I am looking to lose some weight off my daily commuter by swapping the rack and pannier for a saddle pack. Could anyone suggest which might be best for daily commuting, with a set of clothes, lunch, tubes, tool and pump? The carradice looks the easiest to get on/off and has plenty of space, but also looks quite heavy and possibly not that secure on rougher terrain. The other two are lighter, look better, but are they a bit of a faff to get on and off? Possibly harder to keep shirts relatively flat too. Anyone commute with a bike packing pack?

Cheers!

[img]http://www.gravelbike.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/SQR-Slim-Profile.jpg[/img]

I’ve the Carradice – it’s an earlier version of that shown. More than enough room, in fact it was probably too big in summer. Handled being bounced around on canal tow-paths.

Carradice definitely

I have the Carradice SQR Slim, it’s much better than a bikepacking seatpack for commuting use (I also have a Revelate Viscacha)

– Quicker to get on and off
– more robust (and it maintains its shape when half empty, it’s not floppy)
– easier shape for packing things it – laptop, shoes, shirts, food etc
– you can clip a rear light onto it more easily
– easier to carry when off the bike

The bikepacking seatpacks probably look better, but they’re way more faff

I use neither for commuting, I use a Topeak rackpack combined with a Topeak rack. But the Carradice got used when I got my brompton and before I bought a Brompton bag, I leave the SQR mount on the Brompton for just in case use

Cool, suspected that was the case. Looks like I’ll have to get a Brookes saddle and some trouser clips to go with it 🙂

Most saddle bags aren’t fully waterproof so you need some kind of drybag inside. I’ve got the Apidura one and it’s nice, but if I buy again I’m going to get an Alpamayo Designs one. It’s a holster design so you can leave it on the bike and remove the drybag to take inside so you don’t have to refit the whole thing every time.

You know you can put a drybag inside a non-waterproof one right?

I drybag the stuff I want to stay dry inside my Viscacha, but it means I get put wet stuff in there too and don’t have to worry about it falling out e.g. tarp, waterproofs, fold up water bottles, water filter. I actually see it as a positive

I’m thinking of going for this bag from Bridge Street Cycles. It looks like it’s as useful as the carradice, but a lot lighter and less bulky – although it’s obviously smaller, but probably still big enough.

Only thing putting me off is the price – £70 seems an awful lot for a drybag and a bracket. Does anyone have one, and can recommend it? The Klickfix bracket itself is quite pricey so I guess a lot of the cost is in that.

Link is blocked on my work internet, but those bags are generally well regarded by those who use them, but they’re not used by huge numbers of folks

Another SQR slim user here, use it on my daily commuter. Snaps on and off easily once you’ve got the knack, not as easy as my old vaude off road bag but capacity is nearly double.

It’s waterproof enough for me, used it since about march through some biblical weather and I’ve never had anything wet inside, but I do keep my clothes in a tesco bag for life for ease when I get to work.

I’ve looked at a lot of these recently and initially came to the conclusion carridice would be the best for one/two day tours I have in mind which is probably about the same as a commute for carrying requirements.

However…also consider the largest Ortlieb seatpost pack which is 4l in size but you can fasten a jacket or similar on top and the Vaude off road bag which comes in a couple of sizes 6l and 10l (I think) and uses a similar fixing system to Carradice but is a lot lighter.

The Endura backpacking back looks the best to me as you fit a drybag into it so taking your stuff doesn’t mean unloading just remove the drybag.

In the end I’ve gone for the Ortlieb seatpack which will carry all my cycling stuff and I’m going to have a go at making a roll to hold a dry bag with my overnight/off the bike stuff on the handlebars.