bikemig 

The humble handlebar doesn't seem to get a lot of respect. When I first started riding seriously, I owned and used one with a map pocket. I liked it but I haven't owned a front handlebar bag in a long time. I guess in this day of GPS units and smart phones, the map pocket is just no big deal. I don't own a smart phone but I might pick up a GPS unit for my bike one of these days.

Still I'm thinking of buying a front handlebar bag. I'm running a jandd mountain wedge III in the rear which I really like but as the weather gets colder, I'd like a little more carrying capacity.

I'm curious who uses a front handlebar bag and what kind of bag they like. I guess the big choice is between one that is designed to sit on a front rack with some fancy french name or other or a bag that actually attaches to the handlebars in some fashion. Front lights can be a bit of an issue I imagine with a handlebar bag.

So I'm game to listen about tried and true bags that folks here use and even to the naysayers who no doubt will explain to me why I just need to carry less stuff and/or find a bigger rear bag.

cvskates

I like a handle bar bag for longer rides where I don't want to put a bunch of stuff in my jersey pockets. I occasionally do a 200km r/t to have a meal with my brother. If the weather is nice and I don't need a change a clothes I use an Ortelieb (SIC?) handlebar bag. I bought a couple extra handlebar mounts so it can travel from bike to bike. I did a 270km organized ride in June and was the only one with a handlebar bag - it kind of freds things up, but I prefer that to filling my jersey pockets to the point I can't find anything in 'em.

I use my handlebar bag where a lot of people would use a trunk bag - I just prefer to have my stuff in front of me. Once I need a change a clothes for a trip I just use panniers and taker the touring bike.

Have yet to try to figure out a light set up for use with the bag - anytime I ride at night I don't have the bag on.

curly666

I use a
topeak bag with a quick release mount. For the lights I use a Minora mount under the stem to mount the lights, works good for me.

bikemig 

The minoura stem attaches to the handle bar right? In the pics, your lights look like they are attached to the fork.

linnefaulk

I use my handlebar bag all the time. I don't have jersey pockets. I would love to find one that fit both my road bike and hybrid that didn't cost an arm and a leg.

kingston 

I use the same handlebar bag, and a similar light bar set up on my touring bike. I don't use the handlebar bag unless I need the extra space because it does affect the handling.

Topeak Tourguide Handle Bar Bag
XLAB Aero Computer Mount mounted to the fork crown
Topeak Bar Extender mounted to the XLAB mount

unterhausen

there are plenty of randonneurs that use a front bag. The ideal solution is a rack mounted randonneuring bag. I used my old cannondale handlebar bag on one of my first brevets. It worked fine, but I wasn't really tempted to do it again.

spokenword

I started using handlebar bags when I got into randonneuring back in 2006, and in that time I've tried a small variety of bags and forms. I've used big boxy things similar to the Topeak Tour Guide that other's have mentioned, which clamp to your handlebars and extend a bit further out. I've used small pouches that velcro to the handlebars that don't hold as much but are lighter.

For the purposes of nomenclature, I'd distinguish the idea of a 'front bag' into four categories

* handlebar bag - bigger than 5 cubic liters, usually has separate hardware that clamps to your handlebars. Large enough to have a map/direction case on top. May have multiple pockets. May include attachments for a shoulder strap and some kind of quick release to take your bag with you. Should be able to hold a six pack of beer if cans.

* bartop bag - smaller, maybe 5 cubic liters or less. Usually attaches to handlebars via velcro. May only have one or two pockets. Easy to remove by undoing velcro, and may fit in a pocket or other bag for off-bike use. Should be able to hold one or two bottles of beer.

* randonneur bag - designed to sit on a front rack. Has no attachment hardware of its own. Otherwise similar to handlebar bag as far having a map case on top and multiple pockets. Should be able to hold a six pack of beer in bottles or cans.

* porteur bag - super large, designed to sit on a very wide porteur rack. Basically has the capacity of a large backpack, but it sits in front of you. Should hold a case of beer.

Here are reasons why it's been useful to use a front bag for long rides

* To carry beer

* To have a map or set of directions in front of you (yes, you can just have a ziploc bag with the cue sheet or map in your back pocket but it's very easy for that map or cue sheet to disintegrate or get ruined with repeated taking it and out, with rain, with sweat, and with leftover packets of energy gel leaking goo all over them.

* To carry food that you can eat without stopping and without having to root around in jersey pockets, or other food items that may not fit in a pocket. Like, a roast chicken.

* To carry extra clothing that may not fit in a jersey pocket that may already be crammed with food

* To carry headlamps that you may want to wear at night and take off after sunrise

With the exception of carrying a map/navigation all of these support tasks can be accomplished by using a trunk bag or tranverse saddlebag, but you will have to stop and dismount from the bike to access this support. The benefit of a front bag is being able to pull on and put away clothing, or access food without slowing down or stopping; which can be very convenient on timed events. Navigation can certainly be handled by GPS, but GPS batteries can deplete or otherwise malfunction, and it's usually good to have some kind of analog backup just in case.

The heavier the bag and the higher it sits on your bike, the more it will affect handling. This is worth contemplating because the harder it is for you to take your hands off the handlebars, the less likely you will actually use your bag. To do things like take off a rain jacket or eat a bone-in chicken breast properly, it's best to be able to ride hands free. Randonneur bags and porteur bags will give you better handling because sitting on a rack will give them a lower center of gravity. I find it next to impossible to ride hands-free with a handlebar bag, it is barely possible to do so with a bartop bag, and nearly trivial with a randonneur bag.

The thing you have to consider though is that you may not have a choice to use a randonneur bag because in order to do so, you may need a bike that has front brazeons and could actually support such a rack. You could use a smaller rack that can be P-Clamped to the fork or mount to canti-brake bosses, like the V-O Pass Hunter, but I've found that these smaller racks aren't quite as good for supporting a useful amount of weight, especially if the racks are also expected to support a generator headlight, as many of them do since their position (just above and forward of the wheel) makes them a great platform for lighting units.

bikemig 

@unterhausen: Why not? And why is a rack mounted bag ideal? They certainly tend to be more expensive than a handlebar mounted bag.

bikemig 

@spokenword: this is very useful; thank you. I'm actually leaning towards a really small front handlebar as to minimize the negative impact on handling. I just want something for food, a map, and a camera.

curly666

No, the minora mount attaches underneath the stem and hangs down. The lights are attached to the minora mount.

StephenH

I don't use a handlebar bag, but will point out that my lights are skewer-mounted, which means they wouldn't interfere with one.

thebulls

I've used three types of handlebar bag for randonneuring. Back when I used aerobars, I fashioned myself a little ditty bag to hang between the aerobars that was big enough to hold camera, food, and bits of occasional clothing like arm warmers. It worked fine.

When I went to PBP, I had to take the aerobars off, so I used a Lone Peak H-100, which attaches to the handlebars with a KlickFix clamp, much like the Ortlieb's. It's a very useful handlebar bag, and nowadays I use it on my daily commute to work and back. But it does affect the handling a little, so in 2011 for the next trip to PBP, I got a front rack and a Gilles Berthoud bag (and a low-trail fork designed to handle properly with the extra weight up front). That works brilliantly for randonneuring.

Nick

Machka 

I rarely ride without a handlebar bag. My favourites were the MEC bags, but unfortunately MEC no longer makes those bags.

curly666

I don't use it too much either on my all around bike as I have a trunk bag to carry stuff in, been using my road bike the last few weeks and use the bag on that to carry a wind breaker on early morning rides, as it gets warmer and don't need to wear it any more I just stuff it in the handlebar bag. Don't worry too much about lights on the road bike as I don't usually ride it at night. Looks like I have the same trunk bag as you, bike is pretty much set up same as yours.

Machka 

MEC handlebar bag ... not taken on a randonnee, but with a century/randonnee setup ...




Topeak handlebar bag ... also not taken on a randonnee, but with a century/randonnee setup ...




Little Topeak handlebar bag on our tandem ... Rowan can tell you more about this one ...




And the same little one on Rowan's Merlin ...

Rowan

Yes, sadly it looks like Topeak don't make the foam-formed, small Dynapack handlebar bag that's on the tandem and the CF bike in the last picture (and yes, with CF handlebars).

But it would fit nicely the OP's needs. It takes several energy bars, tyre repair kit and other tools, a cell phone if needed, and a few other bibs and bobs. It does need a cover to maintain its waterproofness, and that is/was provided. I've matched this bar bag with the much larger rear Dynapack bag that attaches to the seatpost (it's actually on the Merlin in the last picture, but there is a big fat hand obscuring it).

Personally, I think the Dynapack one of the better handlebar bags that Topeak has made, simply because it keeps its shape, and doesn't sag with the backing plastic that the clamp is mounted to. This has been such an issue with all the "normal" Topeak bags that I have used -- especially in hot weather -- I have reinforced the backing with aluminium strip.

The best sort of bags to combat this sag are those with a perimeter frame that extends forward of the bar clamp, and from which the bag is basically suspended. Hence the MEC bag Machka mentions on her bike.

We recently each bought Ortleib bar bags to go on our new Bike Fridays. There are some issues with the mounting mechanisms, but the bags seem to be OK, and already have ticked the box related to the top frame/hanging bag configuration.

rando_couche

At $200+, I wouldn't call a Berthoud bar bag (how's that for alliteration?) "humble", but I love mine.


(No that's not my bike or bag. My bag has far more "character" than that from all the love I've given it and my bike probably cost less than that paint job. My frame definitely cost less than my bar bag.)

I use mine for rando, commuting and everyday riding and it works so well for me that I'm sorely tempted to get rid of every other bike bag I own but I'm too much of a packrat for that.

SP
OC, OR

mander

For holding a cuesheet where you can see it, a handlebar bag is not necessary. Some randonneurs around here zip tie an alligator clip or clothespin to their stem, then use it to hold a cuesheet folded up neatly in a ziplock. In a pinch I have attached a ziplock to my bars with electrical tape... this was surprisingly functional.

More on topic, i use a very expensive Acorn bag on a sublimely cheap nashbar front rack. It's great. For fair weather rides below 400 km it is too much storage, which makes packing really easy since you can just throw in everything without thinking about it too much. Access while rolling is really nice too and really helps you keep your physical and psychological momentum.

antimonysarah

I have one made by @Coluber42 (aka Dill Pickle Gear)



No hardware needed, but does require drop bars. Very little handling effect if it's only got light stuff in it. Clears my fork-mount light just fine (the light is on the bike in those pictures, but mostly hidden by the drops), doesn't get in the way of my overly-fredly handlebars (gps, wired cyclocomp, interrupter levers), has a map pocket (which I do use, even when I have the GPS with me).

icepick_trotsky 

I use a light mounted to the front of the rack with this bracket so it doesn't interfere with the bag or other cargo.