Which handlebar bag
 

Looking for a good sized handlebar bag. The ones I've liked (from pictures) so far are
Ironweed Orpington
Ozette Rando
Thule Handlebar Bag

Love the no-frills looks of the Thule, but it will be too small to hold emergency tools/kit and extra layers in winter. Anything with a roll-top would be awesome, to compress the contents and keep them from moving around. Adjustable strap of the Orpington should work too for compression, so that's my current favourite at the moment, but then again it doesn't seem to be fully waterproof, and needs drybag inside.

PS: The Blackburn handlebar bag might be in as well, but I'm not keen on proprietary mounting systems and will use a front rack.

PPS: Is the Ostrich F-702 the bag I'm looking for?

supply links to all your favorites?



Ortlieb is recognized around the world and bought by many touring cyclists..

Randonneur setups are usually supported by a rack over the front wheel, that the style you want?

velo orange is into that as are the readers of VBQ.. French Berthoud bags and the whole setup.(or replicas)




'/,

First bag was a rolltop. Never again. PITA to access things on the move and secure the bag again. Now have an Ortlieb. Totally waterproof and can access camera on the move and replace it while riding along and secure the bag again.

I have a bag from Swift, would not hesitate to recommend them after my simple experience and the quality of the received product. Expensive, though. You kinda need to be on board for the "made in USA" thing to justify the price.

My current favorite handlebar bag is a wald basket and rack. The Soma Lucas Mini Front Rack is super. I am considering putting a steel fork on my new bike just to go back to the basket/rack combo.

I have a med rando bag from Acorn, nice bag and well built, sits on a rack without a decaleur
https://www.acornbags.com/products/m...nt=22207336196
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/07...g?v=1476208430

I am highly biased because I just bought myself a Swift Ozette but I would go for a Swift Ozette. They are currently getting mine together but from all reports it is a really awesome bag and with that nifty Ortlieb/Thomson decaluer set up that they had on the Radavist you would be hard pressed to do much better. Plus handmade in 'Merica ain't too shabs.

I am not really a huge fan of the Thule stuff and the Ironweed while not bad, just doesn't seem as nice and roomy and pocketed as the Ozette and also seems like it might be a bit heavier which is unneeded.

Thanks all. For a while I was more and more confused, so many good suggestions. But it seems we have a winner: the narrow Ostrich F-530, because I prefer my drop bars 40cm, even for CX/Gravel.

Rivbike/Sackville and Frostriver also looking to make awesome stuff. Maybe something like that for trunk bag.

There has been a long standing argument between Rivendell and FrostRiver about those bags.......Frost River is said to have "borrowed" the design.

Personally I'm not a fan of the Rivbike bags and I prefer Carradice. Also the Randonneur type front bags tend to be heavy and require racks or decaleurs. I prefer the Ortlieb front bags used with a Rixen and Kaul clamping bracket

wiggle.com | Rixen Kaul KLICKfix Handlebar Bracket | Handlebar Bags

Just a thought: why not go without the handlebar bag--and, while you are at it, go only with the rear panniers. Less money, fewer bags, and, based on own experience, works quite well. Believe me, you won't miss them. For more info see mindbiking.com

+1 - Run with only two rear panniers myself. Thanks for the website link. It's great. How did you make your maps? I've done five long distance tours and a lot of shorter tours. Only recently started using TravellersPoint to map my Portland2Portland route this summer. Would like to go back and map my other 4 routes. Will be leaving for my 6th long distance tour in February.

Why so many flats in 2015? You suffered 6 in 7,926 miles but only 2 in your previous 3 trips, totaling 9,571 miles. It's good to see such a low statistic though. I've had 1 flat in my five long distance tours. A total distance of ~13,000 miles. That flat was caused after accidentally slamming my rear tire off a curb when a bike path suddenly ended without warning.

Going to go read your website some more.

Edit: The answer to my "why so many flats" question was in your Q&A.

I am quite set on the front rack + handlebar bag approach. Today I discovered the Ostrich F-106 was not the same as the humongous F-702, both with nice compression straps, as well as the super spiffy Zugster bags, and the intriguing but quite dear Docena, which seems to be a great blend of modern material and retro aesthetic. Docena Demi-Porteur Bag Presale | Ocean Air Cycles . But yeah, the price.

I went to your web site and readily acknowledge that you have probably forgotten more than I will ever know, but indulge me to disagree about your suggestion to go without the HB bag because I find it very handy not requiring me to get off the bike to retrieve small items. :thumb:

The advantage of a front bag is that you can keep all your valuables (like wallet and sunglasses) in it and easily take it with you when ever you leave the bike. I also keep my toilet bag and towel in the front bag and it goes with me to the showers when I'm in a campground. A front bag is also invaluable as a place to store drinks, food, maps and phone for easy access while riding. I also use rear jersey pockets to hold snacks, but the front bag is useful for bulkier items.

Nothing wrong with a h-bar bag. I'll mention this as an alernative. It is very handy and I liked them so much that when they came out with the newer, larger version, I bought two and gave my older one to my wife. They are not 100% waterproof. They are large enough to hold a 32 Oz. Nalgene or 32 Oz. Growler.

https://www.revelatedesigns.com/inde...ountainFeedbag

I put my wallet, phone, keys, etc. on the right side. The left I use for whatever...maybe a layer of clothing.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/234/31...38b53477_c.jpg

Arkel--large

alpkit have nice barbags .

They stay over there , in the EU area, No shipments over here.. They sewn together?

i'll try and get the link for u.
https://www.alpkit.com/products/drop-bear

Yup England..

made to fit a particular MTB BAR

https://www.alpkit.com/images/made/i...0_1606auto.jpg

i think you can use it with drops.
what i like about it it's pretty neat secures with straps so need for bracket on the bars much better me thinks.

But then you cannot grip the top of the bar behind where the Bag is..

In the past I took a used Strap on bag, Some what similar , added a stiffener panel some long bolts and spacers ..

and used a Handlebar mounted bottle cage adapter to put the bag on the bars with room behind it..

Safety pinned a Ball compass on the front of the bag..

The 'Valuables " were in a Money Belt Under my clothing..

Draping the largish OS paper map in a water resistant cover worked in the rain.





...

I've had a number of front bags including Rivendell and Acorn. I've also tried out Arkel and Ostrich. All those bags have issues for me. The Arkel and the randonneur bags were heavy, the other bags looked nice but the closures, mounting and arrangement of pockets were annoying. I decided I wanted a light bag, about a 6 liter capacity with one large compartment, a carrying strap and an easy mounting system. The Ortlieb Classic is pretty close to ideal for me. I can carry fairly bulky items in it and it is light and tough and the Klick-Fix mount is so easy to undo that I automatically take the bag with me whenever I leave the bike....even for a few seconds. I carry stuff in it that I cannot afford to lose of have stolen

Gloves
Balaclava
Umbrella
Rain jacket
Cable lock
Wallet
Sunglasses
iPhone
Charger, cables and backup battery
Headlamp
Leatherman Juice
Maps
First aid kit
Wash kit
Food in a large Ziploc bag (3 Gallon size)
A couple of sodas

all your 'eggs in one basket' means if your HB bag is Nicked they get several hundred $ of your electronic things at once..

The handlebar bag never leaves my side, I take it everywhere with me......so I'm never worried about locking my bike up and leaving it with my saddlebag because I have everything I need to get out of trouble. The bag goes with me (and into) campground showers, restaurants, shops, up mountains etc.