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03-20-09, 09:45 AM
I wanted to share how pleased we've been with Detours seatpost mounted bags on our tandem and also a modification we've made to allow us to use a larger capacity bag even with the reduced clearance caused by the stoker's suspension seatpost mechanism. Before getting our tandem in 2006, we already used seatpost bags from Detours on our single bikes. They are distinguished by their quick and easy on and off, leaving only a small adaptor / fastener on the seatpost. Additionally, the bags come in a good range of sizes. I used a High Tail Expandable model and my wife used standard High Tail model on our across America trip on singles in 2005.
The seatpost adaptor is a KlickFix from Rixen Kaul in Germany. The bags sold by Detours in the U.S. may very well be manufactured by Rixen Kaul or they may be made by Detours under a license - I don't know. The Rixen Kaul site has a very extensive line of bags for handlebar mounts and seatpost mounts. The Detours line is much more modest - the bags look similar but not identical - and they have different names.
When we first put the High Tail bag on the tandem, the stokers suspension seatpost mechanism meant that the bag was mounted closer to the bike and I had to bend the bag's supporting frame upward to get enough clearance. This worked but I was very pleased to see on Terry's Bicycles' site that she was selling an ultra-low-profile (ULP) model of the High Tail that put more of the bag above its supporting frame. We've been using that for two years now.
Sometimes, we would like to have more capacity but not so much to want to put on our rear rack and larger trunk bag. I ordered a new High Tail Expandable and used a tube bender to successfully bend the bag frame to give enough clearance that we can mount this larger bag even on the tandem.
Below are some photos illustrating the ULP bag as we mount it and the modified frame that allows even the much larger bag to be mounted or give even more clearance for a regular bag. Also, here are some links to the product sites and some photos.
http://detours.us/index.php Choose High Tail bags to see the ones I am talking about
http://www.terrybicycles.com/product/detail/7740/current/high-tail-ulp Terry always has the low profile version.
http://www.rei.com/search?query=detours+bicycle+bag REI - I've ordered from them too.
http://www.klickfix.de/index.php?lang=en The KlickFix Rixen Kaul company in Germany
Bloomington, IN
The seatpost adaptor is a KlickFix from Rixen Kaul in Germany. The bags sold by Detours in the U.S. may very well be manufactured by Rixen Kaul or they may be made by Detours under a license - I don't know. The Rixen Kaul site has a very extensive line of bags for handlebar mounts and seatpost mounts. The Detours line is much more modest - the bags look similar but not identical - and they have different names.
When we first put the High Tail bag on the tandem, the stokers suspension seatpost mechanism meant that the bag was mounted closer to the bike and I had to bend the bag's supporting frame upward to get enough clearance. This worked but I was very pleased to see on Terry's Bicycles' site that she was selling an ultra-low-profile (ULP) model of the High Tail that put more of the bag above its supporting frame. We've been using that for two years now.
Sometimes, we would like to have more capacity but not so much to want to put on our rear rack and larger trunk bag. I ordered a new High Tail Expandable and used a tube bender to successfully bend the bag frame to give enough clearance that we can mount this larger bag even on the tandem.
Below are some photos illustrating the ULP bag as we mount it and the modified frame that allows even the much larger bag to be mounted or give even more clearance for a regular bag. Also, here are some links to the product sites and some photos.
http://detours.us/index.php Choose High Tail bags to see the ones I am talking about
http://www.terrybicycles.com/product/detail/7740/current/high-tail-ulp Terry always has the low profile version.
http://www.rei.com/search?query=detours+bicycle+bag REI - I've ordered from them too.
http://www.klickfix.de/index.php?lang=en The KlickFix Rixen Kaul company in Germany
Bloomington, IN