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Old 02-09-10 | 12:16 PM
  #15  
positron
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Joined: Mar 2007
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Originally Posted by Road Fan
Positron, can you elaborate, please? What makes it better? What does it do better?
The cloth is thicker and with a tighter weave, making it noticeably stiffer and tougher, which in a large rackless bag is a good thing. This is the biggest difference- it sounds trivial, but the comparison between the two is like worn-in jeans versus carhartt workwear (if you know what i mean).

It has an interior pocket-divider/hanger, with two small pockets and one larger zipped pocket for keys, wallet, phone etc. not a huge deal, but very convenient for organizing little bits and bobs. IE- I often leave a cheap windbreaker, cable, gloves and other $hite in the saddlebag... this pocket allows me to quickly find my valuables and move them to my trousers pocket when i run into a store...

On the outside, along the bottom, there is a large leather patch- where the bag would hit the wheel if it were going to...

But, the entire bag is a bit less deep (top-bottom), and is wider side to side and front to back- meaning it is less likely to hit the tire than the similar volume camper. It seems to fill the underseat space better...

The leather straps (for attaching to saddle rails, seatpost) are better quality, and thicker- meaning they will last much longer than the (recently poor quality) honey leather on the newer carradice bags... (the older green/honey bags had good thick leather- and this is something i have written to carradice about sorting out...).

additionally, the plastic fastex buckles are (whether you want to admit it or not) easier to use than the metal buckles- especially with gloves. The scotchlight reflective strips are bigger, more durable and better quality sewn-on vinyl scotchlite than the coating on the other bags which tends to wear out over time...

The bag is slightly smaller than the camper longflap( by one liter, if youre carrying beans or rice) and with the flap extended, the camper would likely hold a bit more. but they are similar in size. I tendedd to mount my camper on my rack (rather than to the seatpost)- but the super C works equally well mounted to the top of the rack, or on a rackless bike.

Honestly, they are both good bags, but I think this is a better product for the price. The only thing you lose is the foppish look of the green and honey- which i like, but I feel is a bit too dandy (until Im 65, with hounds, a manor, a spiked cane and a jaunty moustache)
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