Handlebar bag recommendations?
 

Trying to find a medium-ish size handlebar bag with a pocket on top for a large smartphone (i.e. Galaxy S3). The sort of pocket that's clear and you can still see and use the phone. Prefer rain-proof.

I can find cell phone cases with a very small storage space under it but handlebar bags with a smartphone pocket on top seem to be rare or nonexistant. Maybe I'm just looking in the wrong places.

Thanks!

This would actually be perfect if not for the outrageous price tag.

I have one of these.
http://www.banjobrothers.com/product...handlebar-bag/

It has a clear map pouch that is velcroed to the lid of the bag. I have used the map pouch to put my phone in while touring. The map pouch does not seal closed, so its waterproofness is limited to keeping water from getting into the open end. Though I have ridden through some all day downpours and water did not seem to get in the map pouch. The bag itself is completely waterproof from my experience.

I would recommend that you carry as little as possible on the handlebars (see one of my recent posts on an accident which recently happened to a friend, and another which happened to me about 25 years ago where the bar-bag fell into my front wheel!)

It has been my (and many of my friends') experience that putting weight on the handlebars can seriously upset the balance and stability of the bike!

- Wil

How about one of these? http://www.ortliebusa.com/prod-90.htm
its a smaller, instead of, handle bar bag.

there is this one , but without the attachment to the handlebars..
http://www.ortliebusa.com/prod-235.htm


this is a bigger add on to snap onto their regular line of handlebar bags.
http://www.ortliebusa.com/prod-129.htm
http://www.ortliebusa.com/prod-151.htm

Actually weight over the front wheel is much more stable then weight over the rear. Having your bar bag drop into your front wheel is bad product design this should not happen.

Please clarify, as I beg to disagree, actually! Weight low on the front end might be more stable, but more stable than what? A weight at the top of, and at the end of a steering-arm?? Surely not? Have you ever tried to ride rollers or "no-hands" on a bike with a loaded bar-bag? I'd be interested to watch (I'd even be tempted to sell tickets if you replied "yes!")

- Wil

Make your own...


http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7184/6...445bb07e36.jpg

Thanks for all the suggestions! That banjo brothers one is the closest to matching what I had in my head. It's a bit out of my price range (at least the MSRP is). Ortlieb has some pretty close stuff but again quite pricey.

As for the weight, it's just going to have cell phone, extra battery pack (4 AA's), airzound bottle, and pepper spray. The clothes and lunch I carry for work go in the trunk bag. All the stuff I listed is already on my handlebars area with a clusterfudge of pvc and devices. Not quite as impressive as K'Tesh's though.

I'm not crafty enough to make my own bag but I think I'm heading toward buying one and then modifying it to suit my needs.

I've never tried to ride rollers with a loaded handlebar bag, but given how bad I am at riding them under ordinary circumstances, I can predict the result.

The effect that a load will have on the steering of a bike depends so much on the geometry that it's really impossible to make blatant generalizations. I've had bikes that twitch like mad unloaded that start behaving themselves with a light load, and I've had bikes that go to pieces with just a bit of weight.

I'm sure you're correct, but I hasten to add that I'm basing my observations on not only my own experiences, but that of friends and associates who've found exactly the same thing!

- Wil

Hubcap, I found that banjo brothers bag at better prices and really like it. Is the height adjustable? I'm concerned about it blocking my headlight. The pic on the site has it sitting really high.

Gatorfreak...

That was just the light (lite?) version...

Here's a later pic...

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7107/7...9783e0268a.jpg

Dude, as a randonneur I've spent long stretches of riding no-hands with a 12L front mounted Berthoud GB-28 bag. It's not way up on the bars; it sits on a platform rack just above the front fender, so the top is as level with the bars as you can get it. It attaches at the rack with a strap along the lower rear, and at the top with a mount that sticks out from the stem (called a decaleur). I'd keep food, sunscreen, a camera, my phone, my mp3 player, cue sheet, brevet card, endurolytes, NUUN, all sorts of crap in there; and I'd roll my way down the road with the bag open and holding a bottle of soda while I sat up and ate a sandwich.
If your bike is set up properly for it, a front bag helps the bike track stably.
OTOH, if the geometry is wrong, the front end is gonna flop like a fish on a dock if you put a pack of cheese 'n' crackers up front.

It attaches to the bars in a manner that looks very similar to the bag in the Amazon link you posted.

Look at the pic in this link. It's like that. In fact it looks like it could be the exact same mount.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/ima...-2147483553-20

It is not really height adjustable and so it may interfere with your lights if you have them set up on your bars. When I have used the bag when touring, I mounted my lights to my fork with some homemade mounts like Paul's Ginos.

I lower My handlebar bag By stacking threadless stems , lower one fits the bar bag Mount.

[but mine is still above the fork crown mounted Dynamo powered headlight.. ]

We bought a Topeak Tourguide Handle Bar Bag for the tandem. Easy to remove and put on, but comes up higher than the handlebars. Luckily I figured a way to mount my headlight below instead of above the bag.

I ride without hands quite often with a loaded front bag.

I have an Arkel bar bag. Only reason I bought that over the Topeak was for the metal mounting system Topeak bags are excellent and the largest is still under $100 in Canada. Guess you could stick a phone in the map case - my preference was to mount it separately on the stem. Thats a recent installation and previously the phone just lived in a pocket on the barbag.

I really like handlebar bags for carrying things, especially when you may want to access them while riding. How much you can carry up front will depend on the bike's geometry.

I concure. I tried a couple cheaper bags with quick fix style mounts and was very disappointed in how bad they bounced. I did manage to stiffen up a cheap Louis Garneau bag with some aluminum but by far I like my velo orange campagne bag the best. I have a racaleur I use on my vintage bikes with traditional stems with the same bag.
http://www.bikeforums.net/attachment...3&d=1304863157

I also have a bag I picked up I really like with the wire frame support and bungy and its r ock steady.
http://www.bikeforums.net/attachment...7&d=1302662672
It has a removable map pouch. I did stick my phones in them at one point but in the case of the iPhone I was unable to control it. I have a otter box defender for my 5 that has a very robust belt clip that I Velcro to the stem or bars. I am able to veiw and operate it that way.

Do all the lights work? How much Duracell stock do you own?

Most do, several have replacement battery packs (using standard batteries rather than the original (and now inoperable) rechargeables). I think only two on those bars didn't have batteries when I photographed it. Now one of my miNewt's battery has died. I'm thinking it's getting close to the time I pick up a NR Lumina 650.

As to Duracell?... Lemme Say this: Thank Goodness for DollarTree.

Ha! And I've had people complain about my single Magic Shine knockoff.

Thought I'd update this thread since I think I found the perfect thing for me. I've ordered this from amazon. It's supposed to be a top tube bag but I'll probably mount it in front of my handlebars somehow.