Sackville Backabike Bags

[sean]

Hello Riv group,

I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with the new Sackville Backabike rear bags (panniers)? I'm curious about these but wonder how they actually attach to a rear rack? Just using straps through the grommets? Any review on how secure they are to the rack? These have peaked my interest, but I am hesitant as I hate it when panniers aren't attached securely and float around during a ride. I really like my Carradice Super C bags which have a secure, ratchet attachment system but am looking to maybe throw some Sackvilles into the mix. I love my Sackville shopsack and hope to add something of similar quality.

Thanks for any insight!

Sean

ATX

[Richard Rios]

Hi Sean,

I have a pair and think they are fantastic.  I have not had any problems with them shifting about but I haven't really loaded them up that heavily.  I posted a few pictures of how I attached them to the Clem Rack.  https://www.flickr.com/photos/59814214@N05/16121858332/in/pool-rivendell
Hope this helps.

Sincerely,
Richard

[Liesl]

Hi Shawn, I have Backabike bags mounted to a Longboy rack, and HARs mated to the Frontabike bags—all attached with Irish straps.  I have used this set-up quite a bit for grocery shopping.  I attached a photo of the set-up.  I really really like them.  I don't find that they slide around or flop as I ride to the coop and they're empy; I also find that they feel secure as I ride home and each bag probably has 10-15 pounds in them.  Erin was so envious that she now has a pair for her Cheviot.

I've also found that the fabric is good in the rain, but I haven't spent more than an hour in the rain.

Backabike Bags + HAR Bags + waldbasket/Shopsack = haul whatever you need to

[sean]

Thanks for the insights Richard and Liesl. I'll be attaching the bags to a Surly rear rack which is certainly stout and hardy. I've since moved the Carradice panniers to the front and with the potential addition of the Backabike bags, along with my Shopsack in the Wald and my Lowsaddle Longflap in the rear I'll be fully loaded for groceries, camping, commuting...well...anything for that matter. My LHT rig looks like a similar setup to your custom, Liesl. Gotta love those Bosco bars!

Sean

ATX

 

[sean]

Oh yeah, one more thing. Did you have to purchase the Irish mounting straps separately or did they come with the bags? 

Sean

ATX

[Richard Rios]

Hi Sean,

The straps came included with the bags.  Great looking bike by the way. I have some bosco moose bars that should be arriving soon and am looking forward to trying them out :)

Sincerely,
Richard

[Elisabeth Sherwood]

Can someone report on how easy they are to take on and off?  I'm less concerned about how much they shift around while on the rack, but I tend to take any pannier I may be using on and off several times a day, sometimes loaded, sometimes unloaded.

Thanks!

-- Liz S.

[Shoji Takahashi]

Liesl,

Wow does that bike look great!

Sean,

I have the front HAR/HAB. I've had water enter the front bags in heavy downpours (when commuting). I put my clothes in plastic bags... problem solved. As it's near the front hub, there's a lot of water exposure from fenders, wheel, brakes. 

Liz,

It could be easy on/off. It depends on how you set up your strap(s), which might depend on the type of rear rack. (I'm speaking as a user of the front version, so I don't have direct experience with the back.)

Overall: recommended-- simple, attractive, well designed, durable. (Seems like it would be easy to repair, but I haven't had to do that yet!) But if you're looking for waterproof, get Ortliebs or other model.

[Liesl]

Hi Elisabeth, the Backabike bags aren't the fastest on/off but not the slowest either. I'm sure a handy person could do a hack and make it super easy/fast. Specifically, to take them on and off the rear rack, you have to rethread the Irish strap through the grommets and then around the rack and back through the grommets. That's tricky to do when loaded. Again, ripe for a hack.

This is NOT the same for the HAR bags because there are little posts at the top that the Irish straps loop over. This means you don't have to thread the strap through the grommets. shoji's comment is on point for the HARs but not the Backabikes.

Hope this is helpful!

[Elisabeth Sherwood]

Thanks, Leisl!  That's exactly what I was afraid of. Oh, well -- it's not like I need another pannier! :-)

-- Liz

[Leslie]

I'm on the fence about these.    I was wanting the TourSacks, but at their price point, didn't want to jump half-heartedly on the olive, was going to wait on a khaki-tan version.    (And, even if they appeared today, might not be an instant buy....)      These Backabike Rear bags do come in tan, which I like, and have a better price point.   But I don't know if I'd be as fond of them.

Anyone that's had both, care to do a compare/contrast on the Backabike Rears and the TourSacks?  

(I keep trying to tell myself to save up and order a Swifts, but, that's not happened yet...)


Thx,


-L

[Liesl]

Hi Leslie, I used the TourSacks once on a Riv S24O attached to a baby Hunq. They were roomy and easy to grab the pair as one unit off the bike. A tent was easily attached to the deck with the d-rings. And they have more volume (I think) than the Backabikes. No complaints whatever for that application.

Here's why I went Backabikes: sometimes I just want/need only one bag in back. Sometimes I need to lash something on the rack that can't be lashed using d-rings. Sometimes I want to attach my old baggins loafer, again, which can't be lashed using d-rings. But taking them off loaded isn't a snap as I described earlier. They are though super easy to store and don't take up much room at all with one tucked into the other and then flattened. (My guess is that the TourSacks would take up a fair bit more of room)

So think about how you expect to use them and what's important to you with respect to function.

Hope this is helpful. Good luck!

[Leslie]

Thx, Liesl....   good input, much appreciated....   will continue to wool it over, if I should hunt for used TourSacks, or go w/ Backabikes, or, whatever......

Best,

-L