End to end on a road bike and biggest saddle bag

TipsterStu

Been contemplating buying a touring bike as I only have a road bike - Condor Squadra

I friend suggested if I wanted to tour light I could use that bike and just get an oversized/22 litre saddle bag

Firstly, is the end to end mainly on roads and secondly beyond Carradice who else does the bigger saddle bags - is there one bigger than 22 litres

Your advice appreciated

Stuart

Wooliferkins

Klickfix Freepack Meta 2, 26ltr. is a rucksack when off the bike.

Klickfix Site Site slightly annoying as will not give links to Flash pages but go, accesories for seatpost / bags for seatpost / for extender / freepack Meta

sheffsimon

Am liking some of those Rixen bags for commuting.

How robust is the seatpost mount, anybody know?

ralex

Wooliferkins wrote:

Klickfix Freepack Meta 2, 26ltr. is a rucksack when off the bike.

Klickfix Site Site slightly annoying as will not give links to Flash pages but go, accesories for seatpost / bags for seatpost / for extender / freepack Meta

Klickfix stuff is excellent, but be aware that although that bag is 26 litres capacity, the seatpost bracket has a weight limit of only 5kg, so not so good for touring maybe. Carradice bag supports are rated at 10kg I think.

Wooliferkins

SheffSimon wrote:

How robust is the seatpost mount, anybody know?

I've never had anyone complain or come back for warranty on the seatpost adapters occasionally the bar clamps have snapped but very rarely compared with the numbers sold. Low single figures.

trickeyja

I've just done a long tour (25 days) using a Carradice saddlebag and Avenir handlebar bag (see http://jtcycling.wordpress.com/ where I am writing it up)

Anyway I used the SQR system from Carradice to support my bag, and if you are carrying a fair amount of weight I would not recommend it. Although it's technically rated to 10kg (my bag and tent weighed 8-9kg) the brackets which held the system to the seatpost broke when I was near the end of the tour. This meant I had to dispose of the SQR mount and strap the saddlebag to the back of my saddle for the last few days. It got me home but wasn't ideal because I was banging the back of my leg against the saddlebag during each pedal stroke and I had to raise the saddle to create enough clearance for the back wheel.

Still, I suppose it had lasted for about 2,000 miles of touring before it broke (including previous tours). I don't know whether the bagman supports would be any stronger. It might be worth installing a seatpost rack to add a bit of support beneath the SQR and relieve some of the weight burden.