[CR] Pics of Caygill with Acorn Bags

(Example: Events:BVVW)

Date: Tue, 2 Jun 2009 12:19:15 -0700
From: <jerrymoos@sbcglobal.net>
To: Classic Rendevous <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Subject: [CR] Pics of Caygill with Acorn Bags


Attached are pics of my Caygill tourer equipped with Acorn bags:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/19353998@N06/sets/72157619103208504/

I've posted this bike before, but before the bags were fitted, or at least the front bag.

As can be seen, the panniers are Carradice.  But the seatbag and the randonneur-style front bag are from Acorn Bags in Gardena, CA.  The seatbag is what they call a 1-Strap Roll Bag.  They also make a 2-Strap Roll Bag for saddles with bags loops.  That bag was shown in the 1962 Superior pics I posted yesterday.  BTW I misspoke yesterday about the restored original B17 on the Superior - it is a B15, not a B17.

The 1-Strap Roll bag has now actually now been replaced with the Tri-Fold Bag, of similar size but a different design.

Since starting commuting to work a year ago, I've accumulated quite a few bags, including Velo Orange, Ostrich, Basil, Minnehaha, Carradice and Berthoud.  IMHO the Acorn bags are the equal of any of them.  And the rando front bag is absolutely the best I have seen.  I'd even rate it above the small Bethoud front bag I have.  The Acorn is equal to the Berthoud in most respects, but it has the edge in having a near perfect method of securing the bag to the front rack, which consist of velco sraps sewn to the bottom of the bag at each of the four corners.  This secures the bag so well that one really doesn't need the decaleur, although I have used on the Caygill as shown a Berthoud decaleur I bought from Mike Kone.  The Berthoud bag, by contrast, has no means of securing it to the rack.  The cords you may see hanging at the side of the bag are for securing the bag to the bars near the brake levers when using the bag without a decaleur.

Acorn Bags has only two employees - the husband and wife who own the company.  They design, manufacture, sell and ship all the bags themselves.  The only downside to this is that in recent months they have not been able to meet demand.  They take orders once a month or sometimes once every other month on their website here:

http://www.acornbags.com/index.html

They accept orders until they have as many as they can produce in a month or so, then disable the BUY buttons.  For several months they have been selling out the month's production in two hours or less.  They enjoy being a cottage industry and have no interest in expanding, adding employees or outsourcing products.

I've been trying to get Jan Heine to review Acorn bags in Bicycle Quarterly.  Ron, the husband/co-owner, declined to supply a bag for a test, because he doesn't feel comfortable actively publicising the product when some potential customers are already becoming frustrated at not being able to order all the bags they want in the limited monthly windows.  But I've offered to supply my own personal Acorn bags to BQ for testing, and Ron has said he has no objection to that.  Hopefully Jan will take me up on my offer and we'll see these bags reviewed in one of the next few BQ issues.  If Jan does agree, I'll definitely supply the front bag and perhaps a 2-Strap Roll Bag as well.

Regards,

Jerry Moos
Big Spring, Tecas, USA