I wasn't trying to keep secrets, but merely:

1. Too lazy to try to explain.
2. Unsure which one will work out best.

That said OK, here are two that might work and I might be able to explain quickly:

1. A buckle that has 4 slots that are open on the end so that it can be slipped over the strap. Combine that with a Velcro strap or just use the buckle. The open ends of the slots could have bumps to keep it from slipping off.
2. A piece of aluminum (or some other material) a bit longer than the width of the strap and a bit wider than the seat post with a hole in each of the 4 corners. Slip it behind the strap and the base of the bag and then lace the 4 holes with a piece of cord tying it against the seat post.

Hopefully that is clear enough. If not I will post pictures after tinkering.

Short piece of PVC pipe slit in half. Longer than the bag end. Diameter just larger than the seat post. Slip in the bag. Snug up to seat post with some straps, Velcro, etc.

Sounds good to me.

Drill lots of holes in it to make it ultra...

;)

Or get a carbon bike tube scrap.

Doh....what an idiot I am.....just rotate the bag 90 degs from the orientation in my picture so that the fabric band on the bas of the bag is parallel with the seat post. Then secure with a can strap or velcro threaded through the band and around the seat post

through one of the earlier links to (I believe) the lightweight panniers, I came upon this link to a trip video made by some guys who biked in Alaska, on Pugsleys, along with inflateable rafts that they plopped their bikes onto to cross areas they couldnt bike along the shore.

pretty darn hardcore, neat to watch though, so in case you didnt see it:

http://vimeo.com/25943565

mike curiak puts up some pretty amazing stuff.

check out his videos of self supported to nome on the iditarod.
all food and supplies he carried with him.
no shelter, support, air drops, etc.

awesome stuff.

I like what Nun is doing with the compression sack threaded thru the saddle loops. I've used smaller compression bags threaded directly to a rear rack on some UL trips, and they worked well. I didn't bother to take them off the rack, just left them on the bike like mini panniers, and loaded and compressed with the bags still on the bike.


http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=279145

this isn't a closeup and i apologize, but the compression bags are red, small, and one on either side of the rear rack. I got them at a MSR wharehouse sale for a dollar apiece, and they are very stout nylon.


for anyone crazy enough to give UL packing methods a try, the method of threading a compression sack to a seatpost and seat looks very viable, and similar to what I was envisioning as an easy modification that could be made to a compression sack.

EDIT: whoops, got a framebag now to go with my gastank and home-sourced feedbag, and should have a seatbag en route shortly. will construct a front bag, and give er' a go.

Scroll to the bottom for a nice choice of 1936 frame panniers......and there is a nice mention of the RSF (Rough Stuff Fellowship) http://www.rsf.org.uk/ half way down too.

http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk...omponents.html

and here is the nylon Overlander saddlebag from back in the day

http://home.comcast.net/~vermontride...page/Commuter/

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VINTAGE-CA...vip=true&rt=nc


and this is interesting for saddlebag fans

http://oceanaircycles.com/2011/05/19/saddle-bag-no-001/

Allright, this thread has been revolutionary for me. I have all the major elements en route to assemble a monstercross touring bike with rackless ultralite system as the winter's project.

A proletariat rigid 29er cross bike platform. Couldn't find the ideal frame off the peg for my desires in this bike category, so ordered a most affordable compromise frameset to see how it all works out on a monstercross platform.

I haven't had a chance to read through the entire thread but I've read the first first pages. Good stuff. I'll browse through the rest when I have time.

I just got back from a 500 mile trip and thought I'd share my setup. Last year I did a similar trip on a 28lbs Salsa Fargo towing a Bob Trailer and about 35lbs of gear. I ended the trip with pretty serious knee problems (quadricep tendonitis) and was a bit surprised to see how much slower my avg. speed was while touring compared to unloaded riding. I wanted something faster and lighter for my next trip.

My new setup is a 16lbs BH RX1 with my first set of homebuilt wheels that weigh in under 1550 grams but were still strong enough to handle my weight (150lbs) plus my load. My softbag setup (full DIY except for the tail bag) weighs in under 2 lbs, not including my backpack (wingnut hyper 3) which i use to carry fluffy lightweight stuff (down jacket, rain jacket, ~20-30oz of water).

Needless to say the difference was DRAMATIC. BH+softbags=18lbs Fargo+trailer/drybag=43lbs. So not even accounting for gear weight I was already saving 25lbs. I made a number of changes to my kit and dropped another 15lbs+ there. I also left the clipless pedals/SIDIs at home and tried this ride on flat pedals (which I loved) and had NO knee problems or achilles issues all.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-s...2/IMG_0192.JPG
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-4...0/IMG_0058.JPG

awesome set up! thats it. nailed.

Nice.
I think I've seen that frame bag before, but would love to see how you decided to build your bags - attachment points, etc.

Thanks! I'm pretty happy with it :thumb:

Ya, I posted a photo on MTBR or bikepacking.net after I made it. You probably saw it there.

The frame bag is bolted to the frame via the water bottle bolts. There are 2 pieces of 2.25" wide corrugated plastic housed in sleeves that give the bag it's shape, rigidity and security when bolted on. The top has paracord loops which are laced together with shockcord. The shockcord stretches to allow for dimension distortion of the bag without stressing any seams. I'm going to be remaking this bag though. I'm going to do a 2.5" to 3.5" tapered front end and use 3/4" nylon webbing loops in place of the paracord and have those loops only be exposed maybe 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch. I think it'll look cleaner that way and really accentuate the lacing of the shockcord.

The front bag houses my quilt, sleeping pad, hammock/suspension and is just a basic roll top compression bag. The bag slung over it is a crescent shape with an open side pocket, zippered top and gear loops sewn across the front.

More photos of the framebag: https://picasaweb.google.com/1095452...OHjp_rmpJavygE

Some close up of the front bag on my old Chili Con Crosso:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Q...0/IMG_3518.JPG
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-L...0/IMG_3517.JPG

Nice setup sergeant. I can hardly sew stuffsacks straight. great homemade bags.

And avenue of the giants is great, the approach from the south coast a bit hilly.

I have one of the smallest Hennessy Hammocks, and i find it unacceptably bulky and heavy to carry on a UL trip.


this isn't a criticism of anyone in particular, just notions i've got about what constitutes UL touring today.

I think i should lower my the standards i set for myself, get some bigger bags, and become comfortable pushing my notions of UL into welterweight category. i could leave the nylon whisps for clothing behind and pack substantial clothes, bring a tent and feel good that i'm still UL!

like asana has been alluding to, and correct me if i'm wrong, but UL is more mindset than gear choice.

'ultralight is dead'
http://bedrockandparadox.com/2012/10/18/ulisdead/

and to quote a comment on that post:
"simplicity, skills, knowledge, minimalism, etc, will live on."

thats sort of where i'm coming from. route, weather, terrain, re-suuply, and experience goal of the trip - all figure into the mix of what works.

coast biking in alaska? extra gear and weight not appropriate or even needed on the journey becomes a hinderance when bushwacking and loading and unloading boats. see Mike Curiaks notes on how he got burned not listening to the guys about bringing a really big pack to jam almost everything into, and for running brakes, when they wouldn't be needed...

road tour in the lower 48 where supplies and shelter (if needed) can often be found within 100 miles max, perhaps even every 20-30 miles at most?
very different set of choices to balance.

on road / off road? likely leave the carbon bike at home, and ride something that will handle the anticipated terrain.

all good.
curious to see what mr. bek comes up with.

Don't worry. since i've been sleeping under tarps since the early 1980's, i've already 'come up with it'. I will admit i have been circumspect about rackless touring- despite having broken a single-stay rack while mountain bike touring in the early days of mountain bikies (Not sure who else posting here was mountain bike touring in the 1980's.) Tubus racks have never given me a problem off road.

I also don't evangelize about making a leap to wearing socks on your hands in lieu of warm gloves as an aspirational position to seek out while bike touring.

ha, i was taking my sears banana seat bike off 'sweet jumps' in the 80s.
didn't discover long rides until high school. starting in like 90,91,92.

so that means you are 'old skool'?
;)

I agree. UL and lightweight gear has seeped into backpacking culture and manufacturing so that most backpackers are carrying lighter loads. They won't be one of the UL geeks sleeping on bubblewrap, but the ethos of UL will inform some of their gear choices while not dictating it. Unfortunately this is not yet the case for bicycle tourists who generally still just carry too much stuff. Heck, it's almost a badge of honour to ride with a heavy load....I think this comes out of some disdain for the weight weenies on the carbon road bikes.

We touched on this topic earlier in the thread by discussing that many bicycle tourists could easily drop 20lbs in gear weight by a few very simple changes to their gear, baggage and even bike. It's easy to pack a spare of something that isn't vital or take a big set of pots and pans because you have those 4 panniers, a handlebag bag and a duffle on the back rack to fill. A bike lets you carry that big SLR camera, a dutch oven and a guitar, but should you? IMHO the "loaded touring" 5 or 6 bag set up is not only heavy itself, but also encourages over packing which makes touring more painful than it needs to be. The bikepacking approach is certainly good for off roading, but I think it gets a bit "bag happy" at times and the cost is too high for all but the serious off roaders. For road touring I feel that a simple 2 small pannier and handlebar bag setup would be good for most tourists. There's no need to go rackless or buy new or particularly expensive bags, just use the front panniers on the back and don't be tempted to strap stuff to the top of the rack.

And it's a good point to bring up again. Thanks.

I agree, except maybe leaving them in front may actually work better.

I'm not sure weight distribution is such as big issue for lightweight touring. I've never liked having weight on the front wheel as I feel it makes turning sluggish, I don't like having to manhandle the front wheel around corners.

"...We touched on this topic earlier in the thread by discussing that many bicycle tourists could easily drop 20lbs in gear weight by a few very simple changes to their gear, baggage and even bike...I feel that a simple 2 small pannier and handlebar bag setup would be good for most tourists. There's no need to go rackless or buy new or particularly expensive bags, just use the front panniers on the back and don't be tempted to strap stuff to the top of the rack.."

I agree. I have tried to do this with my current set up but my Carradice front panniers are actually slightly too short for my tent :(

in my typical experience(s) I have maybe 3lbs in a handlebar bag.

My current mountain bike :eek:

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=280376

slack angles so it handles like a schoolbus.

I see a retro tour on this next spring, going rackless and retracing some of my early off-road sagas. In the 80's i toured on a nearly identical bike with two rear panniers and a backpack. (imagine that!)

I've also got a cheap monster cross frame en route to build up a bastard drop bar 29er - where i'm at now is excessively sandy, and 700x3_ touring tires just don't cut it in the dirt around here.