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Courier Bag Dying - Replacement Suggestions?

(43 posts)
  • Started 14 years ago by Wilmington's Cow
  • Latest reply from chdot
  • This topic is not resolved

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  1. Wilmington's Cow
    Member

    The excellent Howies courier bag that I've used almost every day for the last 6 years + is dying. The zip ont he front, where all the tools are stored, is bust, and the various tears and so on are looking really scruffy and taking away certain bits of storage.

    So do I get another similar bag? Or do I shift it off my back and onto the bike? I've got a rack on the Kaff, and could put a seatpost mounted one on the Peacemaker. And there are some good pannier bags I could borrow (the shortlived attempt with panniers before was because the bags were a faff to get on and off).

    Suggestions/Recommendations?

    Posted 14 years ago #

  2. chdot
    Admin

    "Suggestions/Recommendations?"

    Well obviously I would say Timbuk2 (I've only got 3 - first about 20 years old). I know they are not cheap - though some are currently on sale - and I'm totally confused about the fabric options.

    Posted 14 years ago #

  3. SRD
    Moderator

    Those do look nice, but as I was just saying to someone -- I don't know how/why I spent so many years cycling without panniers. They make life so much easier - especially if you take lunch to work, carry work home, need to stop and shop enroute etc.

    Posted 14 years ago #

  4. Arellcat
    Moderator

    Get yourself a large piece of 1000d Cordura from ProFabrics, and some Evostik Impact Adhesive (the proper gluey one that smells of petrol, not the Fisher Price solvent-free version that looks like set yoghurt). I mended some huge tears in my original panniers and my bike transit bag by stitching the tears closed(ish) and then gluing big patches over the top.

    If you're set on buying a new bag though, despite chdot and I owning Timbuk2 bags, I'd probably now suggest either a Chrome or one of Archie's Grobags.

    Posted 14 years ago #

  5. chdot
    Admin

    "Archie's Grobags" - mmm not come across before. Style looks a bit familiar -

    Though site doesn't really give much info!

    Posted 14 years ago #

  6. Wilmington's Cow
    Member

    Actually, I'm currently being swayed towards a Carradice saddlebag... No need for a pannier rack on the eyeletless fixed! (plus will look great on the refurbed Sunbeam when I get it back from Mercian and build it up...)

    Posted 14 years ago #

  7. chdot
    Admin

    "Carradice saddlebag"

    Nostalgia or retro?

    Posted 14 years ago #

  8. Wilmington's Cow
    Member

    Retro (never had one before for it to be nostalgia...)

    Posted 14 years ago #

  9. chdot
    Admin

    "Nostalgia isn't what it used to be."

    Posted 14 years ago #

  10. steveo
    Member

    So long term view, still loving it?

    Which one did you get in the end? I'm considering one for my christmas, either the Barley (7l) or the Pendle (11l) not sure if could get everything in the Barley, need to pack a bag with everything in it and take it into bike trax to try, i suppose.

    How easy is it to swap between bikes?

    The only thing really putting me off is losing the seat post for rear illumination.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  11. Wilmington's Cow
    Member

    I've got a Nelson Longflap, and wouldn't be without it anymore. A couple of times I've had to use a big bag on my back to get to work, and wondered how I ever managed to do it every day!

    Durable and nicely waterproof, really does the job.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  12. Arellcat
    Moderator

    More importantly, Anth, which Carradician lady sewed your bag together?

    Posted 13 years ago #

  13. steveo
    Member

    How have you fitted it?

    Posted 13 years ago #

  14. steveo
    Member

    Nelson Longflap with seat post quick release ordered from the good people of Lancs.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  15. kaputnik
    Moderator

    What's the alternatives to a Carradice in terms of carrying that amount of stuff without having to fit a rack? I'm specifically thinking for the Audax machine I'm building up. I know "the done thing" on Audax is to fit a Carradice, but I have to say I prefer fabrics like cordura in terms of waterproof / keeping them wipe-clean... Anyone know of a similar product in that sort of material - or do I just join the retroclub?

    Posted 13 years ago #

  16. steveo
    Member

    Join us we have cake, easiest way i've found to carry a black pudding supper. I've found the watterproofing excellent only problem i've had on that front is water getting under the flap because I don't have mud guards.

    You could try the super C range I think it's made from more modern material.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  17. kaputnik
    Moderator

    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...

    Posted 13 years ago #

  18. Arellcat
    Moderator

    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.

    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.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  19. kaputnik
    Moderator

    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.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  20. wingpig
    Member

    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?

    Posted 13 years ago #

  21. kaputnik
    Moderator

    What's the bag like for allowing lights to shine over the top?

    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.

    A la;

    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.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  22. wingpig
    Member

    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.

    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.
    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...

    Posted 13 years ago #

  23. kaputnik
    Moderator

    Perhaps you could get a spacebar with an oversized clamp, and fix that to the steerer tube below the bag?

    The extension mount for the bag only moves it forwards, not up or down.

    There's no loop on the bag to hang anything off it.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  24. SRD
    Moderator

    Light on helmet save space too (if you...).

    Posted 13 years ago #

  25. cb
    Member

    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.
    Not a fan of using a helmet mounted light (as your only light). You're not actually legal doing that (are you?)

    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.

    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?)

    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.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  26. SRD
    Moderator

    Not a fan of using a helmet mounted light (as your only light). You're not actually legal doing that (are you?)

    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

    Posted 13 years ago #

  27. kaputnik
    Moderator

    @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.

    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.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  28. Arellcat
    Moderator

    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.

    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.

    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.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  29. kaputnik
    Moderator

    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.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  30. cb
    Member

    Yeah, same with my karrimor bag - it would bounce around too much.

    My chicken levers stick out horizontally from the bars so they get in the way a bit.

    Posted 13 years ago #

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