if you so choose. The small size also works well as a basket bag when paired with a Wald 137. My only critique of the Fab's Chest is I wish it had an internal dowel for rigidity like the Carradice and BxB offerings. The thin plastic strip sewn into the mounting area is similar to that of the Swift Zeitgeist, but I think these bags are better served with more robust "framework" for stability. When used as a saddlebag, I support it with a Nitto R14 rear rack.

BxB Goldback (SM) - Far and away the best all-around saddlebag I've found. Jay's designs combine all the best elements of the above mentioned bags, and they are the best designed and built bags I've used. I currently own the Goldback, the Teardrop handlebar bag (no longer in production) and a Better Half frame bag. Size-wise, it fits somewhere between a Zeitgeist and the Carradice Nelson. It combines the drawstring cinch interior of the Carradice with a longflap that is designed to wrap over the top edge, keeping the elements out even when stuffed full (something I can't say for the Nelson). Mine came with both an interior and an exterior dowel, and Jay's ample use of daisy-chain loops on the underside and backside of the bag really let you tailor the fit to your bike setup. What the BxB bags seem to excel at is in the rock-solidness of them. Whereas my other bags tend to shift and flop around a bit on rough terrain, all of my BxB bags just stay solid no matter the load. I'm really not sure what accounts for this because they share many of the same mounting features as the other two, but Jay's bags just ride so much better than the others. I can use my Goldback with the Carradice Bagman support, or supported by the R14 rack depending on how much load I need to weigh it down with.

Hope this info helps!
-Brian

Alexander Chalmers

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Aug 25, 2022, 11:52:04 AM8/25/22
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Recently got a Buffalo Bags Big Buffalo- haven't had a chance to use it much but its huge and seems well made. 

I've also been using a Realm Wald basket bag for a while. I have the smaller version and it can fit a ton. Not sure if you have a bag for your basket already but it definitely expands the capacity. I know people have done shorter tours with their basket bags and a few other small bags

Chris K

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Aug 25, 2022, 6:43:19 PM8/25/22
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Good stuff. Thanks, all! I did in fact I did get a new bike and haven't yet bought a bag! It will complement the bag nicely :)

Nathan Mattia

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Aug 25, 2022, 6:58:38 PM8/25/22
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Check out ReLoad bags out of Philadelphia.  
They hand make all their bags with total customization, for a good price too.  
I have their bag made just for the Wald 137 that is AWESOME. DeLuxe Waldo Basket Bag.  
$129 and really, really cool. Fits like a glove and super handy.

Nick Payne

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Aug 27, 2022, 11:15:05 PM8/27/22
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I have both BXB and Carradice saddlebags. The BXB bags are a bit better thought out - for example, they have an internal stiffener plus a piece of webbing that attaches across the mouth of the bag to prevent the bottom of the bag sagging onto your tyre or mudguard if you don't have a rack underneath, and they have a second piece of dowel across the bottom of the bag at the front to prevent it sagging forwards into your legs if it's not completely full. They are, however, considerably more expensive than the Carradice bags, and they're usually not available off-the-shelf - you have to wait for his once-a-month order book to open and then place an order for a bag.

I find the Carradice bags work well when combined with the Nitto saddlebag clamp and a rack underneath. Here's a Carradice Camper longflap on my Bleriot. That setup is perfectly stable, and I can carry enough in that bag for a week-long tour if I'm staying in hotels/motels, without needing any other luggage on the bike:
IMG_0110.jpg
IMG_0102.JPG

Here's a BXB Goldback Niño bag on another bike. It's quite stable without needing a rack underneath. One problem I had with mounting it was that the spacing of the mounting straps on the bag didn't match the spacing of the mounting slots on the saddle frame - I had to fasten a short piece of fibreglass tubing to the saddle frame with heavy-duty zip ties, and attached the bag to the tubing:
IMG_20200726_180051.jpg
IMG_20191124_191144.jpg

Nick

velomann

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Aug 28, 2022, 2:57:49 PM8/28/22
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My name is Mike and I have a bike luggage problem...

I own many of the bags already mentioned and a couple not discussed yet so here's my 2-cents:

I currently have 3 Swift Zeitgeist bags - a first generation in custom colors and a couple newer ones, and for a good, durable, fairly lightweight saddlebag they are fantastic. My only (very minor) complaint is that the newer ones take longer to get in and out of - there's the outer 2 buckles, an inner buckled cinch strap, and the cord-lock bag cinch. The older models didn't have the single inner cinch strap, which is otherwise an improvement as it pulls the bottom of the bag up some, depending on how loaded it is. I do wish they still shipped with the leather buckle straps instead of the Voile straps everyone (except Carradice and Acorn) seems to be going to these days, but I may be in the minority with that opinion. I also own a Swift Catalyst, and if you want a bag smaller than the Zeitgeist and can do without the side pockets, it's basically a smaller Zeitgeist (Swift used to make the Zeitgeist in 2 sizes). One advantage to the Catalyst - Swift's intention I think - is that the Catalyst mounts well to even fairly narrow handlebars too. Someone mentioned MUSA as a plus on Swift bags, but last year they switched production overseas to standard bags in standard colors, which I assume means the Zeitgeist is now sewn in Asia.

I also own 2 Carradice bags, a Camper Longflap and Nelson Longflap. The Camper was my first touring saddlebag and has thousands of miles in year-round PNW  commuting and other than fading is still in great shape. The waxed canvas is heavier than the Swift bags, but that's never been an issue for me, and the longflap is incredibly useful when overfilling the bag or strapping a sleeping pad or tent or fly rod to the bag.

I own a large Fabios Chest - from when they were still made by Swift - and it's like a super-sized version of the Zeitgeist with a rolltop instead of cordlock cinch AND a longflap. If one was looking for a true load-everything-including-the-kitchen-sink bag this would be the one. FYI I run it on the front (Jones Bars) of my Bantam AdventureBike, and with a Carradice Longflap on the rear and a couple fork-mounted King Manything cages I can carry all my bikepacking gear without an inner triangle frame bag (I hate frame bags).

Another bag I REALLY like is the locally made (Portland area) Jack Supply Slugger bag. https://www.jacksupplyco.com/ Similar to the Swift Zeitgeist but with a rolltop closure, extendable flap, and more exterior lash points. I've also run this as a handlebar bag, though I prefer the Little Slugger for that use. And these definitely are MUSA.

Finally, the OP mentioned running a Wald basket and looking for a saddlebag as well. I use a Swift Sugarloaf in one Wald basket, and an Outershell Basket-bag https://outershell.com/shop/137-basket-bag in the other. The thing I like about the Basket-bag is that it's basically a rando bag for your basket, with a lid that opens out so you can access the interior while riding, and a clear map pocket. Also MUSA (California) and really thoughtfully designed and well-made.

Final note - I'm smallish and ride smallish frames, and for ALL the saddlebags mentioned I run some kind of support rack - Erlen, Nitto, Bagman, Tailfeather http://derick-paulson.squarespace.com/tailfeather/tailfeather, And the Fabs chest on my Bantam is supported by a front rack custom made for that bike.

Many of the setups can be seen on my Flickr pages https://www.flickr.com/photos/8199310@N04/albums

Mike M

Hetchins52

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Aug 29, 2022, 2:31:19 AM8/29/22
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Got this today in email from Acorn bags:

Hi everyone,

Our BLACK WAXED CANVAS bags will be restocked—in limited quantities—this Wednesday, August 31, at approx. 9am Pacific Time. 
(Please note that our upcoming Trunk Bag is not included in this batch.) ....

https://www.acornbags.com

I have a few of the medium Acorn saddle bags and like them a lot for their size, waxed canvas material and construction. The larger, transverse version looks good but I have no experience with it. 
The old Swift, small Zeitgeist is a big improvement over the Carradice Barley I have and my small BxB "Nino" is beautifully designed and made.
I have the Outer Shell Basket Bag but I don't use a basket. It mounts nicely on a front rack, especially one of the wider ones and has a lot of structure. It is really well thought out with a lot of features. 
I usually leave the side stiffeners in the bag but not in their compartments. It allows the bag to be more compact and carried more easily if not full.

David Lipsky  - -  Berkeley, CA

RichS

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Aug 29, 2022, 12:58:28 PM8/29/22
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Mike,

Do look into the Acorn bags. I currently own three (two handlebar and a rando medium) and they are very well made. They sell out fast so I would expect this run of bags will be gone in a day or two. 

Best,
Rich in ATL

Evan E.

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Aug 29, 2022, 3:46:03 PM8/29/22
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Is the Swift Zeitgeist made in USA? It says here on this page, under the "Specs" tab


that it is "Made in Surabaya, Indonesia out of recycled materials." 

^ Not a criticism. Just a question.

Brian Turner

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Aug 29, 2022, 4:13:47 PM8/29/22
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Evan - they used to be, but Swift announced last year (I think) that they were needing to switch most of their production of their more popular bags overseas in order to keep up with demand. I believe they still make a few things and special projects in the PNW.

David Lipsky

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Aug 29, 2022, 5:00:00 PM8/29/22
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They are now being sold by REI. So that would require a big ramp up. 
Here’s part of a page from my REI phone app:
image0.jpeg
David

On Aug 29, 2022, at 1:13 PM, Brian Turner <brok...@gmail.com> wrote:

Evan - they used to be, but Swift announced last year (I think) that they were needing to switch most of their production of their more popular bags overseas in order to keep up with demand. I believe they still make a few things and special projects in the PNW.
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Chris K

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Sep 30, 2022, 2:16:30 PM9/30/22
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Question - can you run a handlebar bag, or a saddlebag on the handlebars bikepacking-style, if you have canti brakes? How does one negotiate the cable?

Brian Turner

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Sep 30, 2022, 2:24:38 PM9/30/22
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On Sep 30, 2022, at 2:16 PM, Chris K <cmka...@gmail.com> wrote:

Question - can you run a handlebar bag, or a saddlebag on the handlebars bikepacking-style, if you have canti brakes? How does one negotiate the cable?
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Chris K

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Sep 30, 2022, 2:36:54 PM9/30/22
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Brilliant, just saw that same set-up on Bags X Bird's site. Thank you much.

Garth

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Oct 1, 2022, 5:06:13 AM10/1/22
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Alternatively, the Tektro fork mounted cable stop 1277A allows the same cable and housing as a caliper brake as it stops just above the brake. I find the brake also works better having the stop just above the brake rather than way up high. 

Stephanie A.

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May 30, 2023, 10:33:13 AM5/30/23
to RBW Owners Bunch
I know that this topic is old, but for the sake of keeping useful saddlebag reviews in one place I want to add that the Happisack/medium Sackville is A+. When I do a quick grocery store run or am going to work, this bag can handle everything I need. Most recently it held 15 academic books + a tool roll with room to spare (I brought the pannier just in case but didn't need it). I could probably stuff it even more, but my clearance is a little less than what riv recommends--my saddle and rear rack are hard limits. 
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Toshi Takeuchi

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May 30, 2023, 8:12:50 PM5/30/23
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Wow!  Carrying all those books in a saddlebag is amazing.  I don't have great wheel clearance so I use panniers, but it's nice to have that option.

Toshi

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