Long distance unsupported on a Softride?
#1
cycles per second
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 1,930
Bikes: Early 1980's Ishiwata 022 steel sport/touring, 1986 Vitus 979, 1988 DiamondBack Apex, 1997 Softride PowerWing 700, 2001 Trek OCLV 110
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 44 Post(s)
Liked 71 Times
in
48 Posts
Long distance unsupported on a Softride?
I rode a club ride (a recreational club, not a randonneuring club) on Sunday and the ride leader had on a Minnesota Randonneurs jersey. I wasn't aware there was a rando club in Minnesota (I rode a brevet series in Minnesota in 2003 but there was no club at that time so my "club" affiliation for Paris-Brest-Paris was "RUSA Minnesota"). Anyway, I went to their website and saw this race on the schedule...
North Star Bicycle Race #4: https://www.northstarbicyclerace.com/
Thinking about riding it in 2023 maybe. I could use the same bike I used for PBP, but since this is a race, I'm wondering if I could use my Softride. It is a PowerWing 700 so the main issue is that the bike has no seat tube, seat post, or seat stays and so has limited ability to attach any sort of packs. Has anyone used a Softride for long distance enduro-style racing or randonneuring? What are some good sites to find bike packing gear? Thanks for the replies!
North Star Bicycle Race #4: https://www.northstarbicyclerace.com/
Thinking about riding it in 2023 maybe. I could use the same bike I used for PBP, but since this is a race, I'm wondering if I could use my Softride. It is a PowerWing 700 so the main issue is that the bike has no seat tube, seat post, or seat stays and so has limited ability to attach any sort of packs. Has anyone used a Softride for long distance enduro-style racing or randonneuring? What are some good sites to find bike packing gear? Thanks for the replies!
#2
working on my sandal tan
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: CID
Posts: 22,625
Bikes: 1991 Bianchi Eros, 1964 Armstrong, 1988 Diamondback Ascent, 1988 Bianchi Premio, 1987 Bianchi Sport SX, 1980s Raleigh mixte (hers), All-City Space Horse (hers)
Mentioned: 98 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3868 Post(s)
Liked 2,560 Times
in
1,574 Posts
#3
Junior Member
Originally Posted by Gonzo Bob;[url=tel:22240061
22240061[/url]]What are some good sites to find bike packing gear? Thanks for the replies!
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Madison, WI
Posts: 11,112
Bikes: 1961 Ideor, 1966 Perfekt 3 Speed AB Hub, 1994 Bridgestone MB-6, 2006 Airnimal Joey, 2009 Thorn Sherpa, 2013 Thorn Nomad MkII, 2015 VO Pass Hunter, 2017 Lynskey Backroad, 2017 Raleigh Gran Prix, 1980s Bianchi Mixte on a trainer. Others are now gone.
Mentioned: 47 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3426 Post(s)
Liked 1,441 Times
in
1,122 Posts
That horizontal piece where your seat is attached, is that round? If so, what is the diameter? If it is a diameter that you could shim to install a 1 1/8 inch threadless high angle (~ 35 degree) stem, you could put a stem on it upwards and towards the rear. Then you could put a cut down handlebar or a one inch diameter wood dowel on it that so that it runs side to side. From that you could hang a Carradice style saddle bag.
I have a Carradice bag hanging from a stem on my road bike in the photo below, stem is shimmed to fit the seatpost, I used a painted wood dowel, put a stainless fender washer on each end so the bag straps do not slip off. In my case I put a DIY aluminum rod support under the bag but that is not necessarily needed if you have enough tire clearance below the bag.
Thinking outside the box, you can do just about anything you could possibly want to when it comes to bikes and how to hang a bag on them.
I have a Carradice bag hanging from a stem on my road bike in the photo below, stem is shimmed to fit the seatpost, I used a painted wood dowel, put a stainless fender washer on each end so the bag straps do not slip off. In my case I put a DIY aluminum rod support under the bag but that is not necessarily needed if you have enough tire clearance below the bag.
Thinking outside the box, you can do just about anything you could possibly want to when it comes to bikes and how to hang a bag on them.
Likes For Tourist in MSN:
#5
cycles per second
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 1,930
Bikes: Early 1980's Ishiwata 022 steel sport/touring, 1986 Vitus 979, 1988 DiamondBack Apex, 1997 Softride PowerWing 700, 2001 Trek OCLV 110
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 44 Post(s)
Liked 71 Times
in
48 Posts
By "horizontal piece" do you mean the carbon fiber beam? No, that is not round. The top is rounded but the bottom is flat and it is about 1 1/4" tall and wide. A 1 1/8" stem would not fit. But maybe I could get a replacement seat bracket and slide that on behind the saddle and use that to mount a pack somehow (maybe with some sort of "seat rail" like frame).
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Madison, WI
Posts: 11,112
Bikes: 1961 Ideor, 1966 Perfekt 3 Speed AB Hub, 1994 Bridgestone MB-6, 2006 Airnimal Joey, 2009 Thorn Sherpa, 2013 Thorn Nomad MkII, 2015 VO Pass Hunter, 2017 Lynskey Backroad, 2017 Raleigh Gran Prix, 1980s Bianchi Mixte on a trainer. Others are now gone.
Mentioned: 47 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3426 Post(s)
Liked 1,441 Times
in
1,122 Posts
#7
mosquito rancher
There are lots of custom bikepacking-bag makers out there. I've got a small aerobar bag from Kaibab Customs. Hanging a loaded bag from the beam would change its dynamics, of course, and could get in the way of your legs depending on where it sits and how wide it gets. And anchoring it to the downtube might be a problem, with the beam flexing.
__________________
Adam Rice
Adam Rice
#8
Randomhead
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Happy Valley, Pennsylvania
Posts: 24,364
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Liked 3,664 Times
in
2,497 Posts
I think one of the larger bikepacking bags should work. There are handlebar bags that probably could be made to work as well.