At Christmas I carried a couple of rolls of wrapping paper strapped either side of the top tube at the front but up onto the rack at the rear. I bought a few Hawthorn whips the other week and could have tied them to the top tube at the front and rack at rear if I hadn't wanted to avoid shredded thighs. They went with the roots on the rack and a red plastic bag loosely tied over the other end.

I must admit a conventional top tube would provide more places to tie things to, but I can secure at the front and not run the object down with tube, by securing at seatpos and rack.

Richard