cormacf

My new commute rig is a Rawland xSogn with a Radverks Rando Rack.

Pic below, and yeah, I'm gonna lose some of those spacers:




I'm trying to decide what the best option for carrying commute gear is going to be. I have a "loose" (no bottom attachment) handlebar bag at the moment, and that's a bit wiggly. I was thinking of:

1) A proper rando bag, like the VO (or any one of the others in that class).
2) A basket of some sort, into which I could throw various waterproof bags, including my Ortleibs, maybe secured by a mesh bunjee covering.

Option 1 would look cooler and maybe wobble less (with a decaleur), and balance is nice, especially on low-trail bikes. Option 2 would probably be more practical if I have a bag of groceries at some point, and it would be a ton cheaper, since I have plenty of waterproof bags. Also, doing centuries with a Marry Poppins basket would be kind of awesome.

Bike's primary use would be 15-mile one-way commutes in bad Seattle weather, though I can see taking this thing on gravel / packed dirt trails for 40-50 milers.

tyrion

I'm a basket guy. A basket is rock solid (or as solid as your rack is) when contents are strapped down with a bungee cord. And a Timbuk2 medium messenger bag fits nicely in a Wald 137. But this whole setup is probably heavier than a rando bag.

cormacf

Well, my Rawland is a steel bike with a Brooks, fenders, cheap disc brakes, and 47mm tires, so I doubt an extra pound is going to make much of a difference.

Thanks!

cormacf

Just bought a 1372 rack. $20 on Amazon plus some zip ties. Worth the risk.

fietsbob

Using a Klick Fix Bar bag mount You can change from bar bag to basket.. Now Ortlieb 6th version is cross compatible with KF..

KF bag support bar mounts have long been compatible to hang Ortlieb bags from them ..

fietsbob

Swap spacers from below to above the stem and ride it a long time before thinking about cutting down the steerer tube on your fork

Fit & riding comfort matter more than looks in the long run .... bikes with the bars as high as the saddle are welcomed
by people not racing , the 4000 miles across the country between seaboards west and east..

On a narrow front rack of that sort I added a piece of 1/4" plywood , on top to make it wider,
I have pictures of my Film camera Dry bag on the ground near the bike ,
because once i unstrapped the bag from the rack, it would fall off ..

when back home again, I had tool access to make the platform on it.



......

tyrion

If it has the mounting hardware attached to the basket you can cut it off with an angle grinder.

wphamilton

I like the little mini-rack in the OP picture, but why add a basket? I'd brace the bag on the rack, with something in the bag to stiffen it and work out some kind of secure quick release on the rack. You could start with an ordinary light-weight backpack for this, which is advantageous when you're off the bike with it.

tyrion

You can put a bag of groceries in a basket. Hard to strap a bag of groceries to that little rack.

wphamilton

I am advocating for using the backpack for that, slightly modified to be a handlebar bag instead of adding a basket. Put the groceries in the backpack. With the rack already there it would be easy to keep it from bouncing around, and help make it secure, the two challenges with handlebar bags.

Koyote

A basket is cheap and practical. Throw in a waterproof bag and a bungee cord to hold it in place (or a cheap plastic carabiner to hold it to the basket) and you are all set.

fietsbob

And in the wet you can put a white water Rafter's Dry Bag in the basket,,, they make those in Seattle.. REI sells them.

Gresp15C

I vote for basket. I've got them on two bikes. They work by gravity -- no fussing with flaps or straps, and they don't get grungy over time.

GP

Basket and medium Sackville bag works for me.

Only picture I have.