Saddlebags are sacks or bags that are used in pairs and that, due to their location, allow the weight to be distributed.
Saddlebags are bags or sacks that are used in pairs and that, due to their arrangement, allow the weight to be distributed. Typically, they are tied to a bicycle , motorcycle or horse to transport luggage.
When used in pairs, they allow for weight balance, since the load is divided. For example: “We traveled with saddlebags full of gifts for the children,” “Do not neglect the saddlebags, this is a very unsafe area,” “The young man went out to travel the world with few belongings in the saddlebags.”
In the case of bicycles, panniers are usually tied under the seat or saddle. The cyclist can use them to carry drinks, food, first aid items or tools , to name a few possibilities.
Motorcycle saddlebags
Saddlebags are also the rigid suitcases that are located on the side of the rear wheel of a motorcycle . In this case, they are usually fastened with screws.
In this context, saddlebags come in various sizes and designs, as they are manufactured to satisfy a large number of needs: not all motorcycles fulfill the same function, but can be used for sport, to make extensive trips along and width of a country or simply as a means of daily transportation , among other possibilities.
Since saddlebags are constantly exposed to the outdoors, it is very important that the materials chosen for their manufacture are resistant, waterproof and easy to clean. Furthermore, as the motorcycle can reach high speeds and cross unstable terrain, such as rocky sections, they must have straps that hold them adequately, to prevent them from swinging suddenly, putting its contents at risk.
It is possible to use panniers on a bicycle.
Other types
As for horse saddles , they can be installed in different ways. Many times they are tied with ropes or belts to the saddle so that they hang on the sides of the animal . The most popular saddlebags are made of leather .
There are also saddlebags that people carry attached to their waist or hanging from their shoulders . The former are usually made of leather and are smaller in size, since they are intended for the transport of small tools for very specific purposes. The others require greater flexibility, and that is why it is common to find them in wool; In addition, they are much larger, and can have pockets both on the front and on the back.
In the video game series "The Legend of Zelda" , developed and published by Nintendo , the main character, Link , usually carries many of his tools and weapons in small saddlebags that attach to his belt; Since it would be impossible in real life to keep so many objects in so many pockets with these characteristics, this detail is part of the internal logic of the story , and gives it a very particular charm.
Symbolic use of the term alforja
By extension to these meanings, the notion of saddlebag is usually used in a symbolic sense to name what someone keeps, obtains or takes .
Suppose that a soccer team participates in a continental tournament that is a qualifier for a world championship. If the team achieves its objective, it could be said that they take the classification in their saddles.
A Spanish municipality
In Spain there is a municipality called Alforja , which is located in a mountainous area in the province of Tarragona ( Catalonia ). Its origins date back to an ancient Arab farmhouse that was dedicated to the exploitation of certain silver mines.
The oldest written document in which we find references to the municipality with this name dates back to the year 1152 . Its urban center is located around a church, something very common on the European continent. The castle, of which only a few remains remain, originated in a Roman fortification.