I’m looking to do some light touring on my carbon road bike. I can’t mount a pannier rack and I’ve been advised not to use a bar bag.

Top of my list at the moment is a Carradice SQR Tour. It has the right sort of capacity and I’m told it should be fine clamped to my aluminium seat post. Are there any other large saddle bags out there which I should consider? I understand the more traditional Carradice saddle bags tend to sway?

I’ve got a 2.7ltr Ortlieb.

Its waterproof, nice simple (and light) and seems pretty stable.

Its only just big enough for a pair of light summer trousers, a rolled up long sleeve baselayer and my flip flops (plus a small bottle of oil and a few wee sachets of chamois cream).

That, plus some fairly full back pockets, has seen me through a couple of two day stints on the road bike and barely affects the feel/look of the bike, which is handy.

The carradice stuff doesn’t sway if you use one of their mounts rather than just fastening to the saddle … Ton was flogging a nearly new bag and QR mount earlier for the right money.

I would take a good light weight rucksack like Lowe Alpin Rush you can enough in that easy and very stable if you use the straps across the chest etc.

I used a a seatpost mounted pannier rack.

I don’t think you’d cope with carrying all you need in a saddle bag.

Why wouldn’t you use a bar bag??

I don’t think you’d cope with carrying all you need in a saddle bag.

Its called credit card touring for a reason, food drink and accomodation are bought along the way.

Always handy top have a change of clothing for the evenings otherwise by day two we will be able to smell you coming LOL I do a fair bit of touring on and off road. I use a lot of Merino gear but wouldn’t compromise my comfort in the evenings over a multi day trek.

I liked the Carradice Tour but went for the Slim as i don’t have a lot of seat tube showing and the tour is quite deep and would foul the back wheel.

cracking bag, same huge volume as Tour – fits a treat on my Jake The Snake.

2.7 ltr is plenty to squeexe in some realy lightweight trousers, a top and a pair of deck shoes, I’ve done 2 days with absolutly nothing but a spare tube, pump and multitool.

I can totally recommend the Carradice SQR Tour. Used on a 4 day and a 2 day tour this year. The 4 day tour was in april and we had a lot of rain and it was pretty cold up the NW Scotland. I used a handle bar bag as well due to the extra kit required but the saddle bag is pretty big in terms of what you can stuff in it. You dont notice its on the bike. For the 2 day tour in August I only needed the saddlebag.

I do have an aluminium seatpost but I would say the carbon would be OK as the bolt does not make contact. You could just use tape where the clamping bands are.

Mrs S and I toured (and camped) for 3 months across the continent carrying our kit in 2x Carradice Super Cs and a bar bag each.

Id highly recommend a bar bag for valuables, or I suppose you could get away with a really good bum-bag.

If you go for carradice the SQR attachment is a must – it helps move the bag up ad away from the back of the legs and makes for an easy quick release. I still use my Carradice for commuting.

The bag itself is tardis like with a drawcord-topped waterproof skirt inside that comes up about 6″ above the bag top if needed.

aha found some more pics

Thanks for all the advice. I’m yet to hear a bad review of Carradice bags so I think that’s where I’ll go. It’s likely to be used for weekend trips and a longer 7-day tour across the alps in the summer. I’m thinking flip flops, shorts and a couple of t shirts for the evenings.

Why wouldn’t you use a bar bag??

I was told that they can numb the bike handling?

Ricky, our three month kit list

Camping

2 man Go Lite Den 2 Tent
2x Thermarest 3/4 sleeping matts
Custom double duvet
JagBag double silk sleeping bag liner

Cooking & Food

Titan titanium pas (1.2l, 0.9l, lid)
2x titanium sporks
MSR pocket Rocket stove
200g gas canister
Full set of folding plates/bowls/mugs
4x 750ml water bottles on bike
lighter & matches

Bike gear & tools

2x On-One Pompinos
Topeak mountain morph pump
Kryptonite cable lock (10mm x 6′)
Cateye 7 computer
2x Carradice Super C saddlebags
1x Altura Bar bag, 1x Karrimor Bar bag
2x rear LED lights
Spanner, bike tool, tyre levers, repair kit, spare cleats & bolts, Chain tool, spare links
Spare brake cables, spare spokes, zip ties, pva tape, rag, silicon lube

Clothes (each)

Riding shoes, convertible for walking and bar flying
Flip flops
2x pairs socks
2x pairs riding underwear
Underwear for off bike
2 ride tops
1 off bike top
1 pair convertible trousers
1 pair of overshorts
Montane Litespeed splashtop
Swedish Down Smock
Bike gloves
Sunglasses
Helmets

Toiletries

Shampoo
Sunscrean
Aftersun
Bio soap
Bar of soap
Toothpaste
Toothbrushes

Stuff

2x Penknives
Sony SW radio
Digital Camera
Phone
Phone 9v power converter
note pad
Pencils
Silva 7 Compass
Travel towels
Spanish phrase book
Candle
Medipac
Bag straps
Map
Needle & thread
2x LED Headtorch

and

spare links,
spare inner tube
razor
Bog roll

BTW our very out of date blog is here:
http://pompinos.blogspot.com/

Why wouldn’t you use a bar bag??
I was told that they can numb the bike handling?

not really, they just change the way the steering responds to input force. You get used to it in a bout 30 minutes.

Youre touring, not doing the Etape 😉 Bar bags are a very good idea, but make sure you have a shoulder strap for it.

RickyRah – Member

> Why wouldn’t you use a bar bag??

I was told that they can numb the bike handling?

Better to have the weight more evenly spread back-front than it all hanging over the back wheel. Bar bags are great for keeping all your valuables handy and you can put a map or GPS onto it too. I use the map pocket in mine for a solar panel.

Thanks Stoner, your kit list is really useful. It sounds like an amazing trip you had! We’ll be staying in hostels and the like which will cut down on what we need to carry. At least it seems feasible to travel relatively light. I guess you wash your cycling kit out on an evening to avoid smelling like the proverbial Frenchman.

also we wore merino socks and base layers. Merino wool is naturally antibacterial and can be worn for a few days in a row without smelling.

My first tour was a week of hostel/B&B round the Dales and I borrowed a Camper Longflap which was not full. I realised that I had taken too much as some stuff remained unused. It’s all relative, as one member of the group was amazed at how light I was travelling. He had two large panniers and a rackpack but was only ever seen in cycling shorts, shoes and top so I don’t know what he had in there.

Carra SQR Tour is magic. Bike feels pretty natural with it on too.

Yep another vote for carradice sqr tour. dead stable and waterproof and surprisingly spacious.