Hi Fred,
Your CR story is wonderful. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
I, too, was a regular at AYH (the old Whitney Museum building) on West 8th Street between MacDougal Street and 5th Avenue, and also bought a Pletscher rack for my hostel trips around Europe. I'm 68, so you must be a few years after me. Your observation about using the same bike for racing and touring is right on. I toured Europe in the 1960-70s with my 1962 (63?) Masi Special mounted with tubular tires and a Pletscher rack.
During my time, AYH hadn't yet produced an official saddle bag. Instead, I bought a pair of ammunition bags from one of the ubiquitous Army and Navy stores that lined West 42nd Street between 9th and 10th Avenues. I'd put the shoulder straps of the bags over the Pletscher rack and then wrap a "bundgee" cord around each one to keep the bags from swaying. One had to be sure to push the bags all the way back, otherwise your heels would hit it while pedaling. I recall that the AYH saddle bags (they didn't call them panniers back then) were not square, so your heel would not hit. The lower front portion was shaped at an angle to allow clearance for pedaling feet. The Brooks saddle bag that attached to the bag loops on a Brooks saddle was one of my favorites for a two or three day hosteling trip.
Happy New Year to All. May all your classic bike dreams come true.
Michael Allison
New York, NY
USA