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We have a custom all carbon fiber tandem with a custom carbon fiber rear rack. That bike (and rack) has 45,000+ miles on it.
Haul all sorts of stuff in that expandable trunk bag!

The leather straps are very durable. Mine are 10 years old and still going strong. You can also buy replacements easily.

Using the Bagman does lead to more movement; but the third bag strap is usually attached to the Bagman and bounce isn't a big issue.

The Bagman support does add extra stability, in my experience. I don't like a Carradice swinging around behind me, and the Bagman support has the added advantage of keeping the bag away from the backs of my legs as I pedal.

We have the Bagman on several bikes, but they used primarily for randonneuring. On other bikes when we fit up a Carradice, we rest the bottom of it on the rear rack and wrap the strap around the front part of the rack.

As nun says, the leather straps are surprisingly durable, although I use a cut down strap from an old toe clip for the third attachment point.

what?

Go with whatever interpretation you want. I find the Bagman to work for me. But it probably doesn't for nun. Shrug.

Look, if you really want to know the answer to all these questions, do what we have done and invest your hard-earneds and try it yourself. There is a ready market for Carradice and its add-ons out there, so you won't be much out of pocket, if all, and if you order direct from the factory in the UK.

By doing that, you will come up with your own worthwhile opinion...

I think the different comments by myself and Rowan might come down to weight, and maybe mounting style (although I'm not sure about that).
My Camper is big and quite heavy so when I cantilever it out from the saddle with a Bagman I become more aware of it than when it is tight under the saddle.
The Bagman works perfectly well on my other bikes, but it puts the bag farther from the saddle and so it has a larger moment. With lighter bags that isn't as big
an issue. Also, if the bag is not mounted tightly to the saddle (which often happens because people close the buckles on the outside of the bag) the bag sway is larger than with the Bagman.

The feeling of the bag at the back of your legs is also one that many people find initially disconcerting, but some don't feel it at all and for those that do it soon goes away and it becomes natural.

Awesome!

No, just buy a regular Al seat post if you have any worries about using a CF one.

That and support more weight with your legs and "un-weight" especially on bumps and rough stretches.

Maybe I'm being dense here, nun, but I'm not following this. How do you fasten the buckles on the inside of a carradice bag? N your pictures they seem to be on the outside as usual.

There's no need for non-Euclidean geometry or Time Lord space warping, simply thread the straps so the buckles are inside the bag. This means you have to open the bag to put it on and take it off the bike, which can be a pain, but it's worth it for the better riding experience. Here is a good explanation, scroll down to "Mounting a Saddlebag" section.

Carradice

Thanks. I was indeed being dense.

No! The truly dense don't think to ask the question....
This thread has gone a little off track as it's onto a track about saddlebags because they offer a way to get around the lack of eyelets on most carbon bikes. maybe people could add comments about bikepacking bags and CF bikes they might like for touring. I like Carradice saddlebags, but there are other luggage options to pair with a CF bike

I'm a Carradice fan too, I've done a fair bit of cc touring with a Nelson longflap (even a Pendle for a weekend trip) on a sub-20lb roadbike. Not carbon, but really that's immaterial, and ironically it has a cf seatpost. But I've never been a huge fan of the bagman, and for some reason the trick with the buckles has never occured to me.

If I were the OP I wouldn't be messing about with racks on a cf frame. I'd either be going ultralight with a saddlebag and/or frame bag, or I'd be getting light steel tourer for going fully loaded. There comes a point when compromise becomes a pain.

Yes either commit to a saddlebag or bikepacking bags or get a light steel bike with some eyelets and use a couple of Arkel Dry-lites and a handlebar bag.

You weren't the only one, but now I, too, understand.

Where is bmike?

I wounder if 4kg(8lbs) in a seat bag would be considered to much levering force for a carbon seatpost?

I'd think 8lbs would not be a concern. I'd tape if chafing though. Chafing and scratching are concerns in the world of carbon, to the extent that lowering and raising (in particular) of a seatpost is cause for manufactures to issue cautions.

so i want to experiment with this carradice bag thing. scratching from the bag swaying back and forth can be mitigated with something covering the frame..


what about hacks to prevent leg rub? (or rather leg bump)

also, camper long strap or super c? they're the biggest saddle bags. the super c is a little taller. any practical differences?