Baroudeur

I've been looking for a saddle bag for my bike, and, since I haven't fallen in love with any of the bags I've seen, I thought I'd ask for some professional advice! I'm looking for a black (leather, hopefully) saddle bag to match my saddle and bar tape... so far, I've mostly considered the Brooks Challenge, but I think it's probably smaller than I'm going to want. What saddle bag should I go for?

shopgirl

What do you need to carry?

Baroudeur

Not all that much: two or three spanners, a screwdriver, a rag, and perhaps a spare tube. Hopefully I'd have room for a wallet, phone, and camera also, which is why I think I might like something larger than the Challenge... but I can carry those things elsewhere if necessary.

Sixty Fiver

Made my own from a 1930's school bag... fitted modern bag clips to the back and keep it secured with a bunjee cord.

It carries a ton of stuff as it expands and has three compartments inside... can carry my lunch, tools, pump, folding cane, laptop, and rain gear and still have room to spare.

Maddox

Hmmm...so you want more of a "tool holder" than an actual "saddle bag", correct?

Challenge looks nice. If color and material (in your case leather) matter to you that much, I'd say go with the Challenge or (if you're game for something bigger) the Millbrook.

Road Fan

What about a Carradice? Design has not changed since the vintage days, they're a lot cheaper (at comparable sizing) than the Brooks, and there's a wide range of sizes. Wiggle in the UK is by far the cheapest place to order one.

Andrew F

My experience with the Challenger is that it holds, 3 irons, a patch kit, my ID and a few dollars, stuff a tube in it ad it gets out of shape. I picked this old Raliegh bag up at a yard sale, not too large, leather, but required a support which I got from VO. I see these bags or simular ones on ebay from time to time. This one hold: irons, 2 tubes, wallet, cell-phone and an apple. It's still small enough that it does not bang your legs.

nlerner

Have you look at Acorn bags?

https://acornbags.com/

I have the medium saddlebag, which is probably bigger than you want, but it's very nicely made and very useful.

Neal

elguicho 

I made my own out of an old camera bag for my wife's peugeot.

shopgirl

I vote for Acorn bags. Those are the ones I've been meaning to get for myself (just as soon as I stop buying bikes... after I buy the bike I'm currently looking for... yeah.)

RFC

And, of course, there is the Dooney & Bourke line of randonneuring saddle and handlebar bags.

Baroudeur

Thanks for all the advice!

mickey85

I like my Minnehaha saddlebags - I've got two. Here's the one on my Phillips:





Wendy wanted to check it out:



I've found that it'll hold a pair of shoes, pants, shirt, belt, and breakdown equipment.

Andrew F

I like the Acorn bags but they are never in stock, Velo Orange has a some nice traditonal bags. If red and white is your thing, I saw a 50's saddle bag on e-bay Saturday.

MacCruiskeen

Hey, I have an old camera bag exactly like that one! Must be almost 40 years old. I wish I'd thought of that before I went out and bought a trunk bag.

mudboy

I have an Acorn, which I really like.

elguicho 

I found it at a garage sale and I just thought it would look nice with the leather saddle.

akcapbikeforums

Here are some very cool black leather saddlebags, courtesy of Steppinthefunk. I got a pair of these, and removed the small zipper tabs that Steppinthefunk left on his -- I feel the small zipper taps detract somewhat. The bags are Willie and Max Standard Series Straight Saddlebags 11" x 12" x 3.5", msrp $120.99, I got mine for $45. They have small plastic clips at each buckle, so you never really have to "unbuckle" the saddlebags.






See this thread:

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...ntage-ish-Bags

and this one too:

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...-100%28PICS%29

and about Steppinthefunk's beautiful rack idea:

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...nd-a-rear-rack

elbertus

I have been searching around for a nice, small, vintage style saddle bag to hang off my vintage Brooks B72. There are some nice new ones out there that just look too new for what I was after. The brooks stuff is nice looking but pricey. Which led me to consider making one - found a source for oilcloth on line, was thinking about getting my sister in law who likes to sew to make up a simple roll. Figured I could get some simple leather dog collars to use as the straps to attach it to the saddle and provide closure.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

akcapbikeforums

Consider starting a thread with your question... and not threadjacking this one?

southpawboston

i just picked up a new carradice barley, in black, for $44 shipped from the UK. got it from wiggle.co.uk. very vintage looking, especially the black version:



here's my 1960s communist-era czechoslovakian school bag, repurposed as a pannier bag. been in my family since new. no modification necessary, the shoulder strap unbuckles leaving two short buckle loops perfect for affixing to a rack:

politicalgeek

Zimbale 11 liter on mine. Haven't used it yet, other than getting it on.



So far I have put a tool kit in the left pocket, stashed some granola bars and my cable and padlock in the main compartment, along with bike tube and plan on putting a first aid kit in the right pocket. Should be able to hold my mini-laptop in the main compartment and an extra shirt/sweater. I need to get some straps to lash my jacket on the outside and a shoulder strap for the bag.

mkeller234

I got the same bag a couple of months ago, glad I got the 11 liter instead of the 7. I don't have anything bad to say about it, the quick release type leather buckles are awesome. I have made use of the long flap a hand full of times when I stuffed the bag to the gills. One thing is for sure, the bag was unruly until I got a Carradice bagman support for it.