lightspree

Often people can get used to such things, and accept or adapt to them - but it seems like having any real weight up there in front of the bars while riding, especially off road, could interfere with responsiveness, and make the steering feel a little sluggish or at least less than optimal.

It also seems like a fairly bulky bag up there could block your view adversely at times, so that even a lightly weighted bag might be undesirable in some situations.

What are your experiences with this? Would you rather have your handlebars free?

I like the idea of going rackless, but I'm not sure I want to go the route of putting a lot on my bars. Maybe it's okay though. Hearing from those who are experienced in this area would be useful.

(The other types of bags used by bikepackers may have their own issues. If you know of any, like seatbag sway, or anything else, it would be useful to know about your experiences with those as well.)

fietsbob

You have a specific Kit in Mind ?

I know you can still see where you are Going, even if you cannot see the top of your wheel, well .

I did the 4 panniers and handle bar touring , Bike packing thing is pretty new ..

Lots of Minimalist Racer-tour riders compete in the trans america Race in June , that set up is popular there. . They Start From Here [there was an east to west group last year ending here , few in number]

CliffordK

I don't do much off road riding, and can't think of when I've done loaded off road riding.

It would take a mighty big handlebar bag to obscure vision of the road ahead. Perhaps a bit of looking straight down at the tire (at which point one isn't looking at the road ahead).

I've always done rear loaded, and it will get a little squirrelly with a particularly heavy load, perhaps due to a combo of things including riding a racing bike with racks on it.

There would be a benefit of getting your load as low to the ground as possible. Many people have low-riders on the front. I wouldn't really want an extra 30 pounds or so above the level of the bars.

lightspree

No, I'm looking at the possibilities and following up on recommendations.

I've done a lot of rack-and-pannier touring (and lived that way for years), but have yet to try a rackless bikepacking setup.

Even with the racks and touring setup, though, I was always leery of large or heavy handlebar bags, and avoided them.

I do have experience with (partial) frame bags. To me, they make the greatest sense of all (at least with most of my bikes). It's a great place for the weight, and I really appreciate the accessibility, including while riding.

I'm seriously considering either ordering a custom full-triangle frame bag, or a making a DIY version.

I also like the area underneath the lower part of the downtube. It's a great place, in my experience, for weight. The area is limited, but it can still be utilized, better utilized, and possibly expanded too. A large (1.5 liter) water bottle goes down there on some of my bikes, and this works well. I like having the weight low.

I'm looking at ways of more fully utilizing or expanding that space.

I've seen a frame bag that is much wider than usual. This is an interesting option. Obviously, crankarms and legs need at least a bit of clearance. One approach is to widen the space between the crank arms, and this is something I am considering. An extra inch per side doesn't seem too unreasonable, in my case at least, and the extra two inches for the frame bag could be useful.

Minimizing weight and bulk is clearly another approach, which can be combined with the others.

It seems as if a rigid aluminum bar could be fastened to the saddle rails, and be used as a support. You could even have a couple of braces triangulating out from below. I'm thinking of a transverse mount here. Most of the large bikepacking seat bags just seem a little too cantilevered out or something - the transverse idea is more appealing to me, and won't be a problem for my riding (obviously, there could be clearance issues on narrow overgrown trails, etc., but those are not on my agenda, and if a certain tour demanded a narrower profile, which isn't going to happen any time soon if at all, I would just switch to that as needed).

One goal is to be able to attach a lightweight backpack (maybe 34 liters or so at times, or sub-30 at others), since I often do hiking/backpacking in combination with touring, and I really like the idea of using the backpack for dual duty instead of having panniers or other separate bags in addition to the backpack. I also like being able to unclick the backpack easily, and use it or take it with me as needed. So the challenge is to find a good way of mounting the backpack. Hence the aluminum bar idea.

I'm still considering a lightweight rear rack as well. The backpack could just be strapped on top. The weight is somewhat high, but if it's stable and minimalized, it's not a problem.

The same thing could be done with a good seatpost rack (since some of my bikes do not have rear eyelets).

I'm mostly using high quality vintage mountain bikes, as well as some road bikes, depending on the tour.

Frame bags that mount on top of the top tube also appeal to me, and I would like to make the most of those as well, as needed.

Also, the space around the headtube area.

revcp 

I prefer a bikepacking setup to racks and panniers. I've done offroad--the Arrowhead Ultra, not a tour, but a good test of handling--and on road with handlebar harness, frame bag and saddle bag. Having everything inline with the bike instead of hanging off the sides makes the bike feel basically the same, but heavier. Having the load higher in front doesn't feel odd, perhaps because of being attached directly to the bars.

spinnaker

How could a front bag possibly block your view?

Unless you are really, really short, like a foot (.3 meters) tall or you have a very large bag like a backpack, not designed for cycle touring mounted on your handlebar.

View of the wheel maybe? Make sure everything is secure and nothing on your bike will get stuck in the wheel before you depart. Trust your ears and your eyes to look for road hazards ahead.

lightspree

A foot tall? Good one. I'm trying to picture that, pedaling down the trail....

Maybe with some leg extensions to reach the pedals?

I wish an artist could give us a good rendition of a little alien pedaling down the trail on a bikepacking bike.

I've never tried putting a sleeping bag on my handlebars, or a tent. Or both (as I've seen in some bikepacking setups).

That amount of size would, in some situations, block one's view of a rock or other obstacle, at least it seems to me that it might do that. I would like to hear from those who've done it, though....

spinnaker

I can't imagine. If you got that close to an obstacle that you could not see it because of a bag on you handlebar then you are already too close and it is too late to avoid.

revcp 

[QUOTE=lightspree;19032642

That amount of size would, in some situations, block one's view of a rock or other obstacle, at least it seems to me that it might do that. I would like to hear from those who've done it, though....[/QUOTE]

It's not an issue.

manapua_man

Strapping pretty much anything to your bike will negatively affect handling, regardless of the method.

My experience has been that bikepacking rigs are fine if you're running light...and if you try heavier loads, they can suck way more than regular racks and panniers.

alan s 

Just rode the C&O Towpath this weekend. The front bag blocks the view of the tire, but not the ground immediately in front, and I never felt as though my view was hampered. By the time something is at your tire, there's not much you can do. The bike handles well with a very secure handlebar roll.

alan s 

Oh, and I forgot to mention the pie at Weaver's.

SparkyGA

I can still see the wheel of my 29er even with a 20L dry bag strapped to front of my handlebar. It's a bit more of a workout with regards to steering but otherwise totally fine. You get use to it extremely quickly.

Seat post bags are highly varied in design so answering a question is kinda tough. They work very well as long as you learn how to pack them properly. Some have mini racks, others are totally soft, some bags are fixed to the bike others are partially removable. To each his own preference. Another fantastic option is going with a lightweight rack with a dry bag strapped on top. I personally prefer it if I'm doing a longer ride (years...)

Frame bags are totally awesome until you get hit with a huge crosswind, then it turns your bike into a sail. But still not as bad as having even 2 panniers on the bike. I've often put 4L of water in the frame bag, all my heavy metal stuff (tools, spare parts) and barely notice any change in how the bike rides. Almost like magic.

Top tube bags are the most handy thing known to cycling. Nice place to put your snacks and store your phone. My rule of thumb for them is bigger is always better.

Front fork mounted Anything Cages: Great when you need to carry a lot more stuff on your bikepacking adventures. I normally used them for those times that you need to carry a lot more water 2x2L Coke bottles...

My poor panniers never get any use these days for touring, only in use for grocery shopping around town