Carradice Colorado Seatpack

The Carradice Colorado Seatpack is different to most of these designs, blending the pros of complete bags and those that use a drybag and cradle setup. It offers plenty of space, comes in a selection of colour choices, and even includes a rail system for extra support. And you get a drybag to increase its weatherproofing too.

For more options, sizes and designs, check out our guide to the best bikepacking bags.

> Buy now: Carradice Colorado Seatpack for £74 from Spa Cycles

Handmade in the UK from 1,000 denier Cordura, the Colorado is a high-quality and durable saddle bag with a bikepacking friendly 12 to 16 litres of available space.

It really is tough as old boots, and after being taken around the gravel trails with all of the overgrown hedgerows full of brambles it has remained as scuff free and undamaged as it was when I received it.

It's not completely waterproof, but it can stand up to a heavy shower or prolonged steady rain for a good few hours. If you know you are going to be out in the rain, or just want to be prepared, the Carradice also comes with an internal, removable dry bag to keep your contents safe. It's bright orange so you shouldn't lose it either.

Another thing you get is a stainless steel rail system which the bag slides over; it really cuts down on sway when loaded up and you are riding out of the saddle.

It clamps around your saddle rails, which means it's not the type of thing you can switch from one bike to another on a whim, but that won't bother the majority of us. It adds a bit of weight too, around 200g, but having a more secure bag on the back of the bike is a big bonus and worth the trade-off.

The Carradice comes with a compression strap for heavier loads; you can carry up to 3kg without it, or up to 6kg if you wrap the strap around the seatpost and through the tab on the bottom of the bag. 

Keeping the bag attached to the bike is a large Velcro strap, which fits around the seatpost. It's quite bulky, but the plastic loop to run the strap through is well positioned so it doesn't rub your thigh. The section that wraps around the seatpost is made from old inner tubes to reduce damage.

This simple attachment means it is easy to remove from the bike to take with you into the shop or for camping. It has a carry handle, too, which is a nice touch.

For closure, it uses a mixture of two poppers and a roll top. It is simple to gain access to and when using the straps with the aluminium hooks on the end, the bag remains closed securely. You have plenty of options to hook into as well, so you can run the Carradice anywhere between part-way full and full.

The Colorado has a couple of rear light attachment loops to give you options depending on how much of the bag you have rolled, plus there are plenty of reflective details, which can be seen from the rear and the side.

On top you also have a 'net', an elasticated rope criss-crossed over, to stuff a jacket under, or anything else for that matter.

This Camo is one of three colours available, the others being black and a very bright fluoro yellow.

Value

The whole package will cost you £100 which, overall, I'd say is pretty decent. Large saddle bags like this tend to fall into two kinds of designs: a full bag, like we have here, which doesn't normally come with a drybag, or a drybag system that slides into a skeleton holster. So this is like a best of both worlds – plus you get that support rail included too.

The Alpkit Koala is a simple bag system offering 13 litres of space. We haven't reviewed it, but I have owned one for about three years. Its capacity and shape are similar to the Carradice and it costs £89.99. Alpkit's Exo Rail system is an extra £17.99, and there is no drybag included.

Restrap's 14-litre Saddle Bag Holster and Dry Bag, which we have reviewed, uses the holster design and is made in the UK like the Carradice, but it costs £119.99.

I reviewed the 10-litre Pro Discover Team Bag in 2021, and it works very well indeed, but it is very expensive for what it is at £149.99.

Simpler bags of a similar size can be had for less – Tom tested the 13-litre Lomo Bikepacking Seat Pack Dry Bag recently, which costs just £36 – but what you are paying for here is the excellent handmade quality and the extra details.

Conclusion

This is a very well made bag that is more versatile than most, and it's great to see a drybag and saddle rail system included in the price.

Verdict

Well-designed package that fits well, minimises sway and keeps everything dry