Carradice Camper - what am I doing wrong?

[Finnjävel]

Hello,
I just got a carradice camper and mounted in on my trusty old mtb with a Bagman support. However, when I stuff the bag full it gets a bit awkward. The load seems to compete for saddle-space with my @r$€.
I attached two photos to show the problem. In the first one, the bag is almost empty and all is well.

In the second, I have extended the flap to make space for the load, and I have trouble fitting my nice little behind to the saddle. It seems like if the bagman support held the bag a little less tilted upwards, the extended load would be behind the saddle more than on it. If I attached say a tent or a sleeping pad to the outside of the bag, it would be directly over the saddle.

So, what to do? Have I mounted the bag somehow wrong?

 

[young Ed]

get rid of the 3 colourful twirly spiral thingies?
do some real mountain biking jumps and riding along logs and stuff like that so you are always standing?

okay seriously though, a quick googling seems to suggest you don't really need your support bar if it doesn't mean your bag is scraping the rear wheel?
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=c...o.com%2Fcategory%2Fwhat-goes-where%2F;794;196

that way the bag sits down and under the saddle a little more
Cheers Ed
P.S: out of interest what are the colourful twirly, spiral thingies stuffed under the flap in the second pic?

 

[Finnjävel]

Thanks for the reply.
If I lose the bagman, I also lose the quick release, which would be a bummer. I think I have to tinker with the bagman until it's broken and I can get another bag.

The twirly thingies are these: http://www.biltema.fi/sv-fi/Fritid/...-sommar/Vatten-och-strand/Vattenspruta-45628/
Absolutely essential equipment.

 

[wiggydiggy]

Nothing.

I've used different Carradice saddle bags, most at one point or another tended to cop a feel of my rear end as the suppport just pushes the whole thing upwards. Originally they'd mount and sit much lower:

 

[shouldbeinbed]

Thanks for the reply.
If I lose the bagman, I also lose the quick release, which would be a bummer. I think I have to tinker with the bagman until it's broken and I can get another bag.
.

Would an SQR block be a better option than the bagman rack? By the looks of the pics here, it would tilt the opening of the bag further back away from your bum a bit more. It does look well stuffed tho.

 

[jazzkat]

I know you want to keep the bagman for the QR, but as far as I know Carradice designed them to be fitted like the folder above, with the bottom strap on the seat tube. This makes the flap slope away, allowing for rain water to run off and for the sticky out bits (technical term) under the flap to be away from your behind.
It's how I've got mine and have had a lot more than you pic shows, in my camper.
Just my two penneth worth.

 

[John the Monkey]

I've not used anything as large as the Camper - however, I mount my bags to saddle loops and seatpost, but use a short length of PVC pipe as a standoff on the seat tube strap. The pipe is wrapped with old inner tube so that it doesn't damage post or bag.
The post strap goes through the inside of the pipe.

http://johnthemonkey.wordpress.com/2011/10/13/a-carradice-bodge/

 

[Brandane]

I know you want to keep the bagman for the QR, but as far as I know Carradice designed them to be fitted like the folder above, with the bottom strap on the seat tube. This makes the flap slope away, allowing for rain water to run off and for the sticky out bits (technical term) under the flap to be away from your behind.
It's how I've got mine and have had a lot more than you pic shows, in my camper.
Just my two penneth worth.

As above. When I use my Carradice (not a camper but a Nelson something or other) I attach the strap as intended to the seatpost. I don't have one of those bagman support doofers. I use an arrangement of a couple of bungee cords to prevent the bag from swinging about while riding.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I've not used anything as large as the Camper - however, I mount my bags to saddle loops and seatpost, but use a short length of PVC pipe as a standoff on the seat tube strap. The pipe is wrapped with old inner tube so that it doesn't damage post or bag.
The post strap goes through the inside of the pipe.

http://johnthemonkey.wordpress.com/2011/10/13/a-carradice-bodge/

Hang on boss, that is NOT a bodge. It is a factory-approved modification. I find the bag whacking the back of my legs can be rather wearing and when I rang 'em to ask advice they suggested "short length of pvc pipe"

 

[andrew_s]

As you've found, the Bagman 2 doesn't hold a Camper Longflap at the right angle if the saddlebag is well stuffed, with gear under the flap or on the lid.

I tried slackening off the support struts, pushing the support loop down, and then tightening up the struts. This moved the Camper down enough for my use, but the support loop broke after not very long. I'd expect removing the struts to also result in breakage after a while. Permanently bending the support loop off the bike may well be a better solution.

The original Bagman (if you can find one) has a springy steel support that is closer to horizontal, and which gets pushed further down by the saddlebag, allowing use with the bag full and a moderate amount under the flap (tent) - you still can't strap stuff onto the outside of the lid though.
Note that on rough roads the support & saddlebag can bounce up and down quite a lot (4 to 5 inches). You don't particularly notice it when riding, but I dented my mudguard and following riders found it fascinating.

Options are:
a) Sell the Bagman 2 QR and buy a separate QR attachment, letting the saddlebag hang with or without a pipe stand-off
b) Cut the support loop off your Bagman 2 with a hacksaw and let the bag hang.
c) Get an original Bagman non-QR support and swap the upper section with the QR from your Bagman 2 QR. This would allow you to swap back when you weren't on tour.

 

[jazzkat]

Hang on boss, that is NOT a bodge. It is a factory-approved modification. I find the bag whacking the back of my legs can be rather wearing and when I rang 'em to ask advice they suggested "short length of pvc pipe"

Indeed, compared to some so called 'fixes' I've seen that comes across as a high tech solution.

 

[wiggydiggy]

I

Hang on boss, that is NOT a bodge. It is a factory-approved modification. I find the bag whacking the back of my legs can be rather wearing and when I rang 'em to ask advice they suggested "short length of pvc pipe"

Its a cracking idea anyway, I'm blatantly stealing that

........
Options are:
a) Sell the Bagman 2 QR and buy a separate QR attachment, letting the saddlebag hang with or without a pipe stand-off
b) Cut the support loop off your Bagman 2 with a hacksaw and let the bag hang.
c) Get an original Bagman non-QR support and swap the upper section with the QR from your Bagman 2 QR. This would allow you to swap back when you weren't on tour.

There is the QR Sport also, I used that one for a long time as I would be taking the bag off the bike and with me so QR just made sense.

http://www.carradice.co.uk/index.ph...range&url=bagman-quick-release-sport-original

 

[Finnjävel]

... it would tilt the opening of the bag further back away from your bum a bit more. It does look well stuffed tho.

I didn't even post a pic of my bum?

I'm thinking about going with this: http://www.carradice.co.uk/index.php?page_id=product&under=range&product_id=82, even though it adds an uglyish thingy to my seatpost. If and when that fails, I can take an angle grinder to the bagman. And wear a rucksack after that.

Thanks for all the replies!

 

[John the Monkey]

My favourite thing written about tweaking Carradice;

Basically German products do what you want. They are well made and efficient. My Ortleib panniers, SON hub, Rohloff Hub, B&M lights are all class leaders.

My Brooks saddle requires tweaking and proofing, it doesn't work out of the box, it needs love and care (but will reward you, just like a Labrador Puppy).

Carradice Saddlebags sort of work out of the box but can be improved by spending more money on wire support racks or maybe a short length of broom handle wedged between bag and seat-post.

The german designers must look with on with dispair at how Brooks and Carradice get away with it.

Imagine buying a SON Dynamo that could be improved with the addition of a bit of broom handle.

(From this thread https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=22961.0 )

 

[bigjim]

I use the pipe principle on my Carradice but I use a strong plastic squarish box, wrapped in black tape. The tubes are ok but all the weight of the bag in that direction is pressed against the small tube area. The box spreads it a bit more. A bit of plastic inside the bag would help I suppose [more weight].
This problem is because Carradice are still using a design that suited old bikes with a vertical seat tube. Modern bikes have a sloping tube and the bag therefore hangs to more of an angle, spilling your gear all over the road if you are not careful.
They did recognise the problem and fitted a drawstring attachment inside the bags. Cheaper than a radical [what is needed] redesign. The older bags, which hung more to the vertical, had a cord to draw two flaps together, more for keeping weather out than things in.