[Closed] Gravelbikeworld - handlebar bag experiences please

Those bags are too fussy. ^^

I use this..

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bike packing bar bags are shit for getting anything out while you ride.

i like the look of that third one you posted - that giles berthood thing looks shit - makes you look like a mail man.

what ever you get make sure it zips shut - my altura dryline has a velcro top and it can pop open on bumpy stuff 🙁

these are nice: http://builtbyswift.com/product-category/swift-designs/randonneur-bags/

...and also expensive.

Hmmm, is a 50's style touring bar-satchel required to be a [i]gravelist[/i]?

The thing looks monstrous and heavy...

That does it, I am buying myself some olive green canvas and some brown leather strapping, borrowing my sisters sewing machine and going into the artisan, bicycle, man-bag business...

^ agreed, the racks and bags alone add up to more than my bar bags and sleeping kit combined. Nice kit, well thought out for certain uses but I don't sign up to this idea of all the weight being on the front.

bike packing bar bags are shit for getting anything out while you ride.

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Those bar boxes look good for ease of access but anything that can't have the contents comressed down rattles and annoys me off-road. Depends how much stuff you need fast access to I guess.

I've used a klick-fix bar bag before, they're OK but they put the weight higher and further fwd than any other option so they do affect handling more. Not that noticeable on a bike with heavy panniers but if you're lightly-loaded on a CX-ish handling bike they can feel odd.

ah the lioness looks good , i steered away from one based on the fact i have an alpkit roo pocket on the front of my kanga - because of how it attached you need to cinch down your dry bag using it which makes the roo pouch unusable as its under tension .

Have you seen the new Fat Roo? Looks a lot more useful than the smaller one!

I sometimes use a Carradice Zip Roll.
Fits a jacket, a couple of tubes etc, etc, in it no dramas at all..

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looks like they have seen the error of their ways .

the new one has its own full length straps at means you can tension your dry bag on the kangas straps then put the fat roo over the top

infact this is something i may look at doing with my roo bag - modify the webbing straps to allow it to go over the dry bag without being under tension.

I want something you can cinch-down tight - traditional bar bags would rattle themselves and their contents to oblivion. An Alpkit Xtra 13L and a Roo pouch was good for me for a 300km offroader.

T-R, that's how my Wildcat harness / Revelate pocket combo works. If I want to stash a jacket it can fit between the 2 as the pocket is independant of the harness straps. Needs a bit of tension so it doesn't rotate but there's pocket clips that also do that.

yeah thats the flaw in the alpkit roo design , yeah in concept its a good idea. 30 seconds of testing proves it to be a crap idea - did my head in on my last trip. i stopped using it- you had to unclip or untension the whole set up just to get your headtorch or your cash out .... the whole point in it being up there is its easy to access.. Cheers James

For years used an original Karrimor bar bag when on day rides and touring (before they were taken over by sports .com)
Held maps, money, camera n lunch easy to remove off bike when parked n handy on ferry too as all bits in one place.

Still got it some where i'm sure

not sure I buy the weight thing, my front rack weigh approx 180g... 15l front bag approx 350g... it's made from Xpac though not leather and canvas...

it would be interesting to know what the bikepack luggage weighs.. I suspect less but by how much?

wildcat lion is 140 grams and a 13l tough dry bag is also 140grams.

Bike packing bags are lighter as you really need a decent rack with decaluer for rando bags, those are about 500g from Velo-Orange.

But do you really want any type, rando, bikepacking or basic handlebar bags, for gravel riding? It would just interfere with handling carrying that much up front as there are not really many off-road forks with increased rake needed to reduce the impact of the weight. If you need access to food or things them feedbags or top tube bags would be better (unless you are bikepacking of course).

not sure I buy the weight thing, my front rack weigh approx 180g... 15l front bag approx 350g... it's made from Xpac though not leather and canvas...

What rack/bag? That's good. The small rando racks aren't that heavy. It's the more trad racks and rando boxes that weigh a bit. The boxes seem to be 600-800g or more? Still, no big deal if the convenience is needed.

~300g for a harness, 8l drybag and the Revelate pocket.

But do you really want any type, rando, bikepacking or basic handlebar bags, for gravel riding?

get the first one ....

when not out gravelbiking you can take up deliveroooing .

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How about a frame bag (with a bladder in it) and then a simple map holder on the bars if you need it?

Agree on bladder in half-framebag - Osprey magnetic bitevalve held by clip strapped to stem. I only put light stuff like spare clothing in the bar-roll and use pockets, top-tube bag for food etc.

I use a couple of different front racks, one is more heavy duty than the other. The light one is a slightly modified traditional style Nitto front rando rack, steel tubes but very light. The bag is a large Swift ozette. My other front rack is a bit of a beast with a large platform, fillet braced steel but that still 'only' weighs 400 g's (ish)

The system is so convenient that I use it for almost everything. One of the best bits is simply lifting it off the decaleur to remove it from the bike. It's very easy to organise and it's big enough to carry around architectural models and a bit of shopping.... or lunch and a bottle of wine, or whatever really (4 dozen eggs?). Haven't had problems with it off road but I mostly just potter about. Perfect system for my needs but I appreciate it might not be for everyone.

busta - Member
How about a frame bag (with a bladder in it) and then a simple map holder on the bars if you need it?

I use a frame bag. Gave up on wee bags on the bars years ago, although I'm often tempted by those chalk bags climbers use because I could keep an open pack of jelly babies in there. 🙂 (Just need to McGyver a method of clamping it)

The disadvantage of frame bags is when you want to stick the bike on your shoulder for climbing over some rocks or taking a shortcut through heather etc.

Thanks all the info.

I have two things I want to do (gravel Wales CTC and L'Eroica) and was hoping to do both with a single solution but I think the requirements are too diverse. SO I'll be doing alpidura for the gravel bike and possibly carradice with a Nitto rando rack on the vintage bike. Irony is, new L'Eroica course just announced is 41% 'gravel'.

The Revelate bar bag/harness options can take a front, zip-opening pocket which doesn't affect the main bag. You can also fit the pocket direct to your bars instead.

although I'm often tempted by those chalk bags climbers use because I could keep an open pack of jelly babies in there. (Just need to McGyver a method of clamping it)