Frame bag Knee Rub - who cares?
 

Hello

I recently got a revelate tangle half frame bag and installed it on my lynskey frame. This bike I built for mostly commuting, a little fun, but also slated for my debut gravel race in April.

I just went around the block a bit to see how it felt and what I noticed is that it does rub a little bit on the knees. Just a bit though. It has a pump some small tools, a tube and a rain shell in it to mimic what I'd pack for the gravel event.

It's still basically "new" so I want to ask before it's not new enough to still return:

1. How many of you find that the rub, over time, creates an uncomfortable chaffing against your knees?

2. In more aggressive faster riding, how many of you would consider the frame bag rub against your knees to be a nuisance?

I noticed in pictures of my upcoming gravel race that not a single bicyclist had a frame bag installed (even though the much much longer Dirty Kanza seems to have them in spades) so I'm wondering whether this lack of frame bags within the genre is just a matter of "tradition" or whether the prevailing school of thought is that they are "not a good idea."

I don't care about being in style (that much). I care about being functional.

Thanks all

I don't do any type racing but am curious as to the need for a frame bag in a gravel race?

I ride my tourer, and sometimes my road bike with a smallish Banjo Brothers bag. I picked a (cheap) pair of running pants when my knee kept ticking against a small overlap of velcro. I trimmed the velcro and problem solved. My knees don't rub my bag. I think that would bug me. I also don't overstuff my bag so that could possibly be your problem. Or it simply could be your position on pedals or how we're built. I don't think a frame bag should rub your knees. You said it rubs "just a bit" so it could possibly be corrected with a little tweaking of the position or something. Dunno, but like I said, I think it would bug me if it were a continual thing.

For shorter rides a multi-tool and tube can go in a saddle bag. Rain shell and pump can go in a jersey pocket. Not much else has to be carried.

For longer rides or rides in the backcountry I have a small Apidura frame bag almost identical to the Tangle. It does not rub even with thermos, food, shell, arm warmers, water filter, etc. Stuff can't just be shoved in so that it bulges. A little bit of thought should go into how it is packed.

The bag also has to fit the frame. Many size them too big and they fit baggy and all droopy.

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


-Tim-

I don't have a race bone in my body but if your knees rubbing the bag I wouldnt want that messing up my concentration during one. I say skip the bag for the race. And thats one nice frame I saw pics of. Which one did you get?

Be careful to not compensate.
 

Same idea if slightly different application. I ride a recumbent and have a small bag on the top tube for incidentals. This winter I started keeping my ear warmers in a side pocket, which made the bag bulge slightly. I didn't think a thing of it until my left knee started to ache. ??? I decided I was unconsciously compensating for the bulging bag by turning my knee out, causing pain. I removed the ear warmers. Problem solved.

I wouldn't use anything that had an issue like that.

My large Blackburn Outpost frame bag has more rigid sides and my knees never touch it on my 920. You might also look at the Jandd half frame bag, since it stays toward the front of the main triangle.

That would drive me crazy. No way could I deal with that.

Coroplast, inside will resist the bulging , but it does have a thickness trade off in volume.. ..

Coat the outside of the bag in a mixture of Neo-Sporin and Ben-Gay.

The Tangle should not bulge significantly if sized and packed correctly.

My guess is that the gag is too big for the frame, packed with too much heavy stuff or the rider has an issue with the way he rides, knees close to the top tube for some reason. Or some combination of all three.

Best place to buy the Apidura?

https://www.apidura.com/

:)

Five day shipping from London to suburban Atlanta and prices equal or less than any other website I could find.

Thanks, guy. Yours is the Backcountry Compact 3L, right? Does it interfere with you taking your waterbottle out of it's cage?

Just say no to frame bags. Terrible idea.
But there are riders that ride bikes with wide Q factor and/or have poor technic like out-toeing that can ride with a frame bag. I cannot.

Many are projecting their own lives onto every else' life.

Frame bags are very handy for long rides in the back country when a water filtration system needs to be carried or when it is very cold and a thermos of hot food means survival.

If someone can't ride with a frame bag then they are packing it wrong, have a bag which doesn't fit their frame or have poor technique themselves. A frame bag which fits the bike properly and is packed correctly should be no more than 2 or 3 inches wide.


Yes, the 3L.

I use side loader cages when the bag is mounted and only put it on with standard cages for that one photo.


-Tim-

I can fit multi-tools and a few energy bars in a saddle bag and a tank bag but if I want a thermal layer or rain layer as well then I'm pushing the limit. (I can't fit a large saddle bag because of clearance issues on my cross frame). Bear in mind, this is a 45-mile race not a 2-3 mile race so there is potential for weather shifts during that time. We're talking mid-April in Northeastern Vermont. Could be all over the map so I really want to have those extra layers.

I'm not racing to win, I'm racing for the personal challenge of finishing the tough race.It's a lynskey cooper cx frame I built up. I absolutely love this bike. I call it butter because of how smooth it rides. Much less harsh than its predecessor, my previous specialized aluminum tricross.

Yea I think they're great for fat bikes, with the feet so much farther apart.

Anyway, I've decided to go with a top tube bag and a saddle bag. I suppose a compact layer can fit in the rear pocket of a riding jersey.

Thank you all for the replies, even though I didn't get to reply to each individually.

What constitutes poor riding technique? I think mine was packed no more than three inches yesterday. I have spd pedals and I angle my cleats just a few slight degrees outwards. My saddle is positioned so that, with the pedal all the way down my knee has an ever-so-slight bend with my ankle at neutral. I chose a stem using the forearm method and the distance feels very comfortable.

I'm not claiming to be the master of riding but, with the right geometries, what would I be doing that would be "poor riding"? Not being defensive but just truly want to know.

With fat bikes with wider bottom brackets, I see the knees naturally spreading apart more. But with traditional road/cross bike distances, it is where it is, no?

That bag is too big for the frame.

http://www.revelatedesigns.com/site/...izing-2017.pdf

A properly sized (smaller) bag will likely solve the problem. The top straps can be against the underside of the top tube but there should be space between the bag and the seat/down tubes. The bag should be suspended inside the frame.

That's a really nice bike though. What bars are on it? Are there more photos of it somewhere?


-Tim-

Okay. I guess that makes sense. Thanks.

The bars in have on it are cowbell 42s. I decided I wanted a slight flare but not so extreme as a cow chipper or woodchipper setup. I actually experimented with several different flat/swept bars before just facing the fact that this bike was born for drops. It's an ongoing experiment - finding that elusive perfect fit.

I don't have superb pictures but here's a couple more amateur shots I took awhile back. I suppose I could do the whole flickr thing and show off a little.

Cheers

Thanks for the photos.

You could post it on Pedalroom.

That's a big tree!

Yea you've got to find a way to make that setup work. Too sweet not to

Yep, that tangle bag is one size too big.

Why not just throw that bag on your rear rack?

My Relevate Tanglebag has been great on my cx and gravel grinder bikes. No issues with leg rub. I pack it to keep it thin as possible which include a tube, various food items, multi tool, small rag. CO2 cartridges, air pump, tire boots, lens wipes, phone and the kitchen sink. I also use a small saddle seat post bag so the frame bag won’t get too wide that addition might help. I use a hydration backpack because I ride in the boonies with no amenities except cactus and cow patties. The storage on the bike keeps the weight down on my back and the hydration pack gets lighter as the ride progresses. I’m so use to the backpack I don’t even notice it.