A Closing Tribute to Acorn Saddlebags

 

Acorn saddlebag on a 1948 Raleigh

Acorn bags, an American company that built high-quality canvas and leather saddlebags for bicycles, is closing down. I am told the owners are ready to move on in life to other things, so the company is closing.

Close-up of a brown Acorn small saddlebag - very nice work 

 

Acorn saddlebag on a 1947 Schwinn

Acorn made affordable, high-quality bags. Their small saddlebag retailed for under $100, about half the price of boutique, luxury saddlebags in the same size. The price was comparable to a Carradice (another respected bag maker), though the Acorn bags tended to be a little more luxurious compared to the more spartan Carradice.  

Flap and zipper opening on an Acorn saddlebag

Close up of an Acorn small saddlebag on a WWII era Schwinn

Acorn small saddlebag on a 1940 Schwinn

I bought an Acorn bag as a one-off experiment several years ago. I had long been happy with my Carradice bags and my Banjo Brothers bags. My Carradice bags were the "higher-end" bags on my bikes, while the Banjo Brothers bags were more compact and basic. When I received the Acorn bag, I was very impressed by how much quality could be squeezed into the roughly $75 price tag.  

Acorn saddlebag on a 1970 Raleigh DL-1 roadster

I liked the Acorn small saddlebag so much, I bought several more over the years. Acorn's business model was to produce bags in batches, sell them, then make another batch. The website often showed they were sold out. A notice would come in a few days before the next batch went on sale. I made it a point to buy one each time a batch would be made. I bought both their black and brown canvas bags.

Acorn small saddlebag on a 1947 Raleigh Model 35 touring bike

I'm glad I stocked up on the bags before the company went out of business. They should serve nicely for me in the future. I am told the tools and supplies of the company are for sale. Hopefully an entrepreneurial buyer will get those and pick up where Acorn left off. 

 

Brown Acorn saddlebag on a 1953 Raleigh

Spring Ride: 1948 Raleigh Sports Tourist

 

We finally had a jolt of warm weather for the first couple days this week. I fiddled a bit with the 1948 Raleigh's seat position, raising it a bit to a position that I like better. 

This bike is a pleasant rider, though it certainly feels more like a utility/commuter bike than a sporty bike. The chain case, dynohub, and various accessories make this a fairly heavy bike. It helps to lower the gearing by installing a 22-tooth rear cog. That is the maximum that will comfortably fit inside the chain case. I've tried 24-tooth cogs in chain cases in the past, but they never fit very well, at least not well enough to keep the chain from rubbing.

 

I may add a somewhat bigger bag-mount LED light for safety reasons. The incandescent tail light works, and I do have an LED bag light already, but it seems like drivers today are very distracted (or aggressive). A larger bag light might give a little more indication I'm a slow-moving vehicle near the side of the road. 

The leaves are really starting to appear now. It's good to see a return to warmer weather.

Spring Ride - 1940 Schwinn New World

 

The wearing-in period of the 1940 New World continues. I raised the seat post maybe 1/2 or 3/4 of an inch. Handlebars stayed put for the time being. I like them a little above the saddle level. My trips on this bike will be of the short or medium length. I have other bikes for longer rides. The bike is just now leaving that stage of rides where time is spent fiddling with the fit, setting up lights, etc.

 The bike is relatively light, being as basic as it is. It doesn't even have a kickstand. The closest bike in concept that I have is my 1947 Raleigh Model 35, though that is even more basic (the Raleigh doesn't even have a chain guard). Of the two, the 1947 Raleigh has a more solid feel to the frame and rides a little better. I enjoy both bikes. 

What is surprising is how noticeably different the bike feels than post-war New World, Traveler, etc. Those are heavier but not nearly as flexible feeling as this bike. They have a more solid feel, especially climbing a steep hill or going over bumps. So many things on this bike have a spindly quality: the seat stays, fender stays, glass reflector, small-diameter frame tubes, etc. The bike doesn't have that heavy, over-built feel of the post-war New World frames (both for better and for worse).

Overall, this bike is a good example of a light, spindly, simple American-made lightweight touring bike from before WWII. The "modern" lightweight bike was still in its early years in 1940 in the United States. Britain had a much longer history of diamond frame, relatively modern bicycles for sport, touring, and utility purposes. So it's nice to have an example of an "early", American-made lightweight with a 23-inch frame.