http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: Courier Bag Dying - Replacement Suggestions? en Wed, 13 May 2026 02:03:45 +0000 http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1030&page=2#post-378722 Thu, 20 Feb 2025 08:54:29 +0000 gembo 378722@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Trakke used to make a good rucksack called Assynt. Had more room than their later carry on bags</p> <p>Now £349 is a bit much even as I covet their shtick</p> <p>So I always track their Remade Bag Sale which happened last week.</p> <p>A bigger Assynt ot two - very repaired and possibly trampled by a herd of cows. THey still wanted £299 for them. I was not even tempted. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1030&page=2#post-378715 Wed, 19 Feb 2025 17:25:14 +0000 chdot 378715@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>“</p> <p>Responding on social media, the Scottish firm Woven In The Bone wrote: “I’m in shock and really feeling for you …you are an icon for Scottish and UK manufacturing! </p> <p>“</p> <p><a href="https://www.thenational.scot/news/24948719.scottish-bag-manufacturer-announces-shock-closure-15-years/" rel="nofollow">https://www.thenational.scot/news/24948719.scottish-bag-manufacturer-announces-shock-closure-15-years/</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1030&page=2#post-378714 Wed, 19 Feb 2025 17:09:47 +0000 chdot 378714@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><img src="https://trakke.co.uk/cdn/shop/files/LetterMobileTest2.jpg "></p> <p><a href="https://trakke.co.uk/" rel="nofollow">https://trakke.co.uk/</a></p> <p><a href="https://www.carryology.com/liking/brands/a-decade-of-trakke-alec-farmer-interview/" rel="nofollow">https://www.carryology.com/liking/brands/a-decade-of-trakke-alec-farmer-interview/</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1030&page=2#post-136143 Mon, 09 Dec 2013 11:25:39 +0000 chdot 136143@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Another bag to consider!</p> <p><a href="http://www.walkerslater.com/shop/ernest-saddle-charcoal-herringbone-harris-tweed" rel="nofollow">http://www.walkerslater.com/shop/ernest-saddle-charcoal-herringbone-harris-tweed</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1030&page=2#post-50448 Fri, 16 Dec 2011 21:28:18 +0000 crowriver 50448@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>My old EBC courier bag has a (detachable) narrow strap that buckles around your waist, in addition to the main shoulder strap. You clip that around you, adjust it and shoulder strap until tight enough, but not too tight. Doesn't budge from where you want it to be. I think it used to have a velcro-assisted loop for helping to stop the bag working it's way round onto the hip - it connected the shoulder and waist straps directly if I recall - but I lost this some years ago. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1030&page=2#post-50444 Fri, 16 Dec 2011 20:20:08 +0000 Uberuce 50444@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I found that problem too, and I want the bag to sit on my hip so that it's in that sweet spot between bouncing off my leg and being so far round as to cause lower back sweat, so I clip a laptop bag strap from the second strapping point on the bag(going clockwise) to the actual bag strap just under my right arm. </p> <p>It means the bag can't rotate round my hip any further since my shoulder is providing a bracing point.</p> <p>The strap that takes the weight of the bag is one of those plastic army belts, so it has holes at ~1.5 inch intervals so I can clip the laptop strap on at whatever point is best for the layers I have.</p> <p>I do confess it can be diggy and poky when not set right, but it cost five quid overall, so I won't grumble further. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1030&page=2#post-50306 Thu, 15 Dec 2011 11:52:44 +0000 kaputnik 50306@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Nice bag Crow - I have an old Dutch Airforce gasmask bag I got at uni. It was in poor state when I got it, but scrubbed it, washed it, dyed it and then put a new strap on it (the old one was very short, as was designed to hang around your neck across the chest) and then buffed up the brasswork with some polish and it is still going strong. I don't find it suitable for cycling though as it now hangs under-arm and if you swing it round over your back it just slides back round and gets in the way. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1030&page=2#post-50303 Thu, 15 Dec 2011 11:39:49 +0000 steveo 50303@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I like the bar bag, old surplus army bags are the way to go if you dont want specifically bikey stuff. The little one I converted to a saddle bag has done well I've also got an old gas mask bag with leather trim on the bottom that makes an unusual courier/man bag. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1030&page=2#post-50301 Thu, 15 Dec 2011 11:02:15 +0000 recombodna 50301@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Royal mail bag ( made by carradice I believe) Free if you have a friend in the postie trade..... can fit a 20inch ride cymbal 2 crashes a set of hi hats and a bass drum pedal. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1030&page=2#post-50290 Thu, 15 Dec 2011 00:50:42 +0000 crowriver 50290@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Sorry, not Finnish. Danish Civil Defence bag. Light grey rather than white (quite tasteful to my eyes). Basically a gas mask bag that's not green or cammo.</p> <p><img src="http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/1/1/3/6/2/2/webimg/467601998_tp.jpg"></p> <p><img src="http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/1/1/3/6/2/2/webimg/467602004_o.jpg"> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1030&page=2#post-50280 Wed, 14 Dec 2011 23:03:33 +0000 crowriver 50280@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I still have my 1990s EBC (pre-Revolution branding) courier bag, which seems pretty indestructible and still looks new. Very black all over, basically (except for a small strip of Scotchlite on rear flap). Used to use it a lot back in the late 1990s/early 2000s. Has been lying dormant for a number of years due to panniers taking over. Now found a new lease of life when riding the single speed, which shall remain rack-less and probably Carradice-less too. </p> <p>However single speed will have a handlebar bag for those essentials: a Finnish Civil Defence bag which is waxed canvas, with a white external finish and a fetching orange triangle front right hand corner. Supported by the VO Rackaleur, it will be kind of a poor man's Carradice, but a bit more unusual.</p> <p>My real (old school) Carradice is destined for the saddle of the Raleigh Pioneer Trail. Will fix the leather straps to saddle rails with cable ties instead of the official (and overpriced) after market bag loops. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1030&page=2#post-50276 Wed, 14 Dec 2011 21:55:06 +0000 Uberuce 50276@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I snaffled a canvas army surplus bag that was probably intended as a rucksack, but has the buckles for straps in the right place to be worn messenger style.</p> <p>I suspect it was meant to carry ammunition and killy boomy things like that, so it's absurdly robust, although it has precisely zero consideration for comfort aside from the fact canvas is pretty breathable. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1030&page=2#post-50234 Wed, 14 Dec 2011 13:25:36 +0000 kaputnik 50234@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>Someone mentioned a Glasgow company</em></p> <p><a href="http://www.trakke.co.uk/philosophy">Trakke</a></p> <p>I have the Mule. Worth every penny of the £90 (which, in the grand scheme of similarly sized custom courier bags is at the cheaper end) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1030&page=2#post-50232 Wed, 14 Dec 2011 13:22:48 +0000 chdot 50232@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Seems Timbuk2 has local competition -</p> <p>"</p> <p>Performance Tweed™</p> <p>Every bag tells a story. Made to order in our San Francisco factory, our bags are designed to tell your story -- each one is carefully hand-crafted with colors and fabrics to your liking.</p> <p>"</p> <p><a href="http://www.rickshawbags.com/laptop-messenger-bags/zero-messenger-bags.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.rickshawbags.com/laptop-messenger-bags/zero-messenger-bags.html</a></p> <p>Someone mentioned a Glasgow company but I can't find it in Search. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1030&page=2#post-26750 Mon, 14 Mar 2011 14:24:10 +0000 cb 26750@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>A generic QR system like that sounds like a great idea and would also allow you to quickly move lights between bikes, which is something I find a pain.</p> <p>At the very least it would be nice if bike light manufacturers could provide an additional clamp with their lights for mounting on a 2nd bike. The cost of the clamp in most cases must be pretty small compared to the cost of the actual light. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1030&page=2#post-26749 Mon, 14 Mar 2011 13:58:20 +0000 wingpig 26749@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>During the winter I always get mildly irritated by having to unclip all my lights and find a pocket in my shorts or bag into which to stuff them. I've been considering how a quick-release spare-pipe space-bar type thing might be devised and attached, as much to ease the unit's removal for standing the bike upside-down for minor maintenance as to aid light-removal when leaving things unattended. Lights attached to a bit of pipe held to another bit of pipe by a QR seatpost-clamp arrangement would also be easy to tweak the tilt of. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1030#post-26746 Mon, 14 Mar 2011 13:48:08 +0000 cb 26746@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Yeah, same with my karrimor bag - it would bounce around too much.</p> <p>My chicken levers stick out horizontally from the bars so they get in the way a bit. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1030#post-26744 Mon, 14 Mar 2011 13:21:59 +0000 kaputnik 26744@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Not sure if that would work on the Otlieb bag - it's not very rigid, just thin plastic to help it keep its shape, so lights might just bounce around all over the place. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1030#post-26740 Mon, 14 Mar 2011 12:57:38 +0000 Arellcat 26740@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>The obvious solution (to me) was to attach a piece of handlebar to the underneath of the bar bag, and hang the lights upside down.</p> <p>I did this a few years ago to my el cheapo Halfords bag which did sterling work on my Dahon (which, admittedly, had loads of space between bag and front wheel). Since it was cheap, I had no qualms with drilling a hole through the base.</p> <p>The handlebar piece was basically a copy of the Space Bar, and held half an inch or so away from the bag with a piece of plastic carved into the right shape. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1030#post-26739 Mon, 14 Mar 2011 12:40:43 +0000 kaputnik 26739@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@cb - no I've not had to touch the chicken levers, although next time I'm replacing the bar tape I might move them out a bit, there is a small amount of rubbing on the back brake cable from the light clamp. It displaces the gear cables form where they would normally sit, but they just bend around it so there's no interference with shifting. I've got a space saver bar incase I ever wanted to do some night time touring.</p> <p>Mounting the lights on the forks might be an alternative too, that way they would still point when you turn the bars. I believe it's legal so long as one light is on the right hand fork. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1030#post-26738 Mon, 14 Mar 2011 12:36:59 +0000 SRD 26738@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>Not a fan of using a helmet mounted light (as your only light). You're not actually legal doing that (are you?)</em></p> <p>I always feel a bit guilty about that and usually attach a knog as well - luckily it fits on the forward edge of my basket </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1030#post-26737 Mon, 14 Mar 2011 12:31:16 +0000 cb 26737@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I'm not a big fan of mounting lights sideways as they're often designed (beam pattern, mounting clamp) to be mounted flat, but I guess it depends on the light in question.<br /> Not a fan of using a helmet mounted light (as your only light). You're not actually legal doing that (are you?)</p> <p>I've got an old Karrimor Klik-fix bar bag which I haven't used in ages but I'd like to fix to my tourer. The two main problems were the bag fouling the cables (it's a deeper bag then K'nik's) and also getting in the way of the chicken levers.</p> <p>I bought a Klik-fix extender which seems to help, but I'd still have to re-align the chicken levers a bit(Kaputnik - did you have to do this too?)</p> <p>Haven't actually tried the set up on the road - must do so and report back. My computer is mounted on the stem which helps, and I have a Space saver which I could probably use for a front light. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1030#post-26736 Mon, 14 Mar 2011 12:22:36 +0000 SRD 26736@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Light on helmet save space too (if you...). </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1030#post-26735 Mon, 14 Mar 2011 12:16:28 +0000 kaputnik 26735@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Perhaps you could get a spacebar with an oversized clamp, and fix that to the steerer tube below the bag?</p> <p>The extension mount for the bag only moves it forwards, not up or down.</p> <p>There's no loop on the bag to hang anything off it. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1030#post-26734 Mon, 14 Mar 2011 11:50:20 +0000 wingpig 26734@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Darn. I was hoping an Ultimate might be a way of getting my camera out of my backpack and into a more readily-accessible and useful place. Also, the inch either side of the stem clamp is where my two main front lights currently sit. Don't suppose there's even a loop on the front of the bag for a front blinky to clip to? I've just shifted my bell onto the stem and will hopefully be remounting a replacement computer there to, leaving less things requiring bar space.</p> <p>I had a Space Bar (dating back from when my lights required D-cells and had twice the bar-footprint) but removed it (possibly knackering it in the process) when I reconfigured everything last year.<br /> The alternative would be to mount the lights sideways on the insides of the drops (which I never use because of the shortness of the top tube) if it could be done so that they didn't foul the levers when shifting. Hmmmm... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1030#post-26725 Mon, 14 Mar 2011 00:50:57 +0000 kaputnik 26725@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>What's the bag like for allowing lights to shine over the top? </em></p> <p>short answer is that they don't allow lights to shine under. or over. or around. a bar extension space-saver dealy is required or a light that will mount on the forks. Or I think Ortlieb will sell you a device to lower the bag position, but then it defeats the purpose of having it up infront of you where it's easy to reach and the map is visible.</p> <p>A la;</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kaputniq/5524570670/"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5099/5524570670_8ddef1c467.jpg"></a></p> <p>The mounting clamp itself is quite ingenious but very immovable. Once it's on, it's on. Required about an inch either side of the stem clamp, leaving the rest of the bars free for computer or GPS mounts etc. I've got very limited space on my tourer's bars because of the chicken levers, I can fit the computer and the light bracket - just - but nothing else, hence the bell mounted on the top tube. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1030#post-26724 Mon, 14 Mar 2011 00:41:26 +0000 wingpig 26724@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>What are Ultimate Bar Bags like for allowing the fitting of anything else (particularly lights) to the same bit of handlebar as the mount? What's the bag like for allowing lights to shine over the top? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1030#post-26714 Sun, 13 Mar 2011 23:05:11 +0000 kaputnik 26714@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Decided to save myself some money and just buy another mounting bracket for the Ultimate5-7 bar bag. Logic being that A/ I already have the bag (in yellow) B/ it gives me somewhere to mount a map and C/ it's far easier to retrieve jellybabies from it on the go than compared to a saddlebag. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1030#post-25810 Fri, 04 Mar 2011 10:34:56 +0000 Arellcat 25810@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>The Carradry range is your welded PU-coated range from Carradice; the 'SQR Glentress' is a five litre seat bag. Others in the range are panniers or bar bags.</p> <p>What about the SQR Tour or Trax seat bags? Both of them are 16 litres' capacity. I've no complaints about the weatherproofness of my Super C panniers. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1030#post-25796 Fri, 04 Mar 2011 08:12:50 +0000 kaputnik 25796@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I think perhaps one of the smaller Carradice options ("junior" / "cadet") may be suitable for my purposes. I've also got an idea of looking at mounting the Ortlieb bar bag "backwards" behind the seat... </p>