Speaking of finicky designs I wouldn't want to have to mass-produce, here's mine, made to fit a '50s French bike:



Because it attaches to both the front and the back end of the bar-clamp bolt, it's triangulated = very stiff and strong.

The part that bolts to the bag is from a Berthoud decaleur. But I didn't like that way they used a solid-steel pin, the full length of the bag, to join it to the stem-side piece. (solid steel = heavy!)
So I drilled it out to fit a 3/16" thinwall stainless steel tube to replace the solid pin. It fits more snugly than the Berthoud pin too, reducing the slop. Berthouds flop around a little and even rattle on washboard; mine has no noticeable slop while riding. On mine, the SS tube has a springy flare at the end that snaps into place, no other retention needed. The Berthoud needs a spit-ring or safety-pin, which you have to remove and then keep track of (not lose) while the bag is off.


This all started because someone gave me a Berthoud decaleur for free. Fixing the things I didn't like about it ended up being more work than just making my own decaleur frm scratch. The only Berthoud parts left are the two tubes that bolt to the back of the bag. But now that it's done, I do like it.

Next I'd like to make a Routens-style, like the one Jamie Swan made for himself. Simpler and easier to make, but also pretty excellent in use.

Mark B