I have used Carradice bags and still use a Cartwright series Baggins saddlebag (Adam). My one gripe with these bags is that excess moisture can provide a good environment for mildew growth. I ride in a moist climate (Portland, OR) and am not always able to bring my bike in for storage while at work. Thus, in the 8 months a year when it rains, a saddlebag can become saturated and not completely dry.
This is not a knock on the bags, just a fact of life in a wet climate using this material. So I am curious to know if the newer Scottish Cotton fabric is more impervious to microbial growth than the older cotton that Riv used for their bags (or indeed than Carradice cotton). As a data point: I have used a Nylon X-PAC handlebar bag that has also fallen victim to mildew growth - albeit not as quickly or with such deleterious effects - so I believe no product is 100% impervious given long hours in the rain without being able to come inside more often. I'm not expecting a miracle fabric in this regard, just curious if the newer cotton is any better than the older concerning microbes. Also another thought regarding waxed cotton: I don't believe I would apply wax any longer. Seems to me it just traps the funk and prevents the bag from breathing. Of course, this is all academic at present, as it is nearly 100 degrees outside with no chance of rain in sight! But I have been considering another saddlebag, and one thing that might prevent me from doing so would be the thought of microbial growth.... -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/7650ec5e-3cc7-4e5d-9e91-7f67bff9eaa1o%40googlegroups.com.
