I’ve been running around with a Large Sackille Saddlesack on my Hillborne for about six months now (serial number 41). I’ve got almost no complaints.
Large Rivedell Sackville SaddleSack
The Good:
Its fricken huge, like cavernous, this bag will eat other bags, and then more. I’ve been able to do our regular grocery run, a weeks worth of food for three people. This includes big things like milk, a watermelon once, 12 packs for beer etc. The straps can cinch down really tight, even when there are really small items in the bag. This keeps them from moving around if you don’t have the bag full.
My typical use for the bag is commuting. To do this I shove a messenger bag inside of the saddle sack. My large timbuk2 bag fits inside just fine. I have to do a bit of finagling to get inside the opening of the bag, but once in the messenger bag sits flat, with my laptop and lunch inside of it. Getting the messenger bag out is pretty easy, just pull. The little tongue flap comes over the bag, everything closes and its great.
There are some great little pockets that face the front of the bike on either side of the seat. I stick my wallet, phone, keys and ID badge in there on my way to work. You can zip them if you’re worried about things falling out. I usually forget and have not had a problem so far. The coolest thing about these is that they are so easy to access while riding. I fiddle in mine all the time, occasionally I’ll shove snacks in there and whatnot.
There are huge pockets on the sides of the bag (parallel to the wheels). I don’t use these at all, I think I’ve opened them once to shove some zip ties in there. They have neat leather flaps over them that at least give the impression that water won’t get in there.
Waterproof, no, not even a little bit. Water resistant, yeah you bet. I’ve ridden with mine in light rain, downpour and snow at this point. Water has not gotten inside during the rides. On a week long ride it spent the night outside in the rain and hale, water got inside and pooled (unfortunately with my car keys in the water). It was a tremendous pain in the butt to get the water out. I ended up have to tip the bike upside down. I would love to see some sort of drainage hole on the bottom in the corners. Hail and snow were no problem.
The Bad:
I’ve managed to tear out one of the leather attachment points on the bottom of the bag. I’m of the opinion that it wasn’t abused and should not have ripped. From the emails I’ve had with Riv they will replace it, but I’m not worried about it until I tear out another one. I’ve been working with three attachment points and my rack loop thingy in the pocket.
Things I’d like to be different:
I’d love a way to get into the back when I’m riding. Mostly to shove a shirt or something in there.
The large Sackville, and I think maybe the medium come with this goofey clip on extra bag / wallet holder thing. It doesn’t do anything for me, the clips get in the way when I want to tighten the straps, and the extra pockets provide nothing that the front and side pockets can’t already take care of. Personally I’d like to see them drop this extra part to hopefully bring the price of the bag down a touch (I’d guess that its cost prohibitive for a lot of folks).
Construction:
The bag is thick, and heavy, like it should be. The fabric doesn’t feel like you can tear it. It feels much like a sail to me (or what I recall a sail feeling like from when I was a kid). Super thick, and the waxed cotton isn’t too waxed. As I said above the leather on the bottom ripped, and after the straps break in they feel a bit thin. I think the strap thing is mostly perception, as thicker leather would be hard to pass through the loops to close the bag. I would really like to see thicker leather on the bottom of the bag to prevent the tearing problems I’ve had.
Overall:
It’s a good bag. I can camp with this thing, do groceries, commute with room to spare and carry other folks stuff (which seems to happen a lot). Its not quite an xtracycle, but I do think its the next best thing. It weighs a fair amount, but that isn’t really on my radar. Its super easy to get most things in and out. The plastic board at the bottom of the bag is secured with Velcro. It doesn’t move. When I ride, even with three straps on the bottom as opposed to four the bag doesn’t move around. For the most part I don’t notice it behind me unless I’m trying to get something out.
3 Comments
I’m so sad about my experience with this bag! I have the Sackville size S and the metal rivets keep popping out of the canvas. The bag itself seems really high quality, but the attachments between the leather straps and the canvas are just really terrible, honestly. I’m going to send mine back- but it’s too bad! I haven’t found another bag this functional. Ideas?
I’m bummed to hear that another person is having problems. The large bag doesn’t have rivets for attachments (I think because it has support from the bottom). The Ostrich Saddle bag that velo-orange sells is almost the same size (its not as deep). It is intended to be used with a bag support. Too bad about the saddle sack. I’m sure Riv will do there best to make it right.
My large Saddlesack (serial #31, close to yours) sees hard & heavy daily usage. I’m amazed at how usable and versatile it is in daily commuting and shopping use. I leave the bag on the bike all the time even for century rides, where I’ve hauled home vegetables, watermelons, homemade pies from roadside stands, and other goodies I wouldn’t have considered with a lesser bag. I’m totally happy with it.
An idea for LC: Busted rivets can be replaced very cheaply and easily with copper rivets from a well-stocked hardware store. Just put a similar-sized rivet flange-side-out though the holes the old rivet used, put the rivet washer over the rivet shaft inside the bag, and firmly hit the shaft over the washer a few times with a hammer. I think the Saddlesacks come with hollow-shafted brass rivets, but the solid-shaft copper rivets sold at hardware store should be less likely to fatigue. I suppose it’s better to have a rivet bust from too much stress than have the fabric tear around the rivet, though.
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