Carradice CarraDry Saddlebag

Carradice are best known for their very traditional bike luggage but the Carradry range sees them move into the modern age, using a heavyweight PVC material to build completely waterproof bags.

The saddlebag is a very simple design, with one 12-litre main compartment and a 3-litre detachable lid. If you're familiar with other Carradice bags, it's between a Barley (9 litres) and a Super C (23 litres). The lid has a clear compartment on the inside (handy for route sheets, brevet cards, money etc) and a zipped pocket on the top.

That's all you get by way of external organisation, unlike the cotton duck bags which have side pockets. I missed having side pockets - I like being able to reach round on the move and grab a cereal bar and they're handy for stuff that you might want to access in a hurry, like tools or money.

With the Carradry Saddlebag all of your kit is there, but you'll have to climb off to get at it. The zipped top pocket doesn't hold very much and it can be fiddly to get out, thanks to the small opening. I just used it for keys and a multi-tool. You can remove the top completely, although I'm not sure why you'd want to.

The main compartment closes with poppers and a clip, so if you do decide to use it without the lid you can still keep everything dry. That's great but it does mean that getting at your stuff can be a bit of a faff. It's not a huge deal, but I found it slightly limiting, compared with the other saddlebags that I'm used to.

The bag isn't huge, you probably wouldn't want to use it for a tour, but there's enough space for the tools, food and spare clothes you'd need on an audax. There's also a removable mesh pocket inside for valuables.

The PVC material is stiff, sturdy and completely impervious to water. I've used the bag extensively in all kinds of weather and nothing inside even gets damp, no matter how bad the weather.

Without a time machine it's impossible to say how well the bag will last, but I'd be amazed if they don't last at least as long as the cotton duck bags (and without the risk of mould). The dark grey looks very smart, accessorised with black straps. Reflective trim round the edge of the lid is a nice touch, as is the reflective material woven into the straps.

The one aspect of the bag that frustrated me was the positioning of the light loop. Lid mounted lights, especially on squashy bags, can sometimes end up at odd angles but with the stiff material of the Carradry bag that shouldn't be a problem. However for some reason it's ended up on the bottom edge of the main compartment. It's a baffling design error.

I used the saddlebag with a Bagman QR support (which slides into a sleeve on the bottom of the bag) but any light I used ended up fouling on the support and pointing straight down at the road. I contacted Carradice. They told me putting it on the lid would potentially compromise the waterproofing but they'd see if it could be moved. I managed to bodge a light onto one of the D rings on the lid, but it was an annoying compromise.

The Carradry is a useful evolution but it could do with a bit more refinement. The light loop placement and fiddly access are enough of a nuisance that I'll probably go back to using a Super C for my audaxing but the Carradry will be coming out if I'm expecting bad weather.

Verdict

Baffling light mount mars otherwise excellent waterproof bag