Carradice Bike Bureau Review

I've now had the Carradice Bike Bureau for a while and thought it was about time for a review. Overall I think it's a great bag which hits the mark for my uses.

I was basically looking for a pannier that would function well off the bike as a shoulder bag, plus look good. I also needed it to hold a fair bit of stuff.

Mine is actually a second from the factory store in England (a friend brought it back for me - thanks Graham!) so it doesn't have the laptop sleeve, but I was intending to use my own anyway.

Firstly, the looks:

Off the bike, you peel back the uppermost flap (which then covers the hardware) and it reveals a pretty classic looking satchel. The Leather straps are yellow-y and great quality. What's really nice is that they are decorative - you use clip-locks to do the actual closing - much easier! I wish the nylon shoulder strap had a leather pad on it, but it looks fine.

Under the main flap there is this zipper pocket, plus a pocket right behind it, presumably for a U lock as it fits mine well. It does, however, depend on how much you put in the zippered compartment. If you've loaded it up with your Constanza-wallet, keys and phone, then your lock won't fit in. This brings us onto the size.

It's humongous. Deceivingly so. It's very hard to capture, but here is a helmet in the bag. I could easily stash four big helmets in here with no worries. There is a drawstring thingy at the top of the satchel which also means you can overstuff. The leather straps on the flap can be adjusted to assist the overstuffing.

The fabric is very stiff waxed canvas and all of the thinner nylon parts have some sort of waterproofing applied to them. It all seems very sturdy.

Here's the hardware. Note that it is on an angle to avoid heel-strike. It's a big, big pannier and I have big feet. I've never hit it with my heel. Each bag is side-specific, so if you're buying a pair, be aware (I'm a poet). The system of attachments is very simple to use. I don't know if I'm doing it 'correctly' but it works fine and fast. There's probably some way to do it with one hand in a single movement but I haven't quite figured that one out yet!

Overall, this is a really great pannier. It's huge and would be great for work, school, shopping etc. It's a bit of a behemoth to carry as a bag, but it's a big bag. It holds a lot of stuff. I totally recommend getting one!

Po Campo Review Update

I got my Po Campo Armitage Satchel about 10 months ago and I initially reviewed it here. As it's been a while, I thought I would give a long term review.


In my original review I mentioned that there were a couple of issues with the tension on the stitching. Over the course of time, this caused one of the velcro straps to fray and pull out of the bag. I have no doubt that this was an unusual occurence and not typical of the bags. I contacted Po Campo and they sent me a new bag, no questions asked! What amazing customer service. I got the new bag in the Waxed Umber because I thought it would be a more practical colour than the Chartreuse Poppy that I had originally. The workmanship on the new bag is top notch and shows no signs of the thread tension issues that the other one had. 


I used the old bag every day for about 8 or 9 months. It was my main purse so saw a lot of action. It stood up remarkably well and now I have handed to over to a friend after I gave it a good bath. The new bag is amazing. It doesn't show dirt at all and seems very sturdy.


I find I can put a lot of stuff into my bag, though I have ended up buying the Loop Pannier as a complement to my Satchel. The satchel is a large handbag, for sure, but the dimensions don't allow you to put things like folders in it as you would be able to in say, a hobo. I think perhaps the ideal situation might be a smaller purse, like the Streeterville Clutch as an everyday purse with the addition of the Loop Pannier for your big-carry days.


I have the Loop Pannier but have yet to really test it out. I will write a review once I've put it through its paces. I would also like to add that the description of the prints being on "Laminated Cotton" makes the fabric sound thin and flimsy (to me at least), but in fact it is nice and thick and very high quality. It's very yummy indeed and looks as though it will clean up really nicely.


Who else is a Po Campo groupie?

More bike bags

Here's my Po Campo Armitage Satchel (more on this another day) basking in the sun. We had a great day and I thought it would be a good time to blog about bike bags. Again.


Until now, my commute has only been a few miles with a viola on my back and my bag strapped to my rack. It's been easy, and my carry hasn't been too extreme. From September onwards, it will be about twice that, with a LOT more to carry. So of course I had to prepare.

A friend brought this bag back from England for me. It's a Carradice Bike Bureau which works as a huge pannier and message bag (the upper flap folds back to cover the hardware). Apparently it is quite waterproof. It's also cavernous! A nice feature is that is has a pocket which is the perfect size for a U-lock. Mine doesn't have the laptop case built in as it was discounted, but I will have a separate sleeve anyway (when I get my Mac). I'm looking foward to testing and reviewing it. I think it will also make a great grocery pannier.

Carradice

And I also bought this one for my light-carry days:

Po Campo

The Po Campo Loop Satchel. I love, love, love this company. Stay tuned for reviews on both of these bags, plus an update on my Po Campo Armitage Satchel.

Extreme (bike) Makeover

I've been anticipating this for a while, but it's finally done! Well, almost. I still need to shellac my grips, but here she is in all her glory!

This is now definitely a bike that illicits a few comments from the uninitiated and full on drools for bike peeps.

Basically I stripped all of the components (including wheels) off the frame and started over with new-to-me vintage ones. Here's what she looked like before:

Definitely an improvement, don't you think? I've installed theft-proof skewers to prevent the wheels being stolen and I have a cable which connects to my seat/saddle to stop that going astray too!

Bike Bling

Velobase

OK. You now know I have an illness. I honestly believe that the rear derailleur in the pic above is beautiful. You see, as well as spending way too much time looking at house porn, I also look at bike porn. The mothership for vintage bike porn is Velobase.

You see, I'm goign to rebuild this bike:

That means I'm going to strip everyone off it - the wheels, chain, cranks, etc and replace them with new or new-to-me vintage components.

I was quite thrilled when an online bike-acquaintance offered to sell me a mini-groupset of Shimano 600 Arabesque. You see the derailleur above (that's the thing that shifts the gears for you) - I love the curliques and details! Plus the crankset it beautiful too:

Velobase

I'll also be adding some other loveliness to it:

Brooks

This nice Brooks saddle which a friend is buying for me in England.

Lovely Bicycle!

Cream coloured Panaracer Paselas like this

Walt's Bike Shop

...and this simple but functional and streamlined bike rack.

Is it crazy that I am more excited about this than any of my home renos?

Cool Backpacks

Chrome Soyuz (image from wired)

I'm on the prowl for a bag. I want to use it both on and off my bike. It's gotta be waterproof, comfy, big, but not too big. I want it to fit a laptop, lunch, maybe gym clothes, and look cool. A lot to ask?

I first fell for the Chrome Soyuz (pictured at the top). Hot, isn't it? I'm a real sucker for black and red, plus I'm digging the rolltop design.

SealLine

I also dig these bags. My friend Matt has one and it's totally waterproof. I love the simplicity. Just one big compartment. Nice.

Mission Workshop

Then I saw this. The Mission Workshop Rambler. It's so perfect. Good looks, plenty of space, innovative design. Awesome. Plus they have cool videos. Check these out:

Plus here's one of its big bro:

I wanna be a hipster too. Actually not. But I do want a great pack. Any other suggestions?

Bike Accessory Lust

Velo Orange

Who would have thought that I would end up caring about such tiny details on my bikes? When I bought my first ever adult bike (last summer) I thought that at $2.50 bell would be fine. Not so now. Now I spend days thinking about bells and whistles (the former literally and the latter figuratively!) for my bikes. I mean, why wouldn't you want this gorgeous brass bell above?

Here are some other lust-worthy accessories that I am coveting:

Velo Orange

I love the handmade look of these Honjo Fenders.

Simeli

I also love these crocheted dress guards! The purpose of a dress guard is to prevent your skirt (or dress) getting caught up in the rear wheel. I prefer to ride in a skirt, but currently have to ride in an A-line skirt (nothing fuller). I'd love to be able to ride in a maxi dress!

Etsy

How convenient for when you're riding to a dinner party! This doesn't happen too much these days with the kiddoes, but in a past life this would be purrrfect.

Ravelry

...this is probably more realistic at the moment! This coffee holder relies on the cetrifugal force to keep your coffee in the cup while you ride. I've been meaning to knit one up to test it out!

Chariot

Otherwise this might be a more secure (but less crafty!) option.

Banana Republic

And this is no longer a lust, but a reality! I've been coveting a cape for many years, and finally I am the proud owner of this one! It should be great for spring riding, plus, don't you think there is something kinda superhero-like to be riding in a cape?

A New Lid for a New Year!

Dog Funk

I hope you all had a restful and wonderful Holiday and New Year! We certainly did.

One of my self-presents was this new bike helmet, the Bern Muse, which I have been coveting for quite some time. You see with my current, more sportif helmet I have two problems. Firstly, the back of it protrudes backwards (presumably for aerodynamics - something which is quite funny to me as I am the world's slowest cyclist) and it bangs against my viola when I have it on my back. And secondly, I need to wear a toque/beanie/winter hat under it to keep warm, causing it to slip a bit.

When I saw this helmet I fell in love - it has a built in beanie and it looks a bit cooler than the usual sort. I'm certainly not usually a pink kinda girl, but for some reason this particular magenta colour spoke to me. Maybe I'm trying to elicit the Mary-Poppins effect. Who knows.

I'm also very excited to be getting some Nokian studded tires for my bike which will hopefully keep me upright on my quest for winter bike commuting!

And to finish, here is my New Year Resolution:

To Resolve Project via LGRAB

How Many is too Many?

Bikes, that is. I just bought another bike. I now have 5. My argument is that they all have different purposes; ergo:

Pretty ugly, eh? BUT it's going to be my winter commuter (my goal this winter is to ride to work and avoid parking fees!). It's a late 80s mountain bike and the nice thing is that it already has fenders. Here's the most important part though - unlike most of my other bikes, it has alloy rims so it will (should) stop in the wet. We'll see!

This mixte is my practical, grocery/errand bike. It's fast-ish (for me), has a basket, and I don't feel too worried about locking it up.

This is my "parade" bike and hardly sees the light of day. It now has cream tires and cork grips and is lovely! I don't like to lock it up, but it makes me happy! I dont' have a picture of it, but I also have a cheaper, CCM version of this bike that I do use and lock up more, but it isn't nearly as cute!

 And here's number 5 - a road bike. It was darn hard finding one in my size, but I did (and at a good price!). I dont' ride this one much either, but it's supposedly for sportier riding.

So you can see that I really do need 5 bikes! Or at least that's my story...

Isn't She Lovely?

Here's my new favourite ride!

I acquired this Shields Nishiki from a bike guy I know and I'm really loving the ride! It's much faster than my 3-speeds and makes for a great practical bike, hence the addition of the wire basket on the front. Not pretty, but very functional. I did actually try out a wicker one, but it just wasn't practical as it wouldn't take any reasonable load.

I especially love the gold lug lining:

 

Gorg, eh?

I've been riding her to work for the past couple of months and it's been a real pleasure, except for one time in the rain. Because of the steel rims, the braking power is terrible in the rain and suffice it to say that this blog almost became a 1- blogger blog.

Safe riding!

Po Campo Armitage Satchel Review

A while ago I posted about bike bags. I did end up ordering the Po Campo Armitage Satchel. I've now had it for about a month and have been using it daily, so I thought I'd post my impressions.

Overall, the bag is gorgeous! It gets so many comments and people are really surprised when I show them how easily it clips to my bike. The thing that I really love is that it looks like a regular purse/bag - and a stylish one too!


As you can see from the pic above, it fits nicely onto my Raleigh Superbe's bike rack. It's a longer one. The long straps go under the rack between the fenders and the rack itself and then clip onto the O-rings. On the ends there are velcro (sorry, no pics!) straps that go around the ends of the rack to hold it securely. I've found that I have to use these diagonally due to the design of my rack. It works fine, though.

 
Here's a pic of it on another bike, this time on a Pletscher-style rack. As you can see, it's much shorter and the bag hangs off the end. I can't attach both straps, so it'sa bit wobbly. Not ideal. However, any of the smaller bags wouldn't have a problem.

Here's a view of the inside. It's got really nice purple lining and one zippered pocket (there's also one on the outside). There is no dedicated mobile phone pocket, but I never use those anyway. I suppose you are supposed to use the one on the outside, but it's a kind of tight fit to put your fingers in so I think if you had a smart phone it would be hard to retrieve.

It's a very large bag and I've been able to fit lots of stuff in there without it being over stuffed. For example (over and above the usual stuff - wallet, keys etc):

• Full lunch (sandwich, fruit etc), large Klean Kanteen
• 2 kids' sippy cups, snacks
• 2 large bike saddles
• 1 sippy, adult sized thin athletic jacket (a Lululemon one for reference)

So as you can see, it holds a lot of stuff. The big toothed zipper also seems very sturdy.

My only negative comments are regarding the finishing of the bag. Overall, it is excellent, however there were some loose threads that I pulled and then snipped off (nothing came apart). Because I'm a sewer I can see that their tension was out on their machine when they sewed through the really thick stuff. Also, some of the binding on the stop isn't caught down perfectly, causing some of the folded under binding to flip out. It's a cosmetic issue and can easily be rectified with some fabric glue.

So you can see that I love this bag. I use it every day and don't use anything else! Go and get one!

Strider Balance Bike Review

Balance Bikes are pretty common at the moment and are designed to help toddlers learn to balance on a bike without the complications of pedals. If you believe the hype, your kid will be a bike-riding prodigy and will be riding a two-wheeler without training wheels before their trike-riding peers. There are several types available and quite a few are adorable and wooden (Skuut, for example). We decided to get a Strider because it seemed stronger and more bike-like.

As you can see from this photo, we've had the Strider Bike since the spring. When we first bought it, Eleanor was about 2.5 years old. Initially, she just walked on it very slowly and it kept falling over. Now, several months later, she has progressed to walking fast and sometimes slow running. She also sometimes tries to lift her feet, but she doesn't quite have enough speed to balance well.

The bike itself is very sturdy (I have heard that some of the wooden ones tend to break, especially the handlebars). It's welded joints are neat and strong. The tires are foam filled so won't go flat. There are fake valves for the look factor. When we bought the bike, the headset was adjusted quite tightly - I suppose this prevents your toddler from becoming frustrated as the handlebar sharply turned.

It comes is quite a few colours - pink, red, green, blue and orange. Naturally, we chose red because it goes the fastest. The paint does scratch somewhat (the bike does spend a fair amount of time on the ground), but doesn't seem to chip easily. It's definitely made to last and will be passed down to Emmett and other kids.

Overall, I am extremely pleased with the Strider and always recommend it. I will be quite curious to see if it makes training wheels redundant.

Have you had any experience with these, post-toddler?

(Excuse the dents on my car!)

Cool Bike Bags

So, onwards with this bike theme (I haven't had a chance to do anything on my house for a while!).

I LOVE riding my bike around town and have been using my regular leather satchel, but I'm getting sick of being sweaty all the time.


I ordered this vintage Swiss Fly Fishing bag from Uncle Sam's for only $15:

Uncle Sam's

 The nice thing about it is that you can use the leather straps and buttons to use it like a pannier. The only problem with it is that it, well, stinks. Literally. I've tried airing it out, but it smells like a stinky old Swiss Fly Fisherman.

Plus, I'm trying out the Mary Poppins Effect when riding my bike. So far it seems to be working quite well, but I think I need to enhance it with a lovely bag.

I've already talked about "real" bike bags here, but what I think I now think I want a more ladylike thing.

Here are some contenders:

Basil via A Girl and Her Bike

The Basil Mirte comes in quite a few charming prints (including retro cherries!) and is reasonably priced at around $52 USD

It attaches to your rack using hooks:

Public Bikes

I would love to get this, but the problem is that it won't fit the bike rack on my Superbe. Le sigh.

Po Campo

The Po Campo Armitage Satchel. YES! I love it! It simply straps onto your rack and also looks like a regular purse, plus it has a shoulder strap which is a must for me with kids. For $135, it's a bit spendy but not too bad. Plus they have these neat videos:

I've actually gone ahead and ordered the Armitage Satchel directly through the Po Campo site and I can't wait until it arrives! Stay tuned for a review!

A Vintage Road Bike in progress

I wanted to find a vintage road bike for my husband to ride for fun. He has a very sensible hybrid bike which he uses for year-round transportation (including through the harsh Canadian winter!). He also uses it to tow our kids in the Chariot. But, like lots of people he does like to go fast sometimes. I think it irks him that old men can pass him on the bike trail as his main bike is a total slug.

As I've mentioned before, he's a rather leggy and tall fellow so finding a bike to fit can be a challenge. So I was pretty happy to find a diamond in the rough on kijiji:

Whoa, I hear you say! To say it was a filthy mess was an understatement. But underneath all the grime there was a pretty good bike. Mieles are a Canadian bike company and used to be very high quality. This bike seems to be a mid-range, mid-eighties road bike designed for really going fast. Plus, the chrome forks really do it for me.

So what I did next was a huge learning curve for me and quite a lot of fun. I took almost everything off the frame - the pedals, crank etc. I then took out the bearings and cleaned and greased them. I also got to buy some cool tools, like a crank puller (I think this is the funniest name for a tool ever). I have also been spending way too much time at the bike shop (Rachel's husband's one, natch) watching them work and asking my stupid questions. The thing was so crusted with filth that I had to use a screwdriver to carve the old grease out of the nooks and crannies!

Anyway, it is almost done! Here is what it looked like a few days ago:

Quite an improvement, wouldn't you say? Since then i have added white bar tape. New brake hoods are on the way. But what I really need is a nice white vintage saddle for it.

Stay tuned for the next installment!

My new-to-me bike

Isn't she beautiful?

This is my new 1973 Raleigh Superbe bike! I was on the lookout for a new bike after I sold my lovely CCM Catalina and this one popped up on kijiji! I went to see it and it was in such amazing condition that I couldn't walk away. I think it was kept in someone's basement for many, many years. The saddle/seat has no wear or creases so I think my bum is the first to grace it with its presence!

The Superbe was the top-of-the-line Raleigh for many years and had all the luxury gear - standard bike rack in matching paint, and a dynohub - the bike lights are powered by your pedalling and, unlike the bottle generator which goes against the wheel - you don't feel any drag. Apparently. The only slight disappointment with this bike is that this one didn't come with a leather saddle - just the vinyl mattress type.

So far riding her has been really easy - no problems and a very upright riding position. I feel as though I am sitting on a (plush, sprung) dining chair. Very English Schoolmarm.

I plan on doing a few cosmetic updates pretty soon - cream tyres, a new honey coloured leather Brooks saddle, and matching cork hand grips.

I think it's safe to say I have the vintage bike bug (I'm even learning how to fix them up a bit!) and I have another one on the way. Stay tuned!

Stylin' Bike Gear

Ok, I am officially obsessed with bike stuff. Sigh, yet another expensive interest! The new bike reveal will happen soon - I now have not one, but two lovely vintage bikes (well, one is one its way)!

Anyway, I've also been reading bike blogs a lot and especially love Lovely Bicycle. Her aesthetic sense is quite similar to mine and she does a great job in making practical (commuter and city) cycling seem very accessible to the average peson.

I have decided I absolutely need to have a great saddle bag and/or a handlebar bag for my bike. The only problem is, that the handle bags generally require a front rack or decaleur (bag support) to support them (which I don't have). Panniers will also be tricky on one of my rides because of the type of back rack it has - the sides are a bit too wide for most pannier hooks. Here are my picks:

The Boxy Rando Bag (for the handlebars) from Acorn Bags

The equally lovely Medium/Large Saddlebag, also from Acorn

Medium Saddlebag by Minnehaha Bag Co.

And the Velo Orange Campagne Handlebar Bag

I'd also love a better (read: more stylish) helmet. I definitely don't trust my bike riding skills not to wear one at all. I have a pretty standard bike helmet - no need to post one because you all know what it will look like. However, there are now much nicer options out there:

The Yakkay Paris is at the tippy top of my list, but it's just a bit out of my price range (about $175 CAD plus shipping. Ouch!)

The Bern Watts which is really neat - you can replace the liners with a summer or winter one (around the $100 mark, though it seems a bit hard to find one in my city).

...and for something a bit more fun, the Nutcase in Modern Dots.

Do you have style concessions when you ride a bike or are you as stylish when you ride as when you walk?