I was having the darnedest time figuring out which of the smaller Carradice bags I wanted. On the internet, they all look relatively the same size, because the sellers maximize the size of the picture, and the Barley looks exactly like the Nelson. I have the Cadet, and would like something the same size, but with side pockets for keys and camera.
So I painted this little cheat sheet. As soon as I was done, I started looking at other bags, though.
And… I think the lowsaddle longflap is the step up from the Cadet. It’s (of course) not illustrated here, but it’s 15 liters, which SEEMS like it would be a Cadet with side pockets, which is exactly what I want, in green, for the front of the Quickbeam. I want the pockets for cameras and/or toolkits. I’m also considering a zipped roll to hang under the left side of my basket to hold a toolkit.
I like the bar-mounted saddlebag and basket combo. A camera or dozen eggs is isolated from the direct shocks from the frame, and when you put, say, a 12 pack in the basket, the bag simply rotates up to sit on top of the box. The only downside is that it’s more difficult to ride on the tops near the stem, which I never do anyway.