Originally Posted by
gugie
I've got plenty of tubing stock for rack making, so we used a stick of thinwall 1/4" stainless steel tubing.
I still want to try this, long-term. But I found a way out, for my use. Saw a Cannondale bag on eBay, with a "stem hanger" bar that holds the bag away from the bar but no real underneath support, for $60. I offered $30 and he keeps the bag, I just wanted the support; the seller accepted. For the shorter day trips I take, a smaller bag will be just fine, I am contemplating a small one from Velo Orange. The stem hanger has forward-projecting arms, I could rig a strap underneath if I needed support. What I really like compared to other bag supports is no hardware bolted to the bike so I can move the bag from bike to bike quickly.
Over 50 years cycling, I have never had a handlebar bag. Even my one week-long cycle camping trip in 1974, everything went into rear panniers -- climb into the foothills of the Appalachians, all weight on the back made for interesting handling of the bike.
That said, the support is a single length of rod/tubing, so I need to come up with something like a think rubber cylinder to get from rod diameter to handlebar diameter to attach the bag. I'll keep thinking...