Bikepacking Bars

Hi, so I have just got a set of on one Geoff bars. They feel similar to Jones H bars (are they an exact copy?) Just wondering about people’s thoughts about positions and loading bags onto them. Just messing about with the setup of them at the moment as I can’t ride due to a snapped quad tendon.

I have found that my tent sits really nicely (in a harness) on top with a smaller dry bag strapped underneath.

Anyone got any other tried and tested methods?

I have an ortlieb drybag that fits very well under the loop, and I saw something suitable online/youtube about using simple cargo straps to rig a harness. Will try and find it out

Plenty about your bars, positions etc here

Looks like PlanetX aint afraid of Mr Jones

Thanks, will have a look on YouTube for some ideas.

I am aware of the potential rip off nature of these bars, but everything is inspired or ripped off something else. 650b wheels for example. Mavic, 1920’s french off road bikes anyone?

As others have commented on forums, the price of JJ bars is ridiculous.

The On-One bars are almost a direct copy of the Jones: the front loop is a bit squarer in shape – the bends seem sharper. Need to take some shots since I’ve a set of Jones and my wife has a set of OOs.

OK, setup: we both use a Wildcat Lion harness which fits to the fork crown and the rear part of the loop next to the clamp. This leaves the front loop completely clear. Wildcat are starting up again shortly BTW. The shot below shows the setup I used in February in the Arctic.

I’ve strapped a tent directly under the bars like this:

I’ve a Wildcat Tomcat bag that sits in the loop but you can still use most of the hand positions. I don’t have anything packed on top of the bars

My racing setup uses an Alpkit Gnaro 3L bag strapped under the bars.

If you want to see more shots, here are some of this weekend’s BB200/BB300 riders (not all are using loop bars but it should be obvious who was) https://www.flickr.com/photos/25655510@N02/albums/72157711320078592

Are you not loosing out on the additional hand positions by placing your bags on top of the loop?

^ good point and made me re read the OP. Surely tent underneath in the harness, and other roll bag on a rack or in a fork-mount cage etc? I’m new to loop bars and only a few rides under the belt, but the first thing I’m rapidly appreciating is the semi-aero position afforded by the loop

Are you not loosing out on the additional hand positions by placing your bags on top of the loop?

Depends where and how you want to grab the bars. I quite like tucking my fingers between the bars and the bag in cold weather to keep the wind off.

Just been playing about with mine, the most obvious second position is to use the outer loop like you would the hoods on a road bike. The center of the loop is a long way out front, maybe usefull if you could fit some tt elbow pads but youd still need bar ends/ tri bars to get enough distance between the pads and the hand position.

If you are carrying bags on top of the bars then you also have lights and GPS to consider. Seems a bit awkward/top heavy to me too so I’ll not be trying it.

Good tips, thanks guys. The tent on top is not ideal, but one thing I have found from previous trips is that the weight of the tent slowly pulls down and catches my front wheel. Putting it on top eliminates this.

It’s not a mega heavy tent or anything, just gravity doing it’s job.

Also find that bags underneath can put cables at tight angles. Maybe lots of playing around is needed.

TBH, I’ve fiddled around with cable and hose lengths quite a bit to get everything to sit “just so”. For me, it’s one of the differences between my “bikepacking bike” and the others that I might go bikepacking on. And, it’s one of the penalties of being a short-arse that the gaps between bar and tyre and rear wheel and tyre can be challenging when carrying luggage. However, if strapped up well, your tent shouldn’t sag that much. Use both the front and read part of the loop bars and a couple of Voile* straps cinched up tight.

* other brands are available

Why would your tent pull down?

Getting the cables right is a tricky one and does take a bit of sorting out. With loop bars I usually have the bag behind the cables so it’s not causing them to bend dramatically where they exit the levers but it does depend on your brakes – Shimano cables exit at a different angle to Hopes for example. See the shot of my Spearfish for cables in front of the bag. The other option is to arrange them so they naturally loop just a couple of cm below the bars then when you add a harness and/or bag it’s not deflecting them as much.

@thisisnotaspoon – my favoured position on loop bars is with my thumbs hooked just in front of the join and heels of my hands just on the brake lever clamps. Going aero I’ll grab the front loop just at the front bends of the bar, any narrower and it’s a bit unstable unless you are on road.

I find a loop bar really good and eliminates the need for a harness provided you’ve got your cabling OK – simply strap a dry bag like an Alpkit Xtra using a couple of straps and it’ll stay put. I avoid putting too much weight up front – particularly on snow – as it upsets the steering too easily. FWIW there’s a loop bar somewhere under this lot…

FWIW there’s a loop bar somewhere under this lot…

Hooplah that is a lot of stuff!! What’s the furry thing on the back?

5 days unsupported in the arctic winter, got to -27C overnight. The ‘furry’ thing is a piece of reindeer hide – keeps your bum warm when you sit on the ground or stuff it down the front of your jacket when it gets a bit cold.

Hooplah that is a lot of stuff!! What’s the furry thing on the back?

That’s his lucky cat 👍

That was his kit, food and fuel for five days in the Arctic a couple of years ago. TBF most of the bulk will be sleeping bag, etc.

Tent just drops over time, think maybe I need new straps. Just to add, I run a 29+wheel on non + forks which are not suspension corrected, so there is not a great deal of clearance.

Think I also need to get new cables and hoses.

Behind the cables and hoses. Whether your cables are routed along the top tube or down tube makes a surprisingly big difference to how much you can carry. Less surprisingly, so does the relative position of top tube to bars, head tube length, stem length and rise – what works for others might not work for you.

My current set-up below has the tent, stove kit and other sundries strapped below the bars. Rather than hanging the bag off the bars, I made long straps with camlock buckles which wrap right round the bag and pull it up into the bars. Rock solid.


(Yeah, I’ve since sorted out the temporary bodged bar tape and grips).

I could fit more under the bars but prefer not to.

Speaking of attachments, cables etc.

Does anyone else use a kanga?

I found on my last trip the velcor straps i had been using to attach it to the bar were wearing/pulling the webbing off the back so I swapped the big straps to go round the bars as well. Now im not convinced thats not how its supposed to be anyway? The velcro was always under loads of tension as it was pushing agaisnt the cables.