non-traditional bags i've found invaluable on long group rides as feed bags and food haulers -
1) cheap musette bag.
2)climbers chalkbag strapped to back of saddle.
Musettes are invaluable as a feedbag. I like using mine on hot days to pick up cans of ice cold coke at a convenience store (that i keep hidden from the other riders), then hand out once we get rolling again.
Another bag i've used for years strapped to the saddle loops on most of my rides as a gu pack, coke, coffee or banana holder, is a climbers chalk bag.
It's a goofy look, people make fun of it, but it holds bananas and gu packs and food and drinks like a snacktray. It works particularly well as a trash can for empty gu packs and wrappers - what does everyone else do with them anyway?
I figured out to strap a climbers bag to the saddle as a feed bag and trash can.
Revelate Designs makes a similarly styled bag called 'the feed bag'.
I think there's some bananas in this photo
,still in great shape after about 200k of mostly mountainous gravel. (Sun tea brewing in bottlle under downtube)
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Originally Posted by
unterhausen
I think that for Texas weather, the largest Ortlieb seat bag would work pretty well. I would put a strap around it, the mounting isn't the best. I really like the bag though.
Had the large ortlieb saddlebag for a while when i worked at Gregg's. Loved the bag, hated the attachment. Returned the bag.
I received a Revelate seatbag over the winter.
(NOT a brevet bike
)
The large size is huge, the attachments solid straps and neoprene reinforced nylon. We'll see how it holds up, but a much nicer underseat rolltop saddlebag compared to the Ortlieb one. The small Revelate saddlebag is probably also plenty big enough.
The Revelate saddlebag is almost too huge for a couple hundred miles on a bike; but its going to give me some extra space if needed. A rider could pick up a six-pack AND a rotisserie chicken with one of these, and still have room for the raincoat and whatever else that needs packing.
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No one has yet mentioned the SQR system from Carradice?
Used to see those hanging up all the time at Davidson cycles in Seattle, but the design seemed over-engineered yet a little fragile.
This spring i sold the Carradice i've used for a few years, didn't like having to throw my leg over it, and the 'rack' -bagman- was always bouncing loose on gravel and rough roads. I'd be out riding in the middle of the Marin highlands of GGNRA and one of the rackrails would work its way loose from the seatclamp. The new 'bagman' design is a mini rack, and a kludge to attach the seat and frame in that manner IMO.
Loved the look, but good riddance.