Saddle Bag No 001

From the first day I strapped my first carradice on my bike I have had ideas bouncing in my head on how to make it less historical in design and more of what I wanted it to be.  Yesterday I was out of bed before 5 and drew out the preliminary sketch that has been fermenting in my head for months now.  All day jamming between the baby’s naps and all the other things life throws at us, and the results are really good.

With my Carradice Nelson Long flap I alway found myself wishing for either a little more space, or that the thing was not as floppy with stuff only in the side pockets.  Solution, the pockets are gone, and the bag is 2 inches wider.  I resolved the hunt for a place to store the U-Lock that has become a part of our daily lives, great security, but how to carry the heavy things and get to them with ease when needed.  The bottom is double layered, with a pocket to slide in a stiffener, preventing sag of small items around the BagMan support.  I used the long flap design and internal skirt, they work great.  Leather was used only to prevent chafe at the saddle, otherwise it is nylon and clips, no more fiddling with buckles in the dark.  I have had a love /  hate relationship with my Bag Man over the years, but have settled in with it an a slightly modified state.  I relocated the traditional mount to the seat post with two dedicated attachment points to the rack, and the bag is rock solid on there.

There are only a few minor things I would adjust, but I am really happy with the finished product.  I can start making this on a custom basis if you are interested.  Prices Start at $150, and I can tailor the bag to your specific rack or support.  The link for contact is at the top of the page.

Thanks to my wife’s patience and her dad for babysitting for us in the morning.  Also, thanks to Jacque, the new old sewing machine is a joy to use.

10 thoughts on “Saddle Bag No 001”

    1. I make my patterns from tracings off of the inside trialgle of the bike, and do not have any in particular to share. If you really want to take a stab at making your own I would suggest putting sime time int oa serious search of the forums at bikepacking.net. I have heard that there is also some good info over at the MTBreview forums but have not looked over there in years. The bikpacking guys are really open with thier tips and knowledge, that is where I built the basis of my designs.

  1. This is really great, especially the little u-lock sleeve. Brilliant! I’ve often wished for QR buckels on my Nelson. The second set of female buckles inside the flap is also a very nice touch.

    1. Thanks, I only made a few and then it went on long term hold. The next best thing aside from a Carradice is the Swift Industries bags. If you are local drop me a note and I can help you out with the Swift bags since we are now a dealer – Rob

  2. Hello!

    Is this still a thing that you do? I am really intrigued by your design an would love to have something similar. Especially your U-Lock pouch.

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