Bikepacking style handlebard bag for drops?
 

Hey all,

As the title suggests, I have been looking for a good option for a rollbag "bikepacking" style handlebar bag. Most of the bags I've seen (Revelate etc) seem geared for straight handlebars. Even Revelate has an article about how to make it work even though they readily admit theirs is designed for a wider space.

Any ideas?

Maybe Apidura?
Their regular size handlebar pack is 36 cm when not expanded. That would fit nicely between a 42 cm bar.


-tim-

Handel-Bard

https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/i...9Eq81eNI4f_0_A

https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/i...Z6WErEPNmGt4g9

You could try to make your own.

I have not tried to make one so I have no idea if these instructions are easy to follow or not.
How to make your own DIY handlebar roll harness | Bicycle Times Magazine

I assume you could find a good compression stuff sack that would work well and fit with the harness they describe.

If you use drop bars with brifters, you may need to be careful to make sure you have the clearance needed for shifting. In the attached photo, you can see my handlebar bag and my shifter clearance.

@TimothyH- thanks. I hadn't really looked much at Apidura since they are AUS based and didn't seem to have much of a US presence. Not that I'm against buying overseas, but it can make repairs or returns more tricky.


@BigAura- thanks for reminding me I should never post on my phone! :)


@Tourist in MSN- Actually that gave me the idea to do some of both. I could just get the Revelate Designs Harness or one similar and just find a dry bag that fits (duh!).


Thanks all.

I use a Revelate Designs harness with drop bars, along with a dry bag from S2S. Two compression sacks inside greatly reduce the width. I'd post a picture, but Photobucket wants $400 a year.

Apidura is UK, not AUS. Product is shipped from near London.

Not trying to convince you but just relaying my experience. I have purchased two pieces from them. Delivery was fast, within four days to the Atlanta suburbs.


-Tim-

Oh so they are, I'm making all kinds of mistakes in my thread. Been watching too many videos and almost all of the Australian vids I saw were heavy apidura so made a bad assumption. Their stuff is definitely beautiful in terms of design and workmanship.

Given your location we are practically neighbors :).


Oh and Imgur.com is free (I use it for all of my forum picture posting).

I just picked up a cheap front rack from nashbar that fits on my canti studs; I figure I can mount a decent sized dry bag on the rack.

Nashbar Sixer Front Rack

pretty cool. unfortunately with disk brakes my fork doesn't have the necessary studs.

Here's a bag which is great quality and is narrow allowing it to fit between the cables on drops. Holds quite a bit too.

https://www.edinburghbicycle.com/ort...f8YaAhgx8P8HAQ

Arkel have or will soon have exactly what you are looking for.

I don't have pictures but when I was just carrying a sleeping bag or clothing I would velcro a Sea to Summit E-Vent bag to the handlebars. I purchased a butt ugly Orlieb handlebar bag, ProE Ultimate 6E, because of it's dynamo wiring connections and have found it to be good enough to replace the e-vent on the handlebars. (in my case the ability to access stuff while riding trumps the ugliness of the bag). I've since relocated the E-Vent to my rear rack... The upside of using a dry bag is that it can be used for more than just bicycling. The downside is that it isn't pushed out from the handlebars if you like riding in the flats which was not a problem for me as I ride hoods or drops.

Maybe something interesting is posted at Handlebar Bags Archives - BIKEPACKING.com


-Tim-

I've seen several drop-bar bikepackers using the Salsa Anything Cradle up front recently. I really like that it sits off your bars and avoids cabling problems.

http://salsacycles.com/components/category/bags_frame_packs/exp_series_anything_cradle_plus_dry_bag

The Revelate harness is plenty narrow to fit between drops, and can hold all sorts of different shapes & sizes - you just need to find a drybag or stuffsack with the right dimensions so it fits both between the drops and doesn't rub your front tire. I use one of these, and can fit my sleeping bag/pad/bulky pillow comfortably between the drops:

Ultra-Sil ® Compression Dry Sack | Sea to Summit

Add the "pocket" that attaches to the front, and there's storage for days. My tent goes in mine!

http://i68.tinypic.com/2hn5o41.jpg

http://i67.tinypic.com/30ksvfo.jpg

These are super nice setups.

Sorry to hijack the OP's thread but maybe you could say something about how the Apidura bags compare to the Revelate bags?


-Tim-

yonderb0y, THANKS! The pictures are perfect. Sold. That looks to be the same dimension cockpit as mine so would work fine. I have about 12 in from the wheel to the stem.

And I'm glad to see it doesn't interfere with the out front garmin mount. I was worried I'd have to move it back to the stem. :)

Hijack away. I'm still building out the rest of my bag setup as well. :)

Glad I could help - it was a bunch of trial & error to figure it all out :) The Garmin fits just right! BTW - it looks like there's a new Pocket design that might not hold as much. Maybe see if you can find the older-style large one, that's what's in my pics.


Honestly, aside from the shapes of the zipper pulls, I'd be hard-pressed to tell them apart in the dark. They're both made from the same material, and have essentially the same design. They're both great products, and we've been very happy with them. Which color do you like? :thumb: The only difference, which applies to this thread specifically, is that Apidura doesn't make a harness as far as I know - just the all-in-one bag. That doesn't seem to work as well as the harness/compression bag for fitting between drops, because there's no way to pull it tight horizontally.

Thanks. Great information. Really appreciate it.

And since you asked, I'm partial to the gray.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/kpo3mdm687...03.sm.jpg?dl=1


-Tim-

Nice! :thumb: