Handlebar bag conversion
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Handlebar bag conversion
G'day all!
I was browsing around the wonderful Internet when I found something that caught my eye.
Even though I love commuting all year round (even if it proves to be impossible or extremely hard in Northern European winters) and like carrying at least my essentials with me (tools, food etc.), I however dislike racks for some unknown reason and that usually sets limits to the amount of things I can carry around. Right now I have a small seat bag for my driver's license, debit card, hex wrenches, an universal wrench, a patch kit, two spare batteries and that's about it. I can fit some food in my jersey pockets as needed, but I could always carry more for longer rides in the countryside.
When I was browsing Carlos Duque's website, I found an interesting picture.
Original: https://bike.duque.net/2013-hopland-4...os.htm?pic=976
Since it looks a little too big for my needs, I found some cheap handlebar bags on eBay, this for example, that could possibly (?) be modified to attach to the seat.
I also found one looking exactly like that (having two connection straps) locally and I'm pretty sure that in some way I could fit it to my bike the way I wanted.
So, has anyone had experience with such things or would you rather keep away from big seat bags (possibly hitting against legs?) or buy one that's "meant" to be used for that purpose?
Thanks for your input in advance.
I was browsing around the wonderful Internet when I found something that caught my eye.
Even though I love commuting all year round (even if it proves to be impossible or extremely hard in Northern European winters) and like carrying at least my essentials with me (tools, food etc.), I however dislike racks for some unknown reason and that usually sets limits to the amount of things I can carry around. Right now I have a small seat bag for my driver's license, debit card, hex wrenches, an universal wrench, a patch kit, two spare batteries and that's about it. I can fit some food in my jersey pockets as needed, but I could always carry more for longer rides in the countryside.
When I was browsing Carlos Duque's website, I found an interesting picture.
Original: https://bike.duque.net/2013-hopland-4...os.htm?pic=976
Since it looks a little too big for my needs, I found some cheap handlebar bags on eBay, this for example, that could possibly (?) be modified to attach to the seat.
I also found one looking exactly like that (having two connection straps) locally and I'm pretty sure that in some way I could fit it to my bike the way I wanted.
So, has anyone had experience with such things or would you rather keep away from big seat bags (possibly hitting against legs?) or buy one that's "meant" to be used for that purpose?
Thanks for your input in advance.
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Thanks for the info! I'm not sure if I can afford myself a 70 quid seat bag, so I'd rather modify a cheap one myself. At least now I have a starting point to see how the Carradice bags connect to the seat.
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Thanks for the info! I'm not sure if I can afford myself a 70 quid seat bag, so I'd rather modify a cheap one myself. At least now I have a starting point to see how the Carradice bags connect to the seat.
Personally, I love saddlebags. Used to carry a laptop for years in one.
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Check out Carradice bags. They come in a wide range of sizes, but even their smaller bags will hold a lot of gear. I have a Barley, Pendle and Zipped Roll bags from them. I use the Barley for commuting and it holds everything I need 95% of the time, including change of clothes, lunch, tools, tire repair stuff, spare batteries, small cable lock, wallet, etc. I have found that their bags work better with the optional Bagman rack, which supports the bags and keeps them from swaying.
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That's very nice to hear. I'd always like to carry more things than I can right now, including phone chargers etc., just in case.
Does your Carradice hit your legs ever even when mounted without the rack?
Since paying around 70 quid for a Carradice plus some more for the rack isn't an option for me, I'll have to figure out something else, something like this for example. It's just 12 USD on eBay and it looks like I could somehow mount it to my seat, don't you think? For the rack I could always visit a hardware store for some parts that could do the job, as I need to make a rack for my extra water bottles anyway.
Thanks again for all the help!
Does your Carradice hit your legs ever even when mounted without the rack?
Since paying around 70 quid for a Carradice plus some more for the rack isn't an option for me, I'll have to figure out something else, something like this for example. It's just 12 USD on eBay and it looks like I could somehow mount it to my seat, don't you think? For the rack I could always visit a hardware store for some parts that could do the job, as I need to make a rack for my extra water bottles anyway.
Thanks again for all the help!
#8
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I have been jonesing for a Carradice Camper Longflap. I am having a hard time justifying the cost, and/or necessity.
#9
apocryphal sobriquet
That's very nice to hear. I'd always like to carry more things than I can right now, including phone chargers etc., just in case.
Does your Carradice hit your legs ever even when mounted without the rack?
Since paying around 70 quid for a Carradice plus some more for the rack isn't an option for me, I'll have to figure out something else, something like this for example. It's just 12 USD on eBay and it looks like I could somehow mount it to my seat, don't you think? For the rack I could always visit a hardware store for some parts that could do the job, as I need to make a rack for my extra water bottles anyway.
Thanks again for all the help!
Does your Carradice hit your legs ever even when mounted without the rack?
Since paying around 70 quid for a Carradice plus some more for the rack isn't an option for me, I'll have to figure out something else, something like this for example. It's just 12 USD on eBay and it looks like I could somehow mount it to my seat, don't you think? For the rack I could always visit a hardware store for some parts that could do the job, as I need to make a rack for my extra water bottles anyway.
Thanks again for all the help!
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The size of it is supposedly L32CM*W17CM*D11CM as per the eBay listing.
I was also thinking of something like this. Since it has a plastic mount already on it, mounting it further away from the seat and legs could be possible, avoiding the need to build a completely separate rack. It's also much cheaper at just 6 USD, so not a huge loss if something happens to it.
Has anyone had experience with plastic connections in general? Do they tend to break? I was also looking at a smaller bag that I could use for quick rides to the shop etc., one that would easily just pop in and out of the connector.
I was also thinking of something like this. Since it has a plastic mount already on it, mounting it further away from the seat and legs could be possible, avoiding the need to build a completely separate rack. It's also much cheaper at just 6 USD, so not a huge loss if something happens to it.
Has anyone had experience with plastic connections in general? Do they tend to break? I was also looking at a smaller bag that I could use for quick rides to the shop etc., one that would easily just pop in and out of the connector.
#11
Banned
Saying a Price in Quid, says You are in UK, a lot of the Carradice Alternatives will Be Imported .
Carradice is in the Midlands,
RE plastics, It depends on Which One you are considering, LDPE or Styrene/ABS, Poly-Carbonate ,
and carbonfiber filled Nylons, are all plstics, but their performance chacteristics are quite different.
Take a Look At Rixen & Kaul's Klickfix systems, they offer a seatpost adapter
that fits the seat post , to fit a handle bar bag as it is, on the back ,
if it uses Klick fix ( or Ortlieb) mounting hardware.
Then you pop off the bag when you stop, lock up the Bike and take it with You, .. into the Pub.. etc.
Carradice is in the Midlands,
RE plastics, It depends on Which One you are considering, LDPE or Styrene/ABS, Poly-Carbonate ,
and carbonfiber filled Nylons, are all plstics, but their performance chacteristics are quite different.
Take a Look At Rixen & Kaul's Klickfix systems, they offer a seatpost adapter
that fits the seat post , to fit a handle bar bag as it is, on the back ,
if it uses Klick fix ( or Ortlieb) mounting hardware.
Then you pop off the bag when you stop, lock up the Bike and take it with You, .. into the Pub.. etc.
Last edited by fietsbob; 06-05-13 at 10:45 AM.
#12
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I'm actually not. I live in Estonia and that's about 1700 kilometres away from the UK.
Since we don't have an active cycling community around here (yet), nothing other than Chinese things seem to be imported.
You're absolutely right about the plastics. The one attached to the bag seems to be some cheap blend of whatever they had on hand in the factory and probably won't even last through the first ride, but I think I'll give it a shot just for the sake of it.
Since we don't have an active cycling community around here (yet), nothing other than Chinese things seem to be imported.
You're absolutely right about the plastics. The one attached to the bag seems to be some cheap blend of whatever they had on hand in the factory and probably won't even last through the first ride, but I think I'll give it a shot just for the sake of it.
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