Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Commuting
Reload this Page >

Handlebar bag conversion

Notices
Commuting Bicycle commuting is easier than you think, before you know it, you'll be hooked. Learn the tips, hints, equipment, safety requirements for safely riding your bike to work.

Handlebar bag conversion

Old 06-04-13, 05:19 PM
  #1  
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
Heiko's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 14
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
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.
Attached Images
File Type: jpeg
18iWk.jpeg (34.2 KB, 13 views)
File Type: jpeg
18iX5.jpeg (32.4 KB, 36 views)
Heiko is offline  
Old 06-04-13, 05:26 PM
  #2  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: England
Posts: 12,948
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 19 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 7 Times in 7 Posts
That is a Carradice saddlebag, they come in all sizes.
MichaelW is offline  
Old 06-04-13, 05:31 PM
  #3  
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
Heiko's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 14
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
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.
Heiko is offline  
Old 06-05-13, 12:41 AM
  #4  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 156
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Originally Posted by Heiko
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.
Look up Minnehaha Saddlebags if you want something cheaper than a Carradice. They only have one size but it can hold quite a bit.


Personally, I love saddlebags. Used to carry a laptop for years in one.
dvald001 is offline  
Old 06-05-13, 04:57 AM
  #5  
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
Heiko's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 14
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Do you mean something like this?



Doesn't it hit your legs at all? With my current bag I'm almost able to touch it.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg
2862405213_c11801937e.jpg (32.3 KB, 11 views)
Heiko is offline  
Old 06-05-13, 06:07 AM
  #6  
Senior Member
 
tarwheel's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Raleigh, NC
Posts: 8,900

Bikes: Waterford RST-22, Bob Jackson World Tour, Ritchey Breakaway Cross, Soma Saga, De Bernardi SL, Specialized Sequoia

Mentioned: 36 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 196 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 6 Times in 4 Posts
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.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg
Gunnar 2.jpg (90.8 KB, 9 views)
File Type: jpg
waterford build 1.jpg (87.6 KB, 10 views)
File Type: jpg
Debe-commute2.jpg (99.4 KB, 9 views)
File Type: jpg
BJ-9.jpg (63.2 KB, 11 views)
tarwheel is offline  
Old 06-05-13, 06:21 AM
  #7  
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
Heiko's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 14
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
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!
Attached Images
Heiko is offline  
Old 06-05-13, 09:35 AM
  #8  
xtrajack
 
xtrajack's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Maine
Posts: 2,058

Bikes: Kona fire mountain/xtracycle,Univega landrover fs,Nishiki custom sport Ross professional super gran tour Schwinn Mesa (future Xtracycle donor bike)

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I have been jonesing for a Carradice Camper Longflap. I am having a hard time justifying the cost, and/or necessity.
xtrajack is offline  
Old 06-05-13, 09:59 AM
  #9  
apocryphal sobriquet
 
J.C. Koto's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Star City, NE
Posts: 1,083

Bikes: 2008 Surly Long Haul Trucker "The Truckerino"

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 11 Post(s)
Liked 3 Times in 2 Posts
Originally Posted by Heiko
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!
Yes, this would almost certainly be easy to figure out how to mount to the saddle, and worse case scenario you can always use it as intended as a handlebar bag. Doesn't really look like it will hold very much which could be a good thing or bad depending on your needs.
J.C. Koto is offline  
Old 06-05-13, 10:11 AM
  #10  
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
Heiko's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 14
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
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.

Attached Images
Heiko is offline  
Old 06-05-13, 10:39 AM
  #11  
Banned
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: NW,Oregon Coast
Posts: 43,598

Bikes: 8

Mentioned: 197 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7607 Post(s)
Liked 1,354 Times in 861 Posts
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.

Last edited by fietsbob; 06-05-13 at 10:45 AM.
fietsbob is offline  
Old 06-05-13, 10:52 AM
  #12  
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
Heiko's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 14
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
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.
Heiko is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
WizardOfBoz
General Cycling Discussion
26
04-17-16 07:24 AM
DjFantom
Commuting
53
06-01-15 05:08 PM
Jseis
Road Cycling
11
06-27-14 06:45 AM
krusej23
Commuting
14
06-03-14 11:16 AM
MLKATO
Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg)
2
06-16-11 08:12 PM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.