Long Distance Competition/Ultracycling, Randonneuring and Endurance Cycling - SaddlePack for Centuries and Beyond

Hello, this year I am planning on trying to ride 2 centuries per month, but sometimes there is so much stuff to bring along it makes the back of a jersey sag. I have a very small underseat pack with a tube and c02 and multi tool, but do not have much room for more. The bag I am considering seems like it would be perfect for my centuries and other really long rides. What do you think about this bag? Do you think I can mount it on a carbon seatpost? http://www.topeak.com/products/Bags/DynaPack THANKS!

do not mount it on carbon...!

I wouldn't mount that on a carbon seat post ever.You could try a carradice bag.

I have this detours (http://detours.us/product_info.php?products_id=115&language=)bag, mounted on my carbon seatpost even though you aren't supposed to. I talked to a few people about it and decided to take my chances - wrapped the post with a couple wraps of electrical tape to keep the edges of the clamp & the screw from scoring the post.

So far so good, knock on wood. I really like the pack. I only put it on the bike when I need the extra space, the clamp stays on there all the time.

I have this detours (http://detours.us/product_info.php?products_id=115&language=)bag, mounted on my carbon seatpost even though you aren't supposed to. I talked to a few people about it and decided to take my chances - wrapped the post with a couple wraps of electrical tape to keep the edges of the clamp & the screw from scoring the post.

So far so good, knock on wood. I really like the pack. I only put it on the bike when I need the extra space, the clamp stays on there all the time.

If you're mounting it on a carbon post, I'd worry more about compression than scoring. Use a torque wrench and only tighten the rack clamp to the same tension you use on your seat clamp so you're not risking pinch damage to it.

Anyhow, I use the large Topeak Aerowedge (http://www.topeak.com/products/Bags/AeroWedgePack_large_velcro). It's only half the size of the Dynapack which the OP is considering, but it's still 120ci and I can fit 2 tubes, patch kit, levers, wallet, phone, saddle cover, a couple of gels and Clif bars, and a multi-tool.

What do you think about this bag?

Have friends that use it happily.


Do you think I can mount it on a carbon seatpost? Yes, but you shouldn't.

Works on my carbon post.

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh187/10wheels/TMT%20BB%20Ride/UpTraining.jpg

Yeah, 10Wheels, but this is only the "Before" picture. Do not forget to show us the "After" picture, too.
:):):)

I also use the topeak areowedge large saddle bag. I find it can fit all my tools, 2 tubes, a couple of CO2 catridges and even some food. However for anything over a century I will add a small handle bar bag for some extra stuff.

Centuries aren't so long. I've been using bags similar to this:
http://tinyurl.com/cn5u98
for years. I like that it clips to the saddle, so I can cut off the Velcro seatpost strap. No chance of abrasion and it doesn't waggle. 120 cu. in. is enough.

I use a Detours for long brevets. Just change out your seatpost. No biggie.

Ix-nay on the bags mounted on carbon seat posts (sorry valygirl).

I use a Carradice Pendle which is 11l. This may be overkill but I use it on long rides in the winter to carry all my clothes. You made need the Bagman Sport rack to attach it to and support it on the bike's saddle.

Yeah, 10Wheels, but this is only the "Before" picture. Do not forget to show us the "After" picture, too.
:):):)

That is the After pic.

Touring on a race bike.

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh187/10wheels/502%20Mi%20Tour/FeltF-80502mitour.jpg

I agree with CliftonGK1. The only problem I'd see is if you apply too much torque when attaching the bag to the seatpost.

If you're still nervous about it, you might want to look at handlebar bags. Many models have map holders, which can be helpful on centuries and long rides.

One other item to consider is a "Bento" bag, like this one: http://www.trisports.com/benbakis.html You can stash some small items like gels or energy bars, and can access them without needing to stop.

You guys worry way too much.

10 wheels, your bike setup is interesting.

Perhaps, you should review it with some other cyclists in your area.

There may be some finer points of bike touring setup you do not understand.

In any case, the original poster has the right idea for some efficient tour gear.

I have completed 20 centuries in one year and two tours.

What is it I am missing? 5971 miles YTD.

I ride with a group that some have 30 years riding racing experience.
I ride race bike, not a touring bike.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=524843

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh187/10wheels/TMT%20BB%20Ride/Nice.jpg

What is it I am missing?Your bicycle looks like it was setup by a clown.

You have no idea of the physics associated with the stresses luggage can put on a rider and his bicycle.

However, you deserve to ride with your setup - by all means - please keep it!!!

?Your bicycle looks like it was setup by a clown.

You have no idea of the physics associated with the stresses luggage can put on a rider and his bicycle.

However, you deserve to ride with your setup - by all means - please keep it!!!

I never adopted you as my mother.
I never asked you for your opinion.

You have know idea what Stress is for a 67 y/o rider.

Keep your opinions where it is dark and warm.
Thanks

Richard, I thought you had been trying to be nice. Bike setup is a very personal thing, and 10 Wheels clearly rides his bike enough to know what he wants.

What is it I am missing? 5971 miles YTD.



pie plate, it is large.



carry on, otherwise.
i wouldn't ride a carbon seatpost with a beam rack... or any kind of post mounted bag...

but YMMV, RYOR, etc. etc. all apply.

pie plate, it is large.



carry on, otherwise.
i wouldn't ride a carbon seatpost with a beam rack... or any kind of post mounted bag...

but YMMV, RYOR, etc. etc. all apply.

I eat large pies.
I would never ride any bike with fenders and mud flaps unless it was a motorcycle.

I eat large pies.
I would never ride any bike with fenders and mud flaps unless it was a motorcycle.

nor would i, if there were sunny skies all the time.
but, fenders and mud flaps do keep the bb, cables, wheels, hubs, not to mention the rider, dry and far less dirty than without.
esp. where i ride - all year, in rain, sleet, snow, mud, ice, salt, etc.

but, as i said, YMMV, RYOR, etc.

i do think that recommending to mount a beam rack or seat post rack / bag to someone that you may not really know - specifically their riding style, mechanical ability, what conditions (rain, wind, snow, ice, mud) they ride, what model of seatpost, how the bag / rack clamps, etc. etc... just lots of variables. etc... is a bit dangerous. esp if the person is a newbie. its a personal decision for sure, and you are making it work, for you.



and, if your are comfortable mounting a beam rack / seat post rack to a carbon post - why not adjusting the stop on the rear der. and ditching the pie plate?

but, as i said, YMMV, RYOR, etc.

I've got a rear rack with little trunk bag on my bike all the time. For a supported century ride in nice weather, I don't need anything else. Otherwise, I've got a handlebar bag that I use, too. Holds a cue sheet, couple of 32 oz bottles of gatorade, etc.

I bought the large Ortleib saddle bag for riding brevets. Did a 300k this past weekend, and it worked reasonably well. Kept everything dry through 60 miles of wet roads. The closing system is not well thought out though, or there is something I'm missing.

I bought the large Ortleib saddle bag for riding brevets. Did a 300k this past weekend, and it worked reasonably well. Kept everything dry through 60 miles of wet roads. The closing system is not well thought out though, or there is something I'm missing.


works well enough. i used 1 for the a 300k back in '06.
you really need the right saddle rail exposure to make it work.

closing - you roll it up, make sure you get a couple of rolls to it, and snap it shut.
its when i've overstuffed it that i've had problems.

The point at which the Ortlieb is overstuffed is the issue. It looks like it should be able to hold more when it isn't. And the fact that the buckles make a loose loop when it is correctly fastened seems silly to me.

I have completed 20 centuries in one year and two tours.

What is it I am missing? 5971 miles YTD.

I ride with a group that some have 30 years riding racing experience.
I ride race bike, not a touring bike.
I use a post-mounted bag as do many of my rando friends, but we all mount them to aluminum seatposts. Just because it's worked so far doesn't mean there is no possibility of a catastrophic (and painful) failure. Carbon parts do that when subjected to undesigned stresses. Ask any ocean racer. So just trade it out. No biggie.

But what you're really missing is the opportunity to tour in ultralightweight style. It's been fun to watch the loads on PCT (Pacific Crest Trail) through-hikers decrease over the past 45 years. It used to be that everyone carried 50 lbs. in a frame pack. Now I see folks with 10-12 lb. loads in a knapsack. Google ultralightweight backpacking. Road bike tourers have several advantages over hikers, too: your weather is less severe and you're never more than a day from resupply. Also, some disadvantages: you need tools and spares. But all in all, I don't see why you can't get the whole package into and onto a large post-mounted bag and a bar bag. Why suffer?

People talk about how your CG ought to be low, but that makes no sense to me unless you're drastically overloaded. The rider's CG is above the saddle, whether he weighs 135 or 235, and rake and trail is designed for that CG. Adding even 15 lbs at saddle height is fine, especially if it's aero.

Over in the touring forum it's like no one has ever heard of the concept. I guess it's true that cyclists tend to be conservative.

Carbonfiberboy wrote:

>Why suffer?<

For some, isn't that the point? :)

I think humans will fill all available space with items that might not be necessary to the task to be undertaken, which is why I limit the carry space on my centuries. I know I can carry everything I need in 1) my jersey pockets and 2) an under-the-saddle bag.

That includes arm/leg warmers/jacket in my jersey pockets, along with gel packets/energy bars and my phone. In my saddle bag: multi-tool, two spare tubes, CO2 cartridges and mini-inflator (or one spare tube, mini-pump and patch kit, with the CO2 kit).

So I would not be inclined to use what the OP is thinking about, or anything similar.

Carbonfiberboy wrote:

>Why suffer?<

For some, isn't that the point? :)Yeeesh! No, the point is to make others suffer.:thumb:

I would never ride any bike with fenders and mud flaps unless it was a motorcycle.

If I rode sans fenders I would have had a miserable 10 days of bike commuting in the last 2 weeks. Nothing but rain, rain and even more rain. And it ain't over

I'm pleased with my Carradice Nelson Longflap.

I'm less pleased with the Rivendell Hupe bag support, which does support the bag but doesn't put it at the angle I'd like. Linda at Peter White Cycles told me the Bagman support (which does put it at the angle I'd like) is being redesigned--assumedly to address the problem of screws coming out if you don't Loctite them--but she couldn't tell me when the new design will be available.

I never adopted you as my mother. I never asked you for your opinion.You implicitly accepted responsibility for comment when your posted the picture of you bicycle-"rig."





You have know idea what Stress is for a 67 y/o rider.
No I don't know anything about you, but somehow you conclude that silly behaviors regarding bicycle luggage are acceptable, [or superior?] as long as you ride a lot. This clearly is not the case.






Keep your opinions where it is dark and warm. ThanksI'm not sure what you mean. But, after this exchange, I would consider your judgment on any subject to be suspect.


Perchance in another thread you can discuss how your "luggage" contributes to the superior ride qualities of the so-called "racing" bike you claim to ride.

Again, clearly you could never operate that bicycle in any fashion other than solitary road situations where your dangerous adjustments/additions to the bicycle have created an unstable center of gravity, amplified the dangers associated with riding in crosswinds and generallydestroyed many if not all of the meticulously-designed ride-characteristics originally engineered into the poor misused bicycle. You are NOT riding a racing bicycle - get a clue......

I say stamp out bicycle abuse - whenever - and wherever you see it!!!

pwned

Perchance in another thread you can discuss how your "luggage" contributes to the superior ride qualities of the so-called "racing" bike you claim to ride.
I haven't read his other threads, but it's pretty clear that is a road bike, and quite likely one designed for racing.



Again, clearly you could never operate that bicycle in any fashion other than solitary road situations where your dangerous adjustments/additions to the bicycle have created an unstable center of gravity, amplified the dangers associated with riding in crosswinds and generally destroyed many if not all of the meticulously-designed ride-characteristics originally engineered into the poor misused bicycle.
Bicycles are inanimate objects. They don't have feelings, thus it is irrelevant if one is "misused."

Nothing 10 Wheels is doing is "dangerous." He isn't obstructing his field of view; he doesn't have cables hanging near the spokes; and it's hardly like a 1mph crosswind is going to knock him straight over -- it certainly isn't any worse than a disc wheel. While they are not exactly common, people do use "frame bags" for touring (e.g. http://www.epicdesignsalaska.com/?page_id=4 ), and afaik no one has died as a result of using them....


As to the center of gravity, awhile back a couple of guys biked the periphery of Britain on tall bikes (nearly 6,000 miles):

http://www.tallbiketourbritain.com/USERIMAGES/tallbike%20058.jpg

I'm gonna guess those guys had a slightly higher center of gravity than 10 Wheels, and they made out just fine. ;)

You implicitly accepted responsibility for comment when your posted the picture of you bicycle-"rig."

No I don't know anything about you, but somehow you conclude that silly behaviors regarding bicycle luggage are acceptable, [or superior?] as long as you ride a lot. This clearly is not the case.

I'm not sure what you mean. But, after this exchange, I would consider your judgment on any subject to be suspect.

Perchance in another thread you can discuss how your "luggage" contributes to the superior ride qualities of the so-called "racing" bike you claim to ride.

Again, clearly you could never operate that bicycle in any fashion other than solitary road situations where your dangerous adjustments/additions to the bicycle have created an unstable center of gravity, amplified the dangers associated with riding in crosswinds and generallydestroyed many if not all of the meticulously-designed ride-characteristics originally engineered into the poor misused bicycle. You are NOT riding a racing bicycle - get a clue......

I say stamp out bicycle abuse - whenever - and wherever you see it!!!

This is The Clowns Bike (Richards name for for me and the Felt F-80) at The worlds most famous race track.

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh187/10wheels/Bartape2.jpg

Hopefully this is a correct, short interpretation of RC's post.

Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should.


I have a century ride coming up next weekend. I could ride my 45 pound, balloon tire, full upright utility cruiser and cross the line in 9 hours if I'm lucky. Probably not the best choice out of all the bikes in my garage, though.

I'm pleased with my Carradice Nelson Longflap.

I'm less pleased with the Rivendell Hupe bag support, which does support the bag but doesn't put it at the angle I'd like. Linda at Peter White Cycles told me the Bagman support (which does put it at the angle I'd like) is being redesigned--assumedly to address the problem of screws coming out if you don't Loctite them--but she couldn't tell me when the new design will be available.

call old spokes home in burlington, vt. they have 2-3 bagmans on the shelf.
i've never had the screws pop out after doing the loctite trick.

If I get through this 300K, I may reward myself with one of those, thanks. (And, um, an Ahearne flask holster (http://www.ahearnecycles.com/pages/flaskholster.html).)

I use a Carradice seat bag (I think the Nelson or Pendle) and it works well for longer rides, especially in changeable weather where clothing needs to come off / go back on during the day.

The best deals I've seen lately on Carradice are ordering directly from the manufacturer's website in the UK.

Again, clearly you could never operate that bicycle in any fashion other than solitary road situations where your dangerous adjustments/additions to the bicycle have created an unstable center of gravity, amplified the dangers associated with riding in crosswinds ...



Ok, so Richard, with all the extraneous stuff removed, you think that the bike

1. has a too-high center of gravity

2. perhaps excessive bias to the rear

3. has a "sail" profile that might prove difficult in a cross wind

4. may be affected by potential flex in the luggage support

5. potential control issues caused by the above could affect other riders located close by.

Is that it? (we should just ignore the dork disk) If so, interesting lessons for a newbie distance rider.

Road Fan

(we should just ignore the dork disk)



that pie plate might help in crosswinds, kind of acts like a wing... (http://www.cbss.ca/tip11.htm)

that pie plate might help in crosswinds, kind of acts like a wing... (http://www.cbss.ca/tip11.htm)

Do you advocate tacking on wide roads? I guess, whatever works, after the first 90 miles ...

Do you advocate tacking on wide roads? I guess, whatever works, after the first 90 miles ...

i should have included [sarcasm] tags. the linked article discusses that disc wheels actually have lower wind resistance (wind tunnel tests) in crosswinds as they actually create lift (airplane wing). tacking not required.

for tacking you need one of these: (http://www.pterosail.com/)

http://bp0.blogger.com/_KUfXolaT_Dk/R4y-ZgFwUYI/AAAAAAAAAH4/EF6vDudKxfA/s400/trike_sail.jpg

...
for tacking you need one of these: (http://www.pterosail.com/)

http://bp0.blogger.com/_KUfXolaT_Dk/R4y-ZgFwUYI/AAAAAAAAAH4/EF6vDudKxfA/s400/trike_sail.jpg

Correct. Knowing that it takes two to tack, it's good to see full disclosure with both the tacker and the tackee in the photo. :p

<imagine rimshot.wav>

10 Wheels, I admire your dedication, and I hope I someday will have the opportunity to log as much saddle time as you are getting now. I think the critiques of your bike's set-up could have been presented more palatably, but I'm quite certain the motivation was to assist you, rather than to nit-pick.

Hang in there, and may you have many thousands of miles of safe cycling in the coming months. :thumb:

This thread demonstrates the "the good, the bad and the ugly" about giving and or receiving advice over the Internet. I genuinely do not start out thinking about how to ridicule a person.

However, I thought it worth the effort to point out that 10-wheel's "racing bike" reconfigured to carry luggage, has lost all the ride-qualities associated with a correctly engineered frame and fork/stem combination. And of some note, I thought it necessary to point out that not only does an improperly loaded bicycle lose it's racing character, it is also most likely far less efficient than any average touring bicycle.

The whole point of my posts- still being, if you load a racing bicycle to the point that it's unstable, then you might as well have started with a touring bike.
Now, I'm sorry I hurt your feelings 10-wheels, it looks like you have plenty of cool areas to ride, so just ignore my comments.

You can bet I wouldn't mind having a Felt bicycle, loaded or not.

Hopefully this is a correct, short interpretation of RC's post.

Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should.


I have a century ride coming up next weekend. I could ride my 45 pound, balloon tire, full upright utility cruiser and cross the line in 9 hours if I'm lucky. Probably not the best choice out of all the bikes in my garage, though.

I only have One Bike to ride.

This thread demonstrates the "the good, the bad and the ugly" about giving and or receiving advice over the Internet. I genuinely do not start out thinking about how to ridicule a person.

However, I thought it worth the effort to point out that 10-wheel's "racing bike" reconfigured to carry luggage, has lost all the ride-qualities associated with a correctly engineered frame and fork/stem combination. And of some note, I thought it necessary to point out that not only does an improperly loaded bicycle lose it's racing character, it is also most likely far less efficient than any average touring bicycle.

The whole point of my posts- still being, if you load a racing bicycle to the point that it's unstable, then you might as well have started with a touring bike.

You can bet I wouldn't mind having a Felt bicycle, loaded or not.

It was Not Unstable.

Your a Cool Guy. Ride Safe Richard.

I only have One Bike to ride.

Well, in that case, ride what ya got.

What I use:
http://www.jandd.com/detail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=FMW3