How to carry gear?

Ted said:

I'm going on a supported bicycle tour in Colorado in June.
All my luggage will be carried in a vehicle. I'm wondering
about stuff that I need to carry while riding. Since
temperatures then to vary a good bit, I'll need to carry
extra clothing & a rain jacket. I'll have a small digitial
camera and snack bars also. I've been thinking about either
using a CamelBak - the one I'm currently considering is the
Blowfish, or maybe a large seat bag. I saw a bag that looks
like it would do the job on www.rivendell.com called the
Baggins Banana Bag.

Any ideas which would be a better choice?

My preference is a handlebar bag. That way I can reach in
and get things without stopping (point and shoot camera,
snack bar ....). Without one, I probably wouldn't take any
pictures. With one - I get loads of great road pictures. And
I stay nourished for the very same reason. I don't need to
"take a break" in order to get a quick refuel. I always
forget my sunblock, vitamins, and Ibuprofen (when I need it)
until I'm riding, so I keep those in there, as well. I
couldn't tour without one.

--
*****************************
Chuck Anderson • Boulder, CO cycletourist.comcycletourist.comOpen ↗
Integrity is obvious. The lack of it is common.
*****************************

Chuck Anderson said:

Ted said:

I'm going on a supported bicycle tour in Colorado in June.
All my luggage will be carried in a vehicle. I'm wondering
about stuff that I need to carry while riding. Since
temperatures then to vary a good bit, I'll need to carry
extra clothing & a rain jacket. I'll have a small digitial
camera and snack bars also. I've been thinking about
either using a CamelBak - the one I'm currently
considering is the Blowfish, or maybe a large seat bag. I
saw a bag that looks like it would do the job on
www.rivendell.com called the Baggins Banana Bag.

I toured the Alps for two weeks using a Carradice Nelson
Longflap saddlebag and found it perfectly adequate but a
touch small. A Camper would have been a better choice. I
have a Rivendell Hoss saddlebag, now, which is huge- twice
the volume of my Carradice, I think.

Last year I used the Banana Bag for the RUSA brevet series
and Paris-Brest-Paris and found it perfect for that use. I
strapped my rain jacket on the outside, and inside I put my
camera, tools, spares, arm and knee warmers and some snacks.
It is deceptively voluminous.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Any ideas which would be a better choice?

My preference is a handlebar bag.

Handlebar bags have been useful for many many years. I saw a
*lot* of them in France the past couple of summers, and they
make a lot of sense for things that you want to have easy
access to: snacks, cameras, rain jackets, etc.

I don't care for the effect they have on handling with most
bikes, compounded by the current mounting systems that
position the bags high and forward. For the least effect on
handling, the bag should be low- almost on top of the tire-
and as much behind the axle as possible. This usually means
a small rack supporting the bag, in the old French style.

wallbike.comberthoudracksaccess.htmOpen ↗

wallbike.comberthoudbags.htmOpen ↗

See also the Vintage Bike Quarterly Web site (sorry, I don;t
have the URL handy but it's readily findable in Google).

My preference is for saddlebags although I have used both
and both work fine. The downside of not being able to access
the saddlebag as conveniently while riding is a factor, but
I think it's outweighed by the handling issue caused by
badly positioned bar bags.

Chuck Anderson <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<BXTic.20380$cF6.832747@attbi_s04>...

Quoted message said:

My preference is a handlebar bag. That way I can reach in
and get things without stopping (point and shoot camera,
snack bar ....).

I agree, but how about mounting a light, Chuck? How do you
mount a light on the handlebars? Or do you have any
suggestions for mounting a front light on a bike when you've
got a handlebar bag?

Thanks.

--
Bob Kastigar; "][email hidden] Home:
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School: neiu.eduneiu.eduOpen ↗ Play:
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(Chicago, IL USA)

(Bob Kastigar) said:

Chuck Anderson <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<BXTic.20380$cF6.832747@attbi_s04>...

Quoted message said:

My preference is a handlebar bag. That way I can reach in
and get things without stopping (point and shoot camera,
snack bar ....).

I agree, but how about mounting a light, Chuck? How do you
mount a light on the handlebars? Or do you have any
suggestions for mounting a front light on a bike when
you've got a handlebar bag?

That's actually a pretty easy thing to solve, but you need
to do the handlebar bag properly. The bag should be as low
on the bike as possible, preferably just above the tire.
Basically no modern handlebar bag design allows this, all of
them seeming to depend on some klunky huge plastic quick
release mount, putting the vertical midline of the bag level
with the bars, rather than the top of the bag. If the bag is
positioned properly, then it's easy to mount a light-
although IMHO the handlebar is a poor location for a light
because it's too high. My headlight is mounted at the fork
crown, and with a 3 watt bulb I can see well enough for 40
mph descents with confidence, and to literally ride all
night without any problem.

The best arrangement for a handlebar bag IMHO is the old
French style, with a small rack sitting right above the tire
to support the bag, the top of which is no higher than or
below the bars. The light can be mounted to the rack, which
puts it lower and makes for better illumination of the road.

For the best examples, see:

wallbike.comberthoudhandlebarbags.htmOpen ↗

wallbike.comberthoudracksaccess.htmOpen ↗

The next best arrangement is a mounting system that puts the
top of the bag no higher than the bar. A very stable and
good option for this is available from Rivendell:

rivendellbicycles.combaggage racksOpen ↗

and scroll down to the Boxy Bag and associated rack.

Bob Kastigar said:

Chuck Anderson <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<BXTic.20380$cF6.832747@attbi_s04>...

Quoted message said:

My preference is a handlebar bag. That way I can reach in
and get things without stopping (point and shoot camera,
snack bar ....).

I agree, but how about mounting a light, Chuck? How do you
mount a light on the handlebars? Or do you have any
suggestions for mounting a front light on a bike when
you've got a handlebar bag?

Thanks.

First; I rarely ride in the dark when on tour. I *never*
plan on it. That said, what I have done in the past when I
*did* have to ride in the dark is take my handlebar bag off
its mount and bungee it to the top of my load in back. Then
I could use my normal headlight mount.

Not elegant, but you know how bike touring is. You find
simple solutions to any obstacle you meet.

--
*****************************
Chuck Anderson • Boulder, CO cycletourist.comcycletourist.comOpen ↗
Integrity is obvious. The lack of it is common.
*****************************

[email hidden] (Bob Kastigar) wrote in message news:<[email hidden]> I agree, but how about mounting a light, Chuck? How do you mount a

Quoted message said:

light on the handlebars? Or do you have any suggestions
for mounting a front light on a bike when you've got a
handlebar bag?

Here's something I've used for that purpose, when commuting
with a rack trunk and handlebar bag. It fastens to the
handlebar and sticks up high enough to give the headlight
that I use plenty of clearance. I also have my bike
computer on it.

nashbar.comprofile.cfmOpen ↗
rand=1184&sku=5059&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=

Hi, We did Ride the Rockies last year and learned alot about
carrying gear on such a tour. First of all, they tell us to
avoid the handle bar bags! The reason is that when you are
descending the mountain passes and the winds pick up (which
they really do) the handle bar bags make your handle bars
unstable. We use camel backs, a large seat bag, and a large
(4 ball) tennis ball container in the water bottle container
on the tube that goes from seat to pedals. These are ultra
light, carry a full jacket, cheap, and dont mess with your
balance. We also tried a triangle bag that fits under the
top tube but found it was too bulky. We brought way too much
stuff. We did see hail, snow, rain, etc., but it is just not
worth carrying all the junk up the hill. We found that you
really do not need tights if you have leg warmers (much
smaller, just as good). We really like the vest/arm warmers
option because they are small and versatile. We just bring a
rain jacket. We found a bright yellow one that really
breathes but is unbelievably light (notice a trend??) at REI
for really cheap. In addition, I think booties are worth
while, a skull cap, ear bags (like ear muffs but just fit
over your ears), maybe a balaclava. We also found these
awesome glove liners that are basically like a nylon shell.
So with regular gloves, regular glove liners, and these
glove shells, you can get through anything the Rockies dish
out. They are also really small and light. In general if you
can keep hands/head/feet warm you will be okay. Avoid a bike
trunk if at all possible. The number of pounds you add even
when it is empty are really high. We tried riding loaded up
one of the passes here in Boulder (Left hand canyon to Ward
for anyone who might know), and the bike trunk felt like we
were dragging a cinder block up there. We were afraid of
being cold, but what we found was, if it starts to rain, put
on your gear but just keep going. If you stop you get cold,
and it is really hard to get warm again. Plus just over the
next pass it could be 90 degrees and bright sunny day. Also,
a lot of the bad/cold/nasty weather is at the top of the
pass. Get over the pass and get to lower elevation more
quickly to get warm. If you havent done a Colorado ride
before, one thing to know about rain is that it is always
cold. The reason is because since it is really dry here, it
doesn't just rain. The rain comes down a little, evaporates,
cools the air, rains a little lower, etc. By the time the
rain actually gets to the ground the air is cold. On Ragbrai
you could ride in your jersey in the rain okay because it
was warm. That never happens here. The first time we got
caught in it we just didn't get it. We stopped, we got cold,
we had to sag. (This was on the Elephant Rock century last
year.) To get good ideas about this, you might read the
forums for Ride the Rockies and Bike Tour of Colorado. We
steal ideas all the time from these more experienced riders.
I think they also have suggestions about what to bring. I
guess the thing is, riding in the Rockies does not always
map to the conventional wisdom that would be perfectly fine
anywhere else. Also, if you are a flatlander, in addition to
making all these decisions, carrying heavy gear up the hill,
you may have to deal with the altitude. At the very least it
can make you loopy. It is good to have the gear strategy
down before you come. Hope this is helpful.

(Mayhew) said:

We did Ride the Rockies last year and learned alot
about carrying gear on such a tour. First of all, they
tell us to avoid the handle bar bags! The reason is
that when you are descending the mountain passes and
the winds pick up (which they really do) the handle
bar bags make your handle bars unstable.

And yet the French, in particular, are fond of handlebar
bags and low front panniers- while riding in the Jura, Alps
and Pyrennees. However, the French style handlebar bag is
(or was) mounted low on the bike, with the top of the bag
typically level with or below the bar and with a small rack
supprting the bottom of the bag so it doesn't bounce around.
IMHO the modern bar bag, which usually puts the bag very
high, is a terrible design. The plethora of cables coming
out of handlebars nowadays makes using a bar bag
problematic.

Quoted message said:

We use camel backs, a large seat bag, and a large (4 ball)
tennis ball container in the water bottle container on the
tube that goes from seat to pedals. These are ultra light,
carry a full jacket, cheap, and dont mess with your
balance. We also tried a triangle bag that fits under the
top tube but found it was too bulky.

And you like riding with 6 pounds of water and a few more
pounds of gear on your back? To each their own, I guess.
IMHO the load should be on the bike, not on me.

Quoted message said:

We brought way too much stuff.

There are some excellent packing lists available on the
Internet, for example at the Trento Bike Pages, which can
help prevent this. I used the ones by Jobst Brandt and Bruce
Hildebrandt on the Trento site as the basis for my packing
list, and happily toured the Alps for 10 days with about 10
lbs worth of stuff.

www-www-Open ↗
math.science.unitn.it/Bike/General/Packing_List.html

Sorry, Bruce's list doesn't seem to be on that server
anymore.

Quoted message said:

Avoid a bike trunk if at all possible.

Try a saddle bag, which allows you to carry a reasonable
amount of gear without having to add a rack (in most cases):

rivendellbicycles.combaggage racksOpen ↗

wallbike.comcarradicesaddlebags.htmlOpen ↗

Quoted message said:

We were afraid of being cold, but what we found was,
if it starts to rain, put on your gear but just keep
going. If you stop you get cold, and it is really hard
to get warm again. Plus just over the next pass it
could be 90 degrees and bright sunny day. Also, a lot
of the bad/cold/nasty weather is at the top of the
pass. Get over the pass and get to lower elevation
more quickly to get warm.

True IME.

What's a "bike trunk"? ... Newbee here.

Boatman

A bike trunk is a rectangular bag that sits on top of a bike
rack attached over the rear wheel. They often have some
rigid structure. Its the rack plus structure that make it
heavy. I think you could get one at Performance. I have a
really nice one that is insulated. There was one
unbelievably hot ride where it actually paid to keep ice in
there, but that is a story for another time...

"Boatman" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<6Ptnc.58560$kh4.3532138@attbi_s52>...

Quoted message said:

What's a "bike trunk"? ... Newbee here.

Boatman