Yet Another Cycling Forum
General Category => Audax => Topic started by: Bunker22 on 11 January, 2017, 08:54:45 pm
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What do you think I will get the most benefit from?. Bar bag gives me a nice space to put all my 'faff' bits and valuables and pocket food, coupled with a smaller rack bag. Tribars give me another hand position, allow pressure off back etc but will require a larger saddlebag for bits and pieces.
What are other peoples preferences and thoughts?
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I'm not sure i'd want either.
How about a dry bag strapped underneath tribars so you get the benefit of both?
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tribars are good for the flat bit in Lincolnshire + they give you an extra hand position
A barbag gives moving access to a ton of crap like food items, mobile phones etc etc
I quite like the barbag but some people say they affect the steering
I have also previously used tribars
For me, it comes down to this: I've been using a barbag on my best bikes for the last couple of years. To get my body in the mood for tribars before LEL would require effort. And ICBA
I am not going for a speed record and the tiny speed advantage tribars give me is not of interest. In fact, in practice, given the ace faffer i am, having a load of stuff I can get without stopping may lead to a faster time with a barbag
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I'm not sure i'd want either.
How about a dry bag strapped underneath tribars so you get the benefit of both?
not the same, doesn't give the level of access to stuff that a barbag does
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-- To get most benefit from aerobars does require a period of adaptation - but it's not hundreds of hours. You're not aiming to ride for 3h straight, like you might on a time-trial.
-- "reduced faffing time" will depend a bit on how much stuff you access on the move. For me it's only food (to access a phone or camera or clothing, I have to stop anyway, so not much extra time to reach round to a rear bag). Admittedly I can't get much food in my top-tube bag, so a barbag would be nice - but it doesnt feel like a hyuuuge benefit.
Swings and roundabouts!
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Going back a couple of decades, I had a bag (Profile or Blackburn?) that velcroed to my aerobars which let me get stuff during brevets without stopping, had a transparent pocket for my routesheet and prevented my underbar lights from shining in my eyes. Doesn't anybody make anything that sensible nowadays? Perhaps one of those bento box things would work on aerobars.
Edit: http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/blackburn-mini-aerobar-bag-map-pocket-197501462 was the beastie. I see there are some ugly netting things made for aerobars now.
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I'm sure Alpkit will do something. About £79 quid for 500ml capacity, or £179 for something slightly larger :P
(that price includes 2 pieces of velcro and a zip - so not bad value really)
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I'd definitely go for fitting tribars (as I did for LEL 2013). Main reason was to take weight off the hands after suffering from some numbness in fingers after a 600K ride. It also, when fitted with a couple of bits of plastic tubing between the bars, allows additional space for lights etc.
In fact it also doubled as a route sheet support, as I constructed a basic route sheet holder from some stiff plastic sheet. This sat between/across the bars as well, and was held in place by elastic bands.
I also used these bags at the front.
Vaude Cruiser (https://www.evanscycles.com/vaude-cruiser-bag-EV180612?esvt=1438-GOUKE327250&esvq=&esvadt=999999-0-38434-1&esvcrea=61235519696&esvplace=&esvd=c&esvo=EV180612-NA-BLK&esvaid=50080&gclid=CMi2g47TxNECFW4W0wodNSIFLQ)
The cruiser may no longer be available but there are other similar styled bags available.
Top tube bag (https://www.merlincycles.com/topeak-tri-bag-top-tube-bag-56551.html?utm_campaign=googlebase-GB&utm_source=googlebase&utm_medium=shopping&utm_term=Bike+Saddle+%26+Frame+Packs&ucpo=16124&gclid=CLv4t-bTxNECFU0z0wodbGEEmA)
I fitted the Vaude bag at the front underneath where the top tube bag fitted. You may need a longer Velcro strap at the front than supplied. I was still able to fit 2x 750ml bottles in the normal positions as well but that might depend on the size/shape of your frame.
You should be able to get plenty of snacks etc in these so you can always have something easy to get at to eat. There is plenty enough room for phone/wallet etc
I had one of these fitted to my seat post as my main bag. It is fitted with a quick removal system so can be removed instantly to take in to controls if you wish.
http://www.vaude.com/en-GB/Products/Luggage-Bags/Bike-Bags/Off-Road-Bag-M-black.html (http://www.vaude.com/en-GB/Products/Luggage-Bags/Bike-Bags/Off-Road-Bag-M-black.html)
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Top tube bags can be handy for quick access to small things.
Though in my experience, they have a tendency to flop over, or my knees rub on them, which soon gets annoying.
Something like Alpkit Stem Cells could be better. They are a bit further away from the knees anyway.
Maybe some way to attach them to tri bars?
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I have used both and am happy with both.
I do like tribars on events where there is likely to be a lot of headwind (so they were helpful on the Flatlands and LEL), but I do quite like having something on the bars with lots of useful bits in them. The top of my bar bag has a flap for a route sheet, which I still like to use.
However, what I have found even more useful is a bumbag, which contains pump spare tube tyre levers a multitool, a few bonk rations, phone and wallet and travels around with me even when I reach a control at 2am total brain dead and have everything with me.
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I used a small bar bag for the first time on PBP and, like CET, found it helpful to have all the essentials in one easily transportable place. That way I was able to keep the saddlebag for clothes and tools and needed to access it only a couple of times on the whole ride. I also had a phone-sized top tube bag stuffed with on-the-road snacks. It attaches to both the top and head tubes, so is pretty stable.
However, what I have found even more useful is a bumbag, which contains pump spare tube tyre levers a multitool, a few bonk rations, phone and wallet
I've thought about a bumbag, but I'm not sure that I would want to land on that lot in the event of an 'off'.
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I'm sure Alpkit will do something. About £79 quid for 500ml capacity, or £179 for something slightly larger :P
(that price includes 2 pieces of velcro and a zip - so not bad value really)
Depends on what materials & skills you have available to you.
I made a small bag from scraps of cordura, velcro, and a second-hand zip from an otherwise scrap larger bar bag.
Slotted nicely onto the tri-bars, could affix routesheet, and held phone and a few choccy bars. Maybe 500ml capacity, possibly 700ml for a few pennies of expenditure.
Used very successfully in 2013, but since I took the tri-bars off for PBP it has disappeared somewhere :facepalm:
I also made a similar capacity bag that fitted neatly in the angle of head tube/top tube/down tube (and as I use a 60cm frame) it doesn't foul the bottle. Almost as easy access on the go as a bar bag and doesn't get in the way like I find a conventioanl top tube bag does.
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Anyone use a (small capacity) bar bag with brifters that have a side exit shifting cable?
I've only read of solutions that require you to add 90° noodles to drop the cables out of the way but I really like the very light shifting action of my Tiagra set-up compared to the under-bar-tape 105 of my other bike and don't want to add any friction to the system with the tighter bend.
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The noodles don't add extra friction. The radius is large enough.
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If you're considering tri-bars, then go buy a cheap dry bag from somewhere like Trespass and strap it to tri-bars. Simply remove Velcro when entering controls and sort 'stuff' in there or when walking to control.
Cheap and simples!
No need for the specifically made and expensive bag.
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If you're considering tri-bars, then go buy a cheap dry bag from somewhere like Trespass and strap it to tri-bars. Simply remove Velcro when entering controls and sort 'stuff' in there or when walking to control.
Cheap and simples!
No need for the specifically made and expensive bag.
That's a good tip, but it doesn't give you the functionality of a bar-bag i.e. accessing stuff on the move.
(which is partly why bar-bags cost more than dry bags!)
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Anyone use a (small capacity) bar bag with brifters that have a side exit shifting cable?
I use an Altura Transit bar bag. It fixes with a RixenKaul bracket, is relatively light but not waterprooof.
https://www.evanscycles.com/altura-transit-bar-bag-EV199159
It just misses the cables on my Sora 3500 shifters but that would depend on how much slack the cables have been installed with.
Had a hire bike last year with a cheap Decathlon bar bag. http://www.decathlon.co.uk/300-bike-handlebar-bag-25l-id_8355750.html
Fixes with Velcro straps so bounces around a bit and uses up more bar room.
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... a cheap Decathlon bar bag. http://www.decathlon.co.uk/300-bike-handlebar-bag-25l-id_8355750.html
Fixes with Velcro straps so bounces around a bit and uses up more bar room.
I had the previous version of that. Easy to modify to a completely bounce-free Rixen Kaul quick-fix mounting, just bolt one of these (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rixen-Kaul-Fixing-Basket-Klickfix-x/dp/B001CCNCUU) on the back.
Not with tri-bars though.
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I've used this: https://www.roswheel.eu/roswheel-shop/all-items/compact-handlebar-bag (https://www.roswheel.eu/roswheel-shop/all-items/compact-handlebar-bag) with clip on tri bars (gear cables routing along bars) and on a TT bike
Its set up rotated down more so the top zip cover is more vertical than shown on that website because I didn't bother to mount a prop off the steerer.
Requires a little bit of care retrieving items from the side pockets as they open facing the floor in this orientation, but I've not dropped anything yet.
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That's a good idea. I used one of these Decathlon bags on PBP, but eventually discovered that as it was resting on my brake cables my brakes were ever so slightly ON!. I'd turned the bike over several times during the ride to investigate why it seemed harder to pedal...but of course the bag dropped off the cable and everything seemed ok (with the bike upside down). At the 1225k mark, with just 5k to go, whilst trying a new hand position I lifted the bag free of the cable, and voila...brakes OFF! :facepalm:
... a cheap Decathlon bar bag. http://www.decathlon.co.uk/300-bike-handlebar-bag-25l-id_8355750.html
Fixes with Velcro straps so bounces around a bit and uses up more bar room.
I had the previous version of that. Easy to modify to a completely bounce-free Rixen Kaul quick-fix mounting, just bolt one of these (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rixen-Kaul-Fixing-Basket-Klickfix-x/dp/B001CCNCUU) on the back.
Not with tri-bars though.
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That's a good idea. I used one of these Decathlon bags on PBP, but eventually discovered that as it was resting on my brake cables my brakes were ever so slightly ON!. I'd turned the bike over several times during the ride to investigate why it seemed harder to pedal...but of course the bag dropped off the cable and everything seemed ok (with the bike upside down). At the 1225k mark, with just 5k to go, whilst trying a new hand position I lifted the bag free of the cable, and voila...brakes OFF! :facepalm:
HaHaHa, visions of you zooming unexpectedly up the road, hanging on for dear life for the last 5k !
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Had a hire bike last year with a cheap Decathlon bar bag. http://www.decathlon.co.uk/300-bike-handlebar-bag-25l-id_8355750.html
Fixes with Velcro straps so bounces around a bit and uses up more bar room.
It's what Kristof Allegaert used on the Transcontinental before people started providing him with free stuff.
If it's good enough for him, it's good enough for me.
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Had a hire bike last year with a cheap Decathlon bar bag. http://www.decathlon.co.uk/300-bike-handlebar-bag-25l-id_8355750.html
Fixes with Velcro straps so bounces around a bit and uses up more bar room.
It's what Kristof Allegaert used on the Transcontinental before people started providing him with free stuff.
If it's good enough for him, it's good enough for me.
i agree these bags are good, mainly because they don't affect the steering, unlike out front bags. i've used them on many audaxes, just wish there was a waterproof version of this bag - once the water goes in it stays there.
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i agree these bags are good, mainly because they don't affect the steering, unlike out front bags. i've used them on many audaxes, just wish there was a waterproof version of this bag - once the water goes in it stays there.
I have used a small dry bag liner that works and have made some drain holes. Also easy to just lift dry bag out and take to controls.
Works a treat!
Also, pulling Velcro very tight does help with the wobble
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I'd opt for: Tri-bars and a Topeak Fuel Tank (Large) on the top tube.
You get the benefit of the extra hand positions (and, to some extent, aerodynamics) of tri-bars, plus still with somewhere to stash food to eat on the move and other stuff I genuinely would have a need for, whilst moving, between controls like a camera or battery pack to keep the GPS going.
(EDIT, done up tightly I've had little problem with the tri-bag moving around, but it's not perfect.)
I used to put too much stuff in my top tube bag and it stopped me putting as much food in as I wanted. Stuff that I wouldn't need unless I was getting off the bike or stopping properly, things like mobile phone, wallet and brevet card; they just need to go in an easily accessible pocket of the rear luggage (whether it's a saddleback, rackpack or whatever), ideally all bundled together so control stops (or shops between controls) mean taking a single thing containing them all.