Right bag for the job
Although with the current temperatures we are having and the rain that seemingly doesn’t want to bugger off it’s hard to imagine that it’s time to be planning our summer bike adventures. Well, I have faith that the sun is on its way and we will soon be spending warm summer evens setting up camp under the stars. I thought in the spirit of that I’d share my bag setup for such adventures as well as what I use on different day rides.
My setup for any multi-day trips is pretty simple as I like to travel with as little as possible. I use a Wizard Works large Shazam bag upfront which I’ve had for about 3 years. It’s sturdy, has a good capacity, and after lots of use, it is still in great condition. For daily use, I’ve always used the bag without a rack, but since adding a dynamo light and wanting a bit more sturdiness while fully loaded I’ve used a bag support made up of Nitto and VO parts. I usually pack food, cookware, tools, a couple of spare bits of clothing, and any other small things like a charger, and headtorch upfront.
For the rear bag, I use a Carridice Super C. This bag doesn’t have a hard shell to it but I fill this with my sleep system which conveniently fills the whole bag and gives it the structure it needs. I carry my roll mat, bivy, and sleeping bag back here. Side pockets get filled with my mug, aero press, and a few other small bits. I did have one of those bagman supports for this but I didn’t like the look of the bag all upright hanging out from the back of the seat. Luck would have it with the seat height I’m running the bag sits perfectly on the seat stays which act as a perfect support. Although the stuff filling the bag makes it pretty sturdy, it still has a little sag, which means it gets pretty close to the tyre, but all I need to do is cinch the main flap straps real tight, giving that little extra clearance.
This front and rear setup is ideal for any tour that is a week or less. The only other bag I might add for a longer trip is a half-frame bag. Not a fan of the full-frame bag but I get its benefits.
I used to use my Wizard Works bag no matter what kind of ride I was going on, even if I was doing a quick loop I just left the bag on the front all the time. It sounds funny, but the main reason I stopped using it all the time was aesthetics. If I haven’t made it clear at this point I’ll reiterate that for me the way the bike looks is just as important as how it rides. When I started using the bag support to have the bag clear the front light I didn’t like how it looked as the bag was higher up on the bars and sticking out the front of the bike more. Because of that, I started using two smaller bags for shorter rides. Also, it seems the big bar bag became a bit of a statement piece over actually needing it.
There are so many choices for bags these days, almost too many to choose from. But if you ask me you can’t go wrong with a tried and tested Carridice. They have literally been making bags for nearly 100 years and pioneered the modern saddle bag we see everywhere today. On top of that, they won’t cost you an arm and a leg. Don’t get me wrong I think the price of the more modern bags is justified for the quality and modern touches, but if you are looking for something affordable that will treat you well Carridice is a great choice. Many of their bags don’t have an inner sleeve for structure but for something small that won’t carry much, I don’t think you need that.
For quick loop rides I use this rad little Carridice zipped roll bag, it’s big enough for a tube, pump, and tools to switch one out, a small snack and you can stuff a shirt or down jacket in there too if you’re riding in colder temperatures and get warm. If I’m on a bit of a longer all-day ride then I’ll use the Carridice Barley bag, it’s a bit bigger so you can fit a small camera and more snacks which are the only extra things I need if I’m out all day.
Bags are a fun way to mix your bike and ride up. For me, the bike is so personal, and little tweaks here and there make for a different ride and keep things fresh.