I have an old Carradice Nelson saddlebag that has survived almost daily use for the past 2 decades. It was originally black but has faded to gray with some frayed edges in the outer fabric, not bad for a 20 year old bike bag. I am going to take the advice listed earlier and re-waterproof it with some Barbour jacket wax (thanks for the tip). I have never had any issue with the Carradice bag leaking water after riding in a heavy rain storm. However, it's been awhile since I've pedaled in a real heavy rainstorm because it's only rained about 4 inches in the past year in my area.

I just bought a new Carradice Camper saddlebag, larger than the Nelson. It has about 50 percent more carrying space than the older saddlebag. This gives me some space to carry a few extra things when commuting or doing errands. The waxed canvas bags are good stuff and will serve you well.