cbaggaley@btinternet.com
The Jury is still out on the Topeak TriBag (small bag behind quill-stem)
I too have recently put one of these on my bike to give instant access to maltloaf,mars bars,cake etc but am not sure it will be a permenant feature.
Interestingly I am considering adding a Barley to the tourer because I find I am putting more & more into the bar bag & increasing the weight to a degree that is noticeable on the steering.
The Barley is just about perfect for any day ride or possibly longer, fair-weather, credit card touring. A couple of toe-clip straps through the external D-rings, for wet-gear, make it even more practical.
The buckles are a faff sometimes but worth it for the looks imo.
The idea behind the Rack Pack is that you open the lid with a zip and everything is there. On the Midhurst 600 I eventually lost the necessary will to unpack/pack the Barley carefully enough.
Note. I can't help thinking that the Tortec rack sits unneccessarily high. It's a 700c bike so why the need for such a gap between top of mudguard and bottom of rack I don't know.