Help With a Brooks Saddle
 

OK, this is the undisputed sub forum for all things Brooks. I have B67 and need to know if there's a classy way to mount a saddle bag on it. I saw a pic in a post with what looked like a decaleur mounted to the bottom of the spring. I checked Velo Orange and they had nothing. Any help would be appreciated.

Well, it does have bag loops so that is a nice place to start.

http://www.brooksengland.com/en/Resa...om&halign=left

Are you talking about a support for a large bag? If so, I found a support that loops around the seat stays and provides a base for the bottom of the bag. Not exceptionally classy, but a practical way to get the job done. I found mine at a Yard Sale and it took me over a year to figure out how to use the thing. Unfortunately the only pictures I have are of it under the bag. The portion which contacts the frame has a plastic coating on the chrome frame.

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p...SaddlenBag.jpg

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p...3/P7270045.jpg

The Carradice Bagman or the Viva saddle bag support are good products that will support the weight of a large saddlebag.

+1 to what Pastorbob suggested. That bag support thing was made by Park (iIrc) and came in two sizes. It's a great design, very strong, and when used correctly very stable. But you have to get lucky with the fit. I custom made a bag (basically a copy of the one Pastorbob has) to fit my frame and saddle height. If you know what you're looking for, you'll see the same bag support in this photo:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5110/...c442d5ca_b.jpg

Rivendell sells an approximation of the Park rack.

Yup, that should do the trick. Unfortunately Rivendell seems to have it in one size only, which will reduce anyone's odds of making it fit.

Looks like it should fit on most C&V bikes.

Yes, it'll fit most bikes. The problem is that your brake bridge is where it is, your saddle is set to a certain height because that's where you want it, and your saddle bag is the size it happens to be. Now when you attach your bag to the loops at the back of your saddle, you want the bottom of the bag to rest on the top of the bag support. Maybe you'll get a perfect fit; more probably not. If the support is too high, you are out of luck. If your support is too low, you have to loosen the straps that hold the bag to the saddle loops and hope this makes all the difference.

Right, but if anyone is expecting a perfect fit from any non-custom rack they're foolish or naive. Ain't gonna happen, as you say, Herr Verarbeiter.

Whats the point of a gigantic saddle bag flopping around?
.
Why not just a bag on a rear rack instead?
.

For utilitarian purposes, a decent rack trunk secured to a good rack is an excellent solution. But since OP explicitly stated that he's looking for a classy way to attach a saddle bag to a Brooks B72 (which is, if done properly, also an excellent utilitarian solution) I don't think that's what he's looking for.

A rear rack does not serve well as a saddle bag support. I've tried it.

Exactly. Someone must make a decaleur or some kind of classy looking support for the B67.

That's a great looking bag, have you made any more for sale?

HOLY COW that is huge seat bag! I used to have something like that years ago and the support bracket, but I am not sure where it ever went.

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p...SaddlenBag.jpg

I am too much of a minimalist to haul such huge carpet bag around these days though

I respect that the OP has considered what he wants.
.
But I have to wonder why? The big saddle bag seems inherently floppy, high up, possibly awkward. I just wonder whats the attraction.
.

For the most part, my big black bag does stay home. But if going out for a full day of leisurely riding, where extra water, lunch, camera and other gear and clothing is or could be needed, a big bag is nice. I have fitted a piece of egg-crate foam in the bottom of mine. It has really helped with the stiffness of the bottom, helps keep things from rolling around, and makes a nice cushion for things like a phone or camera. I'd even put my laptop in there.

The bag is very stable. The backs of my thighs do come in contact with the front side, but it is not an annoyance. With the Park Rack underneath, the bag really stays put.

This thread has me thinking about eliminating the ugly rear rack on my Mercier in favor of a saddle bag and the small removable park-type rack. That way I could switch it between bikes easily. I would need to find a classy bag that I could use for both work and play, though.

OK, I finally found the thread. It's post #23 and the mount I want is pictured. I PM'd the owner but haven't heard back yet. Maybe someone hear knows what it is. I'm looking for that bag mount. It positions the bag away from the springs.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...our?highlight=

http://i553.photobucket.com/albums/j...1sales/bag.jpg

That is rather clever! To my eye it looks custom fabricated. Other than the elongated "C" clamps to the outside of the leather straps, it looks as if you could find all the hardware at ACE and the LBS (or your spare parts bin). FTWelder could whip that out in in hour or less. Wonder what the other piece of square stock is doing down near the seatpost clamp?

Looks like a potential mounting point for a rear rack.

Mark

Well, speaking for myself, here....

The attraction for me starts with the premise that with a "vintage" bike, I like to find the best compromise between the original style of the bike and whatever utilitarian purpose I will put it to. So while a touring bike from the 70's or 80's looks best with a Jim Blackburn rack over the back wheel, an English lightweight from the 40's looks best with a saddle bag. The saddle bag on my Fothergill, as shown, has the right look. The way it attaches, and rests on the Park bag support, is not period correct by any means; but that's not the point. The top of the bag is reenforced with two pieces of 1/2" x 1/8" aluminum bar stock. A cable clamp (a U-shaped steel rod, threaded at each end) goes around each saddle rail and through the two aluminum bars. So the bag is very securely mounted to the saddle rails; it does not flop around at all.

Amazing bike.

I was thinking the same thing. I really like the QR to take the bag off.

I don't know where, but I'm pretty sure I've seen that for sale somewhere before. I don't think it's a custom fab job.

I'm hoping you are correct. That is a really nice looking mount.