Hi Boners.

I've got a frame with internally routed cables and they come out fairly tight up behind the head tube.

My bar bag sits tight against the front of the head tube and presses against the cables causing a bit of kinkage, which in this context is less than ideal. After a week and a half trip recently the outer on my gear cable was split where it pops out of the frame.

I saw that Restrap have launched this https://restrap.com/products/bumper-bar which looks like it might rectify this issue but it's £40 and there's something slightly unappealing about having it sat in in the headset spacers. Are there other alternatives knocking about, or has anyone engineered/bodged their own spacer to sit between bag and headtube?

I'm awaiting one of these:- https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/accessories ... -mm-0-deg/
Slightly more aesthetically pleasing but I'm going on the basis that I'll take it off between trips.

That could well do the trick Phil. When you say "awaiting" how long has it been?

Does one of the Dr-Jon devices do anything close to what you want?

Doesn't look like it Bob.

In Reverse wrote: ↑Fri Jun 17, 2022 7:46 pm That could well do the trick Phil. When you say "awaiting" how long has it been?

Tomorrow or Monday I think, ordered on Wednesday - SJS seem to have stock of this one and the longer ones. I previously tried a longer one but it was too long as the Stragglers stem is only 50mm extension. I'd meant to order one of these ages ago but only just got round to it as the Straggler is about to go touring

This is my version, having it mounted above and below the headtube allows much thinner gauge aluminium sheet to be used and provides a mounting surface for my Kemo switch/rectifier gizmo. It's given 3 years trouble free service. A piece of velcro stuck on the front allows a temporary fix whilst strapping a drybag around the bars.

pistonbroke wrote: ↑Fri Jun 17, 2022 8:36 pm A piece of velcro stuck on the front allows a temporary fix whilst strapping a drybag around the bars.

I like that idea. One of those situations where you really need three hands.

https://www.hessonlabs.com/shop/stainle ... t-bar-rack

I've seen this before. It's not cheap, and not in stock. So not really that helpful I suppose. But it looks nicer than the restrap one.

I saw that a while back - then saw some stainless tube and my mig welder and thought "hmmm" But the Thorn one was cheap enough (ish) to make it too much trouble

I used a DIY version of the Nitto F16, different shape but same idea. Clips on and supports the bag away from the headtube. Not really up to rough MTB use but fine for all else.

whitestone wrote: ↑Fri Jun 17, 2022 7:52 pm Does one of the Dr-Jon devices do anything close to what you want?

That's what I got mine for as having a frame bag bouncing off carbon is a terrible idea. All the other options listed above seem to be fixed and I'd like something that doesn't require anything else to be disturbed while it's removed/refitted. As it is I think the strap deck looks more unobtrusive even when left in place.

This can work off the stem or bars. I'm using one to hold lights at the moment but it'd also work to hold a bag away from the ht https://www.topeak.com/global/en/produc ... arxtender-

I run a webbing strap either side of the stem down to the fork crown which usually pushes the bar bag enough forward to stop head tube rub. If it's still too close then I attach a short length of thin aluminium tube horizontally to the front of the fork crown which is then usually enough to give clearance.

I've got the same problem. After looking at lots of options ended up with the Salsa Anything Cradle.

On another thread I mentioned I'd been using one of the SJS accessory thingies for about 10 years. It's been on every bike I've used for bikepacking and it isn't just a bumper. I hang my harness from it. All my bikes are XL chunky monsters and not everyone will have the space to do this, but it's a bloody great solution to cable squish and freeing up space on your handlebars for lights and sat navs.

I had terrible cable squash on my Broken Road so switched the flat bars out for a pair of Confucious, problem solved

TheBrownDog wrote: ↑Sat Jun 18, 2022 2:01 pm On another thread I mentioned I'd been using one of the SJS accessory thingies for about 10 years. It's been on every bike I've used for bikepacking and it isn't just a bumper. I hang my harness from it. All my bikes are XL chunky monsters and not everyone will have the space to do this, but it's a bloody great solution to cable squish and freeing up space on your handlebars for lights and sat navs.

Interesting...

For me, the main reason for using the accessory bar is to provide a secondary point of stability, and to help protect the cables/headtube.

If you are hanging the bag from the accessory bar, how does that work with your cables/headtube?

This any use andy:
https://www.instagram.com/tightbicycleco/

techno wrote: ↑Mon Jun 20, 2022 9:09 am This any use andy:
https://www.instagram.com/tightbicycleco/

Those look a great idea! I'm generally pretty tight with cash, but may actually splash out on a set...

belugabob wrote: ↑Sun Jun 19, 2022 6:08 pm Interesting...

For me, the main reason for using the accessory bar is to provide a secondary point of stability, and to help protect the cables/headtube.

If you are hanging the bag from the accessory bar, how does that work with your cables/headtube?

That's how I'm going to use mine (which I've now got) The ICT and the Straggler both have very tall stems and lots of spacers so the plan was to put the bracket at the bottom of the stack and strap the bar roll to the bars and it. But what you've done, Brown dog, would lower the bag (and C of G) out the road so might give that a go to

fatbikephil wrote: ↑Tue Jun 21, 2022 9:59 am

belugabob wrote: ↑Sun Jun 19, 2022 6:08 pm Interesting...

For me, the main reason for using the accessory bar is to provide a secondary point of stability, and to help protect the cables/headtube.

If you are hanging the bag from the accessory bar, how does that work with your cables/headtube?

That's how I'm going to use mine (which I've now got) The ICT and the Straggler both have very tall stems and lots of spacers so the plan was to put the bracket at the bottom of the stack and strap the bar roll to the bars and it. But what you've done, Brown dog, would lower the bag (and C of G) out the road so might give that a go to

The cables run happily over the top of the bar bag, and the harness attaches around the forks. You can really tension the Wildcat harness so it's very stable. It puts the weight a little further out front but also lower, so no impact I've noticed on handling.

Cheers for the replies all. I've ordered one of the Restrap ones and one of the Thorn ones, will have a compare and send one back.

Won't have either on the bike for the Veneto Trail this weekend but I can always avoid any squish issue by not taking any camping gear and letting the other 2 Boners I'm riding with book us into accomodation every night cos I suspect that's going to happen anyway

pistonbroke wrote: ↑Fri Jun 17, 2022 8:36 pm This is my version, having it mounted above and below the headtube allows much thinner gauge aluminium sheet to be used and provides a mounting surface for my Kemo switch/rectifier gizmo. It's given 3 years trouble free service. A piece of velcro stuck on the front allows a temporary fix whilst strapping a drybag around the bars.

This is great btw Duncan. Very tidy indeed