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Carradice Panniers?

Old 04-05-20, 07:14 PM
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KFC
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Carradice Panniers?

Had anybody had any experience with the Carradice "CarraDry" panniers. They look pretty good to me, but I can find no physical examples (in the US) that I can examine. I like how they look look, and the fact that they are waterproof without rain jackets, have an external pocket for frequently accessed items (rear only), and the 'draw string and hood' style. I have a set of 'roll-up' panniers and while there are completely waterproof, they are cumbersome to open and close, especially for frequently used items. The price seems reasonable even with shipping from the UK, and I like the size - 48 liters back/20 liters front. I would love to hear the opinion of somebody that has used them.
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Old 04-06-20, 12:08 AM
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Happy Feet
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I have the front panniers, saddle bag and handlebar bag of the Carradry line.

I use the front panniers on the rear as I don't need the extra space of the larger bags. The mounting system is secure and comes with a couple of inserts for differing rack diameters and the bag opens well with the drawstring apron that also allows extra room if desired. The top extends but the straps are not floppy. I like them quite a lot and also had no luck looking at a sample set before purchase - took a chance. Carradice is a great company to deal with and I was pleased with the service.

I wanted to buy the series so I could scale up and down in baggage depending on what I wanted to carry.

The saddle bag is also good and does what it is supposed to do. It's really just one big space with a snap in mesh bag for toiletries.

recently I bought the HB bag and have mixed feelings about it. The top is a little too snug and not that easy to pull down around the bag and it would benefit from a hoop or something to keep the shape rounded on top so it doesn't pool water - but, it's well made. The light attachment underneath is interesting as it allows a headlight to be mounted under the bag to point at the road.

If you have a specific question let me know.









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Old 04-06-20, 07:17 AM
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Not entirely what you are asking for, but we recently got the CarraDry SQR bag. Like Happy mentioned the construction quality is pretty solid and I am really happy with it as a quick release bag. The only cons I have so far are that the PVC material is loud and squeaky when out of the saddle and the welded seam construction leaves some edges that look a little ragged even though they are still waterproof. That said I think the panniers use a different construction method with different materials and so wouldn't have the weird seams.

I also bought this on a whim and wasn't able to get my hands on any in the US to test or look at. Bought it through SJS Cycles online who were great to deal with.

For panniers we use Ortliebs with sport-packers on the front for frequent access items (similar cinch and flap construction as the Carradrys) and roll-packers on the back for bulkier less frequently used items.

<Still new so can't post a picture>
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Old 04-06-20, 08:33 AM
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Welcome to the board amilianadvtrs

The SQR for the saddle bag is a good note. I haven't gotten a quick release system yet and waffle between it (SQR) and the other options like the classic saddle bag rack. I'm leaning towards the latter as I have Brooks saddles for the tabs but am interested in your take for the SQR system. Does it feel secure and/of seem like the plastic might fail at some point? It seems like it's so cantilevered in the online pics.

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Old 04-06-20, 09:16 AM
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Thanks for the welcome, been lurking for a while and felt like I finally had something to add. Also sorry for the thread diversion...

The SQR block feels pretty sturdy to me (maybe fiberglass reinforced plastic?), the cantilever looks extreme at first but the way the bag's internal rack rests on the block makes it feel pretty solid. There's probably less sway than on a modern bikepacking seat bag because of the frame. The attachment to the seat post is with metal straps which requires taking the seat post all the way out. I used some old innertube strips to help the straps grab well and have had no problems with it swaying or slipping when loaded to the listed weight capacity. Definitely haven't had it long enough to give a real review on long-term durability though.

The challenge I see for the SQR system is mostly about real-estate, it takes a lot of seat post and would need a pretty tall bike to avoid interference with a rear rack and keep it easy to take on and off. Mine is on a BikeFriday so there is plenty of seat post exposed and a relatively low rear rack.
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Old 04-06-20, 11:35 AM
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I bought the rear Carradry panneris about five years ago. Prior to that I have had very good luck with Ortliebs, but to make a long story short I wanted some much larger rear panniers for a specific trip. Then, that trip did not happen, so did not use them at that time.

Every trip since then I tried to decide should I use the Ortliebs or the rear Carradrys? Last summer, decided to use the Carradry rear panniers. They worked great EXCEPT, there were some sewn seams in the lid and maybe elsewere and water came in through the seams. I have since used seam grip to waterproof those seams, but have not tried them since. I assume that they are now waterproof. But I rode for a couple of days in some all day long rainstorms and a lot of water got in, so if you get them, look for sewn seams that could leak. And if you see any, water proof the seams.

The lower hook on the Carradry rear panniers would not work with my Tubus Logo rack. I made some new lower hooks out of 3/4 X 1/8 Aluminum bar. My DIY hooks worked great.

Photo, Carradry rear, some Axioms that I got at a garage sale on front. The Carradry label that you can see was one of the leaky seams.



Above photo, note how far down the pannier hangs on a Tubus Logo. I liked that to put the weight lower.

Photo below, I used some inner tube rubber to cover my DIY lower hook that I made out of Aluminum. The Carradry hook would not work with this rack.



In the above photo you can see that the rack hangs roughly an inch below the bottom of the rack, which is a standard Logo EVO rack. I added some plastic tubing to the rack to prevent chaffing, that is apparant in the photo.

On that trip I had a lot of weather like this.



And like this.




Would I use the Carradry rear panniers again? Absolutely. But I still have my Ortlieb roller panniers that I got over a decade ago.

Ortliebs, slightly heavier per liter of volume. Ortlieb rollers, more water prooof. Ortlieb rack attachments are better, especially since they fit my rack and I did not need to make a new lower hook. And I thought that the Ortliebs are more robust and will hold up better over the long term. The Carradry rear panniers, I do not recall what they said the volume was on them, but I think the actual is closer to 50 or 52 liter for the pair, whereas the Ortlieb Backrollers are 40 liter.

But if I went somewhere for a month and anticipated a large volume load, I would certainly consider taking the Carradry rear panniers instead of my Ortliebs.

I carried one Carradry rear without hooks as a carry on onto the plane, size was just fine as an airline carry on bag.

***

Side note: After buying the rear ones, I decided to also buy the front ones, also about five years ago. The front ones were a disaster for me, all the straps were about 6 inches too short for the bag to be functional. I contacted Carradice and they said that they were supposed to be that way. Cost of returning them to UK with international shipping would have exceeded any refund so I did not return them. I have seen photos of the ones that Happy Feet bought (he posted photos above) and his were newer than mine, so mine appear to have been a bad batch. And based on the ones that Happy Feet has, the design has changed a bit, so his experience with the smaller ones is probably more applicable than mine.
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