Well, I have been using my Carradice Bike Bureau for 3 months now. I ride to work every weekday, and I use my pannier whenever I go to work. I've also been using it for carrying just about anything that fits in it that I don't want to get wet. Such items include my iPod, laptop, library books, papers, etc. I've even carried a houseplant in it. It is made from cotton duck canvas that is waxed for waterproofing, and can be re-proofed easily at home with no chemicals. It keeps everything totally dry, but the cotton allows breathing, so no musty smell on the work clothes. There is this nifty double flap arrangement keeps the top of the briefcase clean and dry when it's on the bike. Fold the flap back and the dirt and the hooks are covered. You can go into a meeting with it, it really doesn't look all that pannier-ish, and you're not going to catch anything on the hooks. There is a shoulder strap, a briefcase handle, and a nylon handle to pull it off the bike rack before you flip the flap over. It's black in color, but there is reflective material on it. I have vague plans to add more in the future. There's a drawtop that ensures everything stays nice and dry. For a bike pannier, there are lots of pockets and pouches inside. (I cannot function without pockets and pouches in bags.) There's a divider inside for a laptop, but one would definitely want an additional padded case of some sort. There's a zipped pocket in the foldback lid so you could keep wet clothes separate from everything else in your pannier. That's where I keep my bungee cord collection.

From my perspective, the absolute best thing about this pannier is the way it attaches to the rack. I have very strong hands, but my arms aren't so strong. I can't even get an Ortleib pannier off my rack, because I'm not strong enough to make that pull. I can get the Carradice off with ease because you unclick each hook individually using hand strength.


You can see from the first photo how it is possible to adjust the hooks to your rack. What you can't see is how the rail is angled to avoid heel strike. Since the Bike Bureau is kind of wide, I really like that.

I'm very fortunate in that I had the opportunity to go and look at these panniers, open them, mess around with them, etc., before I bought it. Our local bike co-op is the only physical business location that sells Carradice west of the Rockies. I also got a really good price for it. ($95 after a discount I get for belonging to a local food co-op) I've been so pleased with mine, I decided to pick up the Shopper pannier. I'm glad I went when I did, as they only had one left, and the price will go up with the next shipment from the U.K. It's made out of the same waxed cotton duck. There's this roll top that allows you to increase/decrease the volume of the pannier somewhat. There are wooden dowl-like handles plus a sturdy shoulder strap . There's an outer mesh pocket that is coated in something waterproof so it doesn't get soggy. It's got a 32 liter capacity, which was fantastic on last night's grocery shopping trip. Best of all, it's the same hook system as the Bike Bureau, so I can actually get the thing off myself. There's no angle on the hook rail for heel strikeback, but that's ok, since it's not as wide as the Bike Bureau.

I was chatting with one of the female owner-workers at the bike co-op and she noted they were popular with women whose arm strength isn't the same as a typical guy's. Her partner - who adores hers - is a pianist, so like me, there is that strong hand/weaker arms combination going on. I wish there were more places we could go in North America to check them out in person, so I offer my observations and opinions in case anyone has been thinking about one. I do not own a camera, but I promise to take some pictures and post them when my mother comes to visit in a couple of weeks with hers.