So, a couple of questions about luggage for you hardened veterans:
1) What's the advantage of a bar harness for your dry bag, other than making it easier to get the bar roll on and off, and to prevent it rubbing against the bar and stem and eventual wear-out? Any other advantages?
2) Why no love for conventional saddle bags[*]? It surely can't be because they're too wide...? Because even a Camper Longflap is 'only' 48cm width, compared with (say) 660mm for my Woodchippers and 780mm for my Hemlock bars. Is it their weight?
When I started I had a drybag strapped to the bars, and it worked ok, but was a right faff to take on and off. With a bar harness the faff only happens once when I get the bike prepared, and then each on/off. Is much easier.
For saddlebags, I can only assume they stop you getting off the back of the saddle as the width hits the thighs. Never tried it though so don't really know. Plus it differentiates audaxers from tourers / bikepackers.
I've got both Super C and a Barley Carradice saddlebags and they kind of work okay. They do tend to move about a bit off-road unless you add a support but that's verging on a rack plus it's additional weight and something else to break, twist or snap. They're also not the lightest things in the world ... although they probably would survice a nuclear attack or zombie apocolypse.
I did see that Frost River do a Waxed canvas and leather saddlebag but in a bikepacking stylee ... it appeals to both of me.
^^That is hogging awful and looks as if it would be as stable as a .....words fail me
I've got a Carradice Zipped Cape roll and it's great for longer day rides, but, it really only works with Brooks saddles, sure there are work around but usually they either add weight or complexity of bring the bag forward so that thigh rub is inevitable.
Bearbonesnorm wrote:They do tend to move about a bit off-road unless you add a support but that's verging on a rack plus it's additional weight and something else to break, twist or snap.
This.
I used one of the large traditional Carradice Super C bags when I rode the TCW a few years back and the QR mount it was attached to snapped (it was resting on a rack at the bottom) so then I had to strap it sideways like a rack top bag to the rack with straps.
There are people like Cass Gilbert who use those bags quite a lot though and sometimes on the front with a front rack. I think he likes it as you can fit a laptop in fairly easily because of the shape. I guess it's that grey area of dirt/off road 'expedition' touring that's not quite classic touring with panniers but not quite 'bikepacking'.
"Roamer, wanderer, nomad, vagabond
Call me what you will.."
1) That's about it. Ease of use and lack of abrasion.
2) Harder to get off the back, unless you have one of those huge seatpacks that looks like a great big 3-days-dead sun dried seal. Maybe less stable also. I like the idea of a more easy-access saddle bag, like the rack pack I used to use for tours. But prefer lightweight and stability and don't really have much in the seat bag I need regular access to, that's what a bar pocket/bag is for.
Taylor wrote:Matt, why don't you pop round to my house and have a fondle.
A fondle of my luggage/harnesses that it's. Keep your filthy hands to yourself.
All his stuff is tiny and light weight, be gentle with him.
