Echo Trail Seatbag

[uforgot]

I ordered the Echo Trail Seatbag From Frost river. The bag was different from the picture. While I loved the artist's sketch, the bag I received did not have the rivet and leather detail at the top and the bindings were dark brown and did not match the leather as the pic indicates. The bag was a dark olive as opposed to the pretty carmel pictured. Call me crazy, but on a teacher's salary, when I spend this much on a bike bag, I'm going to be particular on looks too. I emailed Frost River, but no response. I'd say it was my problem, but I keep looking at that picture and that's NOT what they sent! I'm thinking maybe the whole Rivendell/Frost River thing caused them to slightly alter the bag, but shouldn't the picture of the product reflect that? Maybe I'm too picky????

I called Rivendell and the tan Nigel Smythe seat pouches are currently out of stock. (that green and blue tweed just doesn't do it for me). I've scoured the internet for an alternate. I really like the looks of the Baggins Banana, but no one is even selling them on ebay. I may just have to wait 4-6 weeks to get what I want. Patience, Patience...

Anyone else have any ideas on an alternate? Thanks.

[makbike]

How about these?

http://www.carradice.co.uk/sqr-saddlepacks/index.html

I spied one of these on a club ride and loved it. My old Cannondale seat bag I purchased in 1985 is starting to come apart at the seams, hope my next one lasts as long as my trusty friend. I think it is time to start hinting to BF for Christmas is just 8 months down the road. (BF is you see this I promise to act surprised).

[KnottedYet]

How cool! The picture of the Frost River Echo Trail bag even has Nigel Smythe's signature on the leather patch! Well-drawn!

Did you see the pics of Trek's and my Nigel Smythe bags from Rivendell? The fabric is a dark browny-olive, and the leather is a lightish brown-honey. All the Nigel Smythe bags we fondled at Rivendell (the canvas ones) had the same fabrics and leathers, so if Frost River is selling Nigel Smythe bags any one you get is probably going to have the same fabric and leather, too.

We saw a well-loved canvas bar-bag on Grant's bike at Riv, and it was sooo neat. The canvas was aged and darkened and the leather had darkened too. It had so much character! Perhaps if you oil the leather on your Nigel Smythe seatbag it will darken?

Those are very nice seatbags. The leather tie-loops for your wet jacket or whatever are a great touch. (Riv sells leather straps that will fit, or you can just use nylon web straps) I was torn between getting one of them and getting a bar-bag. I got the bar-bag, and just love it. They are so well made! Even though you're not loving your Nigel Smythe bag yet, you might be able to darken the leather. I don't know if re-oiling the fabric will make it a more carmel color. I don't think I'd try it, but if you contact Nigel Smythe directly they might be able to give you some ideas for the canvas.

Edit: here's a link to the review Trek wrote of her Nigel Smythe bag, with pics of both our bags. You can see the canvas color better in her picture. http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showt...t=nigel+smythe

[KnottedYet]

Wow! Frost River has a bunch of Nigel Smythe bags! That big honkin' set of panniers is pretty nifty.

http://www.frostriver.com/bike_bags/bikebags_menu.html

Trek and I saw this Rivendell Bleriot (see the link) with the moustache bars and bags at Riv. They offered to let us ride a couple of their bikes... we chickened out! But Trek got into a nice conversation with Grant about the moustache bars vs. albatross bars vs. drop bars. Those Rivs sure are pretty bikes. (and the Nigel Smythe bags look so good on them!) Next time we're at Riv I might get up the nerve to take a couple of their bikes for a joyride! But what if I end up buying another Nigel Smythe bag, or a BIKE!!

(ha, I won't be buying another bike! Well, not yet!)

[uforgot]

Knotted: Yes I saw yours and Treks bags. I even sent Trek a PM to see what color and all her bag was. That's why I contacted Rivendell, but alas, no bags for weeks. It seems YOUR bags are not trimmed in that dark grayish brown, and I like the color of yours so much better! If only those pictures on Frost River really did look like the Nigel Smythes on Rivendell, I would have been happy, but the design was even different.

As for Nigel Smythe's signature...I didn't notice it on the pic. My bag says Frost River, but why are there no real pics on their site?

Thanks for the help! I"m going to check out those Carradice bags. I have looked at them a little, maybe they need a little more scrutiny.

[KnottedYet]

So Frost River is posting pics of Nigel Smythe bags, but they're selling something else?

The Frost River Echo Trail on their website looks exactly like the canvas NS seat bags Trek and I fondled. Very nice bag. The wool NS bags are different than the canvas ones, so don't go by the wool seatbag pic.

Can you post a pic of the bag you recieved?

I wonder if Rivendell would be interested in a "cease and desist" against Frost River for using pics of a Rivendell bike and Rivendell's Nigel Smythe bags on their website.

(or perhaps using "drawings" instead of actual "photos" gives them a loophole)

[Surlygirl]

How about this one. I have it and what you see is what you get. Very nice
quality and detail. I used it on a century last year.
http://www.velo-orange.com/saddlebag.html

[KnottedYet]

Mystery solved?

Lisa says Frost River used to make the bags for Riv, but now someone else does. So the pics on the site must be for the bags as Riv specified them, but what Frost River is selling now isn't the same as in the picture.

(using the old picture still seems like cheating to me! That is bias tape on Uforgot's bag, not leather trim! I still can't get FR's site to come up, but I'd swear from the pic they had the Echo Trail had leather trim like the Riv NS bags!)

I like the VeloOrange bag, very cool, nice extra strap. Is it made by Frost River?

[KnottedYet]

Oooh, I need this for Trek's and my Princess Tour!
http://www.velo-orange.com/ossabag.html

[uforgot]

Here is the blog where I learned of the rift between Rivendell and Frost River.

http://velo-orange.blogspot.com/2006...addle-bag.html

Prom is over. $3000 in decorations, $400 dresses, $100 tux rentals for 3 hours...but I guess it's something you always remember. sigh. Now I can get back to the business of finding stuff for my bike!

[SadieKate]

If you like black or grey with real leather trim, you could get a Gilles Berthoud. This one has a stiffener in the back so it holds its shape better than the Riv Banana Bag (I have both).

http://www.wallbike.com/berthoud/saddlebag.html