carradice bags: buyer beware.

[AngryScientist]

i was fortunate enough to pick up a carradice barley a couple of weeks ago. after struggling with the best mounting option, i hit on a winning strategy with a modified bagman support.

buyer beware: ever since mounting the bag, i have an irrational desire to hit the road. seriously, i'm losing sleep thinking about how this bag deserves to see some serious miles pass beneath it. i've been planning and dreaming ever since. adding to the irrationality, i was at REI last night, and i bought a titanium spork. i figured that's a piece of equipment you'd want to have when you're far from home and hungry. what self respecting carradice bag owner doesnt own a spork? bonus points for titanium, obviously.

what the hell is wrong with me? must be something they put in the bag...

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IY7Jh-g7q6Y/UFHBYpX2ZSI/AAAAAAAAAxw/khsYa_xs2_A/s640/IMG_0158.JPG

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WHF0GrMtbC0/UFHBdMfiPrI/AAAAAAAAAyA/K1uno0gpalE/s640/IMG_0160.JPG

http://cache.backpackinglight.com/backpackinglight/images/large/spork-sul-L.jpg

[djg]

Does the spork plane?

[AngryScientist]

Does the spork plane?

obviously you have to ask because you dont own one.

i realized last night that there are two distinct groups of people in the world: those that own a titanium spork, and those that dont.

man up djg, i'm sure you have a drawer somewhere in your house full of forks and spoons. maybe even some fancy silver or stainless forks and spoons. bet you're pretty proud of those forks and spoons eh?? dont rest on these laurels. trust me - you are dead inside without a spork.

[carlucci1106]

Cheers, Scientist... the bag looks real nice on there.

I can think of one time where I was dying for a spork, but ti spork really is overboard. :p

[jpw]

obviously you have to ask because you dont own one.

i realized last night that there are two distinct groups of people in the world: those that own a titanium spork, and those that dont.

man up djg, i'm sure you have a drawer somewhere in your house full of forks and spoons. maybe even some fancy silver or stainless forks and spoons. bet you're pretty proud of those forks and spoons eh?? dont rest on these laurels. trust me - you are dead inside without a spork.

I favor Snow Peak sporks, long and short.

[CNY rider]

Dude bring that spork to Dirtphalt.
You can ride sweep and poke laggards on the hills.

[binxnyrwarrsoul]

Titanium spork. Is that an oxymoron? Like cheap Campy?

[Lewis Moon]

All hail the titanium spork (see avatar)

No, I do not own one....

[cp43]

Titanium spork. Is that an oxymoron? Like cheap Campy?

It's a slightly silly and unnecessary thing to have (I own several, I also have a couple sets of collapse-able chopsticks), but not an oxymoron.

I've wanted a carridice bag for a while, but I haven't gotten one because I don't think I'd use it enough. Maybe I'm looking at it backwards though, if I buy one I'll find reasons to use it....

Chris

[Fishbike]

What's it weigh?

[Aaron O]

I'm sorry, but I prefer using a (lugged) steel spork - if it breaks in the field, I can weld it. What are you going to do if you break your TITANIUM spork mister fancy pants? Huh?

Also - the REI titanium sporks were built on contract in Liberia, and Liberia uses an inferior isotope of titanium not approved for the Aero industry.

Ohhhh...and love the bag ;)

[n_maher]

The only reasonable thing to do at this point is to fill the bag with titanium cookware and go for a nice long camp/ride in the beautiful early fall weather we're having in the northeast.

http://www.backcountry.com/images/items/small/JET/JET0015/OC.jpg

[christian]

Looks nice, Nick. But I prefer the Snow Peak spork. With two kids, we have quite a few of those in the house...

[MattTuck]

Serious question. How does that bag clean up? I've been riding a lot of mixed surface, pavement then dirt, then pavement then dirt. Seems that my bike gets super dirty even if I'm on dirt for only a little while.

I'd be nervous about having that on my bike unless I had it protected by some fenders. If you only plan on riding it on pavement, and if it seems easy to clean and the material is durable, maybe less of an issue... I've never seen one in person.

[jr59]

Serious question. How does that bag clean up? I've been riding a lot of mixed surface, pavement then dirt, then pavement then dirt. Seems that my bike gets super dirty even if I'm on dirt for only a little while.

I'd be nervous about having that on my bike unless I had it protected by some fenders. If you only plan on riding it on pavement, and if it seems easy to clean and the material is durable, maybe less of an issue... I've never seen one in person.

I don't know about the green, but the black one stays nice and cleans up as well as any other bag.
I've had one for about 2 years. I have the longleaf, it's a bit bigger.

As far as the Ti spoork goes, I have one. Had it for years, got it as a gag gift and it has stood the test of time, just like most things Ti.

[christian]

I have a green Nelson and a green Barley. I scrub them with a dishwashing brush and some dishwashing soap when they get dirty. I've been doing this for 13 years on the Nelson and it still looks new.

[dauwhe]

I think I have three Carradice bags, and a folding GSI spork, which is not titanium. Good stuff.

Dave

[tuxbailey]

Not sure about the bag because I don't have plans for touring. But that spork is a win.

I need to get one for my lunch box :) I think there is still some REI bucks in my house somewhere.

[dhorst]

oh man... I've been looking for a decent size bag like that! good looking bike!

[BumbleBeeDave]

Dude bring that spork to Dirtphalt.
You can ride sweep and poke laggards on the hills.

. . . poke ME! :eek: :no: :mad:

Guess that means I'll just have to make sure I'm not a laggard! ;)

BBD

[jr59]

I'm sorry, but I prefer using a (lugged) steel spork - if it breaks in the field, I can weld it. What are you going to do if you break your TITANIUM spork mister fancy pants? Huh?

Also - the REI titanium sporks were built on contract in Liberia, and Liberia uses an inferior isotope of titanium not approved for the Aero industry.

Ohhhh...and love the bag ;)


This is pretty funny!

[Fixed]

You need to watch ... then came Bronson
Cheers
Wanderlust - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wanderlust
Wanderer in Ethiopia. For other uses, see Wanderlust (disambiguation). Wanderlust is a strong desire for or impulse to wander or travel and explore the world.

[dancinkozmo]

...i dont use a spork myself...but im never without a bottle opener....is that your wabi fixie AS ? Nice:banana:

[fiamme red]

I greatly prefer a runcible spoon to a spork. But I do like Carradice bags.

[CaliFly]

What is this overwhelming feeling of spork envy? Must. Resist. Temptation.

As for the bag...consider it ordered.

[gdw]

Ti sporks are similar to bike frames in that the manufacturing process is more important than the material. Anyone can buy one of those cookie cutter stamped out models but only a true outdoorsman can appreciate the fine quality and superb handling characteristics of a hand finished model.


"A ti spork in your house in Jersey is clean but that is not what ti sporks are for."

[dancinkozmo]

Anyone ever try a bamboo spork ?

[BlackTiBob]

What does the Ti spork weigh?

Anybody make one in carbon fiber? ;)

I understand a CF spork would dampen the vibrations of scraping the bottom
of a pan better and climb a little better in the mtns.

[rice rocket]

The only reasonable thing to do at this point is to fill the bag with titanium cookware and go for a nice long camp/ride in the beautiful early fall weather we're having in the northeast.

http://www.backcountry.com/images/items/small/JET/JET0015/OC.jpg

They really make titanium cookware? Titanium is terrible for heat transfer.

[alessandro]

What does the Ti spork weigh?

Anybody make one in carbon fiber? ;)

I understand a CF spork would dampen the vibrations of scraping the bottom
of a pan better and climb a little better in the mtns.

The Light My Fire copolyester spork weighs 9g and is the standard in my house. All the bikes are metal. They do make a Ti spork (20g), but the kids would just lose them, along with the lunchboxes and all the Nalgenes that are somewhere out there :crap:

[67-59]

With the width of that bag, you probably now look like the average American from behind....

[Louis]

My brain is having a hard time processing the juxtaposition of that bag and that saddle.

[christian]

With the width of that bag, you probably now look like the average American from behind....Side pockets are perfect for a 20 oz. soda. Wait, what?

[AngryScientist]

loooooong work meeting. glad to see all the positive comments.

i did take the bike for a ride last night with the bag on to test the connection system and bag flop-ability. all was good.

while on the road i bumped into a few guys from Jimenez Velosport, who i think were genuinely baffled by me, and the rig. they were cool guys though, and we talked bikes for a bit on the road.

the bag holds on just beautifully, very stable with the modified bagman rack. here's a detail shot of the set-up:

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cBmkymGBh58/UFHBf6sGyrI/AAAAAAAAAyI/jqcb6BaOlDA/s640/IMG_0161.JPG

[dualpivot]

Does the spork plane?

It is laterally stiff and vertically compliant.

[svelocity]

loooooong work meeting. glad to see all the positive comments.

i did take the bike for a ride last night with the bag on to test the connection system and bag flop-ability. all was good.

while on the road i bumped into a few guys from Jimenez Velosport, who i think were genuinely baffled by me, and the rig. they were cool guys though, and we talked bikes for a bit on the road.

the bag holds on just beautifully, very stable with the modified bagman rack. here's a detail shot of the set-up:

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cBmkymGBh58/UFHBf6sGyrI/AAAAAAAAAyI/jqcb6BaOlDA/s640/IMG_0161.JPG What modification did you perform on the the bagman rack?

[rustychisel]

I got to "collapsible chopsticks" and went back to check the date. Nup. I'm caught in a feedback loop of inbuilt insanity.

[sc53]

Nick--I also found the Bagman does not fit my Barley on my small frame that well, but rather than modify the Bagman, I bought this (http://www.renehersestore.com/servlet/the-228/Nitto-R-dsh-12-Bag-Support/Detail) instead. It slips onto your seat stays and seat post and is easily transferable to another bike, and is much smaller than the Bagman. It looks really nice on my CSI! Plus I really don't have the space on my Brooks saddle rails (which are super short) to bolt the Bagman onto the saddle rails. This Nitto rack doesn't require that.

[AngryScientist]

Nick--I also found the Bagman does not fit my Barley on my small frame that well, but rather than modify the Bagman, I bought this (http://www.renehersestore.com/servlet/the-228/Nitto-R-dsh-12-Bag-Support/Detail) instead. It slips onto your seat stays and seat post and is easily transferable to another bike, and is much smaller than the Bagman. It looks really nice on my CSI! Plus I really don't have the space on my Brooks saddle rails (which are super short) to bolt the Bagman onto the saddle rails. This Nitto rack doesn't require that.

ahh, excellent solution! the modification i made to the bagman allowed me to use the rear of the saddle rails, where they angle up towards the saddle. some aluminum bar stock, a vice and drill, and all was set. super supportive now. cant wait to really take this show on the road!

[sc53]

I see where your Bagman mounts up the back of the saddle rails--great solution as you also have limited rail space behind your seatpost clamp. Happy travels with your new setup! Someday we must ride together with our Barleys and our 50 cm frames! Maybe Smiley will host another Tour de Toga or whatever.

[majl]

I'm not really into bags but I will say that is beautiful bike you have there. Smaller framed bikes often struggle to be aesthetically pleasing (at least to my eyes) but yours is indeed quite proper. :beer:

[AngryScientist]

I'm not really into bags but I will say that is beautiful bike you have there. Smaller framed bikes often struggle to be aesthetically pleasing (at least to my eyes) but yours is indeed quite proper. :beer:

hey thanks, i appreciate that.

[Kevan]

Dual porpoise: the spork and clean spokes. Think of it as floss. Just a thought.

[fiamme red]

Carradic has a long history. Here's a scan of the 1959 catalogue:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/twowheelflight/tags/1959carradicecatalogue/

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2345/2510452522_edda1808b5_b.jpg