Award Winning Global Tri-Sport Shop
The sealed zip does sometimes make it difficult to move and the Pak looks unusual, sitting a little further beneath the saddle than normal, but the clip system works well and is secure. The seat pack comes in two sizes and we managed to get two tubes, tyre levers and a spare piece of tyre in the smaller version.
We have used the small seat pack all winter and the water-resistant material and zips have kept the worst of the weather from the contents.
The Lezyne L-Caddy is a smart looking seatpack that's large enough for three tubes at a squeeze but narrow enough to never catch on your thighs. It's a great option for long rides, light touring or day adventures. If you are a rider who likes to jump on a bike safe in the knowledge that all kit is conveniently stored beneath your seat then this would be a great option.The L-Caddy is a very well designed bit of kit. It's conventionally and securely fixed with three Velcro straps, positioned around the seat tube and saddle rails and I especially like the diagrams on each pocket to suggest possible contents, ranging from money to mobile phone and levers. There is a reflective rear strap for clipping on a light.The valuables pocket is closed by a Velcro flap for added security and there is a very handy and well thought out multi tool compartment that can be easily accessed. All pockets are made of stretchable neoprene which is malleable and the water resistant zips are extremely resistant to wet conditions. Our test sample was 2 tone black and grey panels, but the pack is also available in citrus, green or brown.
Function and form, a tardis like pack that could hold the proverbial kitchen sink yet sits discretely under the seat.
Carradice have been around for a long time, are beloved by bearded men on antique steel tourers and I have been warned that saying anything disparaging about this Super C would result in me being pursued to the ends of the earth by gnarly CTC types. That is to say, slowly and with frequent breaks for tea and cake.Happily I came to love this bag, but it took a while...Fitting the bag appears to be simplicity itself. Simply attach two leather straps to the bag loops on your Brooks (you *do* have a Brooks, don't you?) and secure the third strap around your seatpost. Having done this you can then admire what can only be described as the Carradice Sag as the bag sits, face down, on your back wheel. If you ride a huge frame then you might, just, get away with fitting the bag this way, but for a chap of average height like me it's pretty much inevitable that you're going to need a proprietary bag support as supplied by Carradice themselves. As I didn't have one to hand and I needed to use the bag for a planned day ride I had to improvise a support bracket with the spare parts I had to hand. It wasn't pretty but it worked, just.The bag itself is pleasingly simple, with one main compartment and two side pockets. There is also a waterproof inner pocket, handily sized for maps and route sheets. Internal organisation is nicely straightforward and if you insist on carrying extra stuff there are loops on the lid to bungee it on. Cotton duck is water-resistant and breathable, which means that even if your stuff gets wet in a prolonged downpour it'll dry out eventually. Some modern bags might be completely waterproof, but if you put wet stuff into them, it'll stay wet, which isn't so great.Any load carrying solution is going to be a compromise between convenience, comfort and capacity. Pick any two, as the old saying goes. The Super C scores for comfort (the load isn't on your body and doesn't affect bike handling) and capacity (23l is enough for a credit card mini-tour) but it loses points for convenience as it's not easy to remove from the bike. Commuters will struggle with this bag unless they have the luxury of storing their bike smack bang next to their desk.The reflective strips down the back of the bag are of the proper, high-quality, stitched on variety. The light loop is also sturdy and tough.
It's an old design and you're almost certain to need a bag support (which bumps up the price) but as a way of carrying a medium sized load on day rides, audaxes or a mini tour, this bag is hard to beat.