• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Become a Premium Member
  • About

Road Bike Rider Cycling Site

Expert road cycling advice, since 2001

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Bikes & Gear
  • Training & Health
  • Reviews
  • Cycling Ebooks
    • Ebooks Training
    • Ebooks Skills
    • E-Articles Training
    • E-Articles Nutrition
  • Member Area
  • Newsletter

Baggins Adam Saddlebag

By Ed Pavelka

HOT!

  • Classic English tourist look
  • Holds lots of stuff
  • No rack mandatory
  • Bike still handles fine

NOT!

  • Classic English tourist look
  • Sways unless you use a rack
  • Thighs might brush it as you pedal
  • Straps and buckles are time consuming

www.rivbike.com
Price:  $145
Source:  Rivendell website, catalog
Capacity:  780 cu. in. (12,780 cc)
Weight:  2.54 lbs.(1,140 g)
How obtained:  sample from company
RBR advertiser:  yes
Tested:  5 rides

In the 1930s, money and automobiles were scarce in England. A vacation often meant a bike tour. Cyclists could stay at inns or hostels so they didn’t need racks and panniers to haul camping gear.

But they did need a way to tote 10 or 15 pounds on a bike used for other types of riding during the week. And so, the transverse saddlebag was born. For 50 years, few serious riders in the Blessed Isles were without a canvas bag swaying gently from loops in their leather saddles.

Since the 1970s, racks-and-panniers have ruled North American touring. Grant Petersen at Rivendell Bicycles has single-handedly tried to change that, first by importing Carradice bags from England and recently by designing his own in-house brand, whimsically tagged “Baggins.”

Baggins come in three sizes, named after the characters on the old Ponderosa TV show: Hoss, Adam and Little Joe. I used the mid-size, 780-cubic-inch Adam on several day trips and also loaded it for an overnighter on a touring bike equipped with front panniers. The Adam is 6 in. tall, 13 in. wide and 9 in. long.

Baggins aren’t for the modern style-conscious rider. Their combination of ???waxed cotton duck??? fabric, leather and brass buckles makes them look like something from the ???30s, which, in terms of design, they are. But the Adam is an effective solution for an overnight motel ride on a bike without rack eyelets. Petersen says his customers do weekend tours on their titanium or carbon racing bikes simply by strapping a Baggins to their saddle rails.

Solving Sway

Attachment is easier using a saddle with loops such as the Brooks B17. Without rack support, my loaded Adam swayed in time to my pedal stroke. I quickly stopped noticing this, but if it bugs you, Rivendell offers a minimalist rear rack made by Nitto that doesn’t require frame eyelets. It eliminates the sway and holds the bottom of the bag well clear of the rear tire even on small-frame bikes.

The Adam is bigger than it looks. I stuffed in a lightweight down sleeping bag, a three-quarter-length pad and assorted clothes. A rain jacket straps easily on top. Side pockets held my camera, tools, tubes and other small items.

Bike handling was surprisingly unaffected by 15-20 pounds carried high and attached to the saddle. Petersen argues that bikes are designed to carry weight right there. After the few minutes it took me to adapt to the slightly increased top-heaviness, my bike felt normal again.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Search

Recent Articles

  • Cycology Cycling Apparel Quick Review
  • Newsletter Issue No. 1054
  • ‘Connect’ to Diet-Reverses-Diabetes Study: Even If You Don’t Have the Disease
  • My New Bike: Trek Checkpoint SL 5

Recent Newsletters

Newsletter Issue No. 1054

Newsletter Issue No. 1053

Newsletter Issue No. 1052

Newsletter Issue No. 1051

Newsletter Issue No. 1050

Footer

Affiliate Disclosure

Our cycling expert editors and writers choose every product we review. We may earn an affiliate commission if you buy from one of our product links, at no extra cost to you. This income supports our site.

Follow Us

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook

Privacy Policy

Still Haven’t Found What You’re Looking For?

Copyright © 2023 · Magazine Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in