01-12-2019, 09:28 AM
I had a Rookie saddle with the middle tightening strap and surprisingly it did no good at all. It still allowed the panniers to act like a pendulum and swing up in the front or back and escape their hooks. And it's one more fussy little strap to have to deal with. I don't like fussy little straps and the Sopris design has a lot of them, which is probably my biggest complaint after the hooks. Don't get me wrong--I love so many things about the Sopris saddles (especially that they fit every goat!), but I feel that the design could easily be improved.