RidingMatthew

interesting idea and parameters for a project. what is it made out of? how did you mount it again?

wphamilton

It's just coroplast. Actually a previously used piece which is why it looks lumpy in places.

I took a steel rod, I think 1/8" but maybe smaller, and laid it across the drop bars bending it around on the ramps. Twice, two horizontal struts. I can just slide them on and off the bars. The straps (just one strap over the stem, and one across each side to hold the bag in) are some elastic my wife had from a craft store, with velcro sewn on the ends of the stem strap. That's it for mounting.

hyhuu

That thing also makes a nice head rest.

rhm

I voted "under," but I really don't know why you'd want my opinion.

I have a Vaude handlebar bag (more of a box, really) that attaches with one of those Rixen-Kaul click-fix mounts. The mount is excellent, very secure, etc; but it holds the bag higher than I like. It stands a few inches proud of the handlebar, and I'd prefer if it didn't.

wphamilton

Has to be consistent with the overall idea a road bike, or at least as much as possible. While neither could be true "roadie" (hence here in commuting forum), I really couldn't tell which to prefer aesthetically. I honestly used the poll to decide.

no motor?

Pol results are 10 to 1 in favor of mounting it under instead of over. When has this group ever agreed on anything like that before?

wphamilton

I made the changes and tried out version 2 today. It looks similar, except now there is no cross bar, and no straps holding it on. The steel rod hangs from the bar a few inches from the stem, down to the bottom side of the bag, and angles up to brace under the stem. Two more hooks from the top over the handlebars again a few inches from the stem. I intended to add a safety strap or clasp but no need. It's not going anywhere like that.

I'm pretty pleased with the quick connection: just drop the bottom hooks on, pull it to me and hook the top hooks, let it settle and done in a few seconds. Reverse order to take it off.



I kept the closing strap as a convenient carrying handle, but I could wrap it around the bars if I was worried about the thing coming loose.




Although, I can see here that my work isn't yet done. I need to re-jigger the top hooks so that the top edge goes under the tops of the handlebars. For aesthetic reasons, in keeping with the poll.

fietsbob

some other option.. I'd miss the bar access your scheme blocks.

Obviously.. YMMV.

I used handle bar water bottle cage mounts, to fix my bar bag on with long bolts, spacers and bag stiffeners of yes, coroplast..

the bag was originally just strapped on the bars directly ... so i could again grip the bars near the stem.

wphamilton

I did a rebuild with new materials now that I knew what I wanted. Under the handlebars:




I added sides on general principle.

the four hooks here are all that holds it on, and the center portion of the bar (hanging on the white bar there) is angled back to nestle under the stem. It's a lot more stable and solid than it sounds

Thanks for the help and ideas.

BTW it weighs 8.4 ounces (238 grams) which isn't great but less than I'd feared it would. I may wind up cutting the sides down since they aren't strictly necessary.

wphamilton

I had some free time today so I was curious about how aero my "aero basket" really is. I did some coastdown tests (here it is on Strava https://www.strava.com/activities/593351260 but I used my own data capture device). I had to throw out more than half due to passing cars corrupting the data but I wound up with two clean runs for both with and without the basket, which had little variation. I'd have liked to do more but I was getting tired

Conditions 0-2 mph wind gusty from the North and NorthWest, which is why I had to throw out one anomalous fast downhill from both sets. 90° F, 40% humidity 29.9 pressure. I started exactly on the same crack in the pavement each time and rolled, no push-off, and kept the same line of 8-12 inches right of the right tire track. By coasting down without pedally, only the force of gravity propels me, so the speeds reflect drag and rolling resistance.

Here are the speeds with and without the aero basket:



Surprisingly the aero bag tested out faster than the bare bike, so perhaps it has a faring effect after all. I'm a little skeptical due to only two samples of each configuration so I'm going to call it at least a draw, with a good possibility that the aero basket is faster.

wphamilton

By the way, if you're wondering about the draft of cars passing you check this out.



They pulled me along at 3-4 mph faster.

joeyduck

Ohh data!

Those are some interesting resulting results. Thanks for sharing.

I am surprised by how much the cars pulled you. What was the speed limit there/how fast do cars typically go down the hill?

wphamilton

They were actually pretty well behaved today, except for spoiling some of my coast-downs. 40, 45 mph, but it was a string of six or seven down the steepest part. It's more of a boost than you'd expect.

CliffordK

Oh, don't let the UCI see your data. Your bike will be banned for sure!!!

prathmann

I see you've moved it to the under position which is also what I'd prefer - partly so it doesn't interfere with putting a headlight on the bars. I frequently use a commercial handlebar bag on my road bike. It snaps off in only a second or two when I don't want it. Unfortunately it does sit up above the bars a bit and blocked my headlight so I remounted the light on my head tube underneath the bag. Works ok but acts a little odd when making sharp turns since I'm used to the light turning instantly when I turn the bars but now there's a lag until the whole bike frame has made the turn. Even though my bag is a very boxy shape I have noticed that I tend to descend a little faster with it than without it (comparison done on group rides while coasting down hills and seeing which riders I keep up with - with the bag I keep up with heavier riders than I do without it).

wphamilton

Have you tried the headlight on the fork yet? Or even something like my glovelight

Under the bars also just looks better, plus I don't need the cross-bar that way.

wphamilton

I think it's already banned, as a kind of faring shape. But fortunately UCI and I don't have much in common.

deapee

I like it WAY better under.

wphamilton

My wife says I should hinge an hatch on the top, for carrying flowers or puppies or something. It's a good idea though, at least a small compartment with a pouch for phone and incidentals.

wphamilton

This has been working so well that I spent the weekend fashioning a mold and casting a prototype in fiberglass. It's a solid piece with no steel parts, the hooks and brace are part of the form now. Here it is sitting on my desk:



I really like the convenience of putting it on, easier even than using my rack with webbing. And the aero of course. So now I want a real one, with a nice smooth airfoil shape and integrated bag. I'm going to field-test this on my commutes, figure out what revisions I need, and if I still like it I'll cast one in carbon fiber. The fiberglass setup weighs 10 ounces, so CF should be a bit less right?

Darth Lefty 

Celery and a baguette are traditional

cooker

I wouldn't find that version 1 comfortable, as I like to ride on the "tops", "corners" and "hoods" and the bent wire brace resting on the handlebar would probably get in my way.

wphamilton

Yeh that was the first thing that had to go. No wire brace or any crossbar any more, so all of the hand positions are available except the tops. I could, probably, make some space near the stem to hold onto the tops but I am reluctant to have my knuckles that close to a fiberglass edge.