I just received the custom bolt-on frame bag I ordered from Rogue Panda for my Salsa Cutthroat. Right before they sent it out, they sent me an email with pictures that states they had made a mistake and when sewing the daisy chain on the inside, they had sewn through the outside, leaving needle holes in the exterior waterproof Xpac laminate. They wanted to know if I wanted them to remake the bag and I said yes. I know they don’t market their bags as waterproof, but bar tacks through the shell certainly makes the bag less water-resistant and is not, in my experience, the way even quality water-resistant bags are constructed.
An hour after we agreed they would remake the bag, I got an email that the bag had shipped. I was highly suspicious since it has taken weeks to get the first bag constructed that they would’ve made a brand new bag within an hour.
The bag that I got actually IS the original one (according to them) and DOES have more than one bar tack through the the sidewall on both the top part that fits beneath the toptube as well as all round the different tube angles. They now say that this is normal and how they construct their bags.
And maybe it it. So I am asking the community if this is true? Because I paid a lot of money for this bag and I want exactly the quality I paid for that their reputation has earned.
by brother_bart
6 Comments
I feel like you should reach out to them.
They are legit good folks. I’m sure they would be willing to explain to you how they fixed it/modified it for you. If you’re not happy with it, you could always see if they will make it right(my suspicion is they will).
What did rogue panda say when you wrote them and provided these photos?
Just let it go man
There are 3 bolt holes that are gonna let in a lot more water than that bar tack.
I can’t explain the initial email, but that’s definitely just how they are made. A couple of things about water resistance though.
1)Those bartacks would make almost no difference in water resistance compared to the bolt holes in the bag.
2)They are going to be hidden against the tubes of your bike, meaning they are unlikely to get water directed at them.
3) The seam where the spine of the bag joins the side is a much more likely place for water ingress.
Also, the spine of the bag looks like cordura, rather than x-pac which is fairly typical for its increased abrasion resistance.
Most frame bags are good for a light-medium rainstorm, so anything that really can’t get wet should be in dry bags.
the mistake they described doesn’t really match what you’re showing here. i’d be inclined to believe them, they’re good folks.