Coluber42

I'm working on designing a front bag, along the lines of Berthoud or Ostrich, to sit on a front rack, so I'm looking for some feedback on what you've used and what you liked or didn't like about it.

Here are a few questions in particular:
- A design that opens toward the rider seems intuitively easier to access while riding than one that opens away, but some do open away from you. This seems awkward to reach, but does solve the potential problem of having to reach around between the front of your bars and the back of the bag to get at the latch, hook, or whatever. Any comments about opening toward or away from you?

- Have you had issues with finding the things you need to access often while riding (food, arm warmers, sunglasses) or having to fish through stuff you don't need as often (extra jacket, spare tube, etc)?

- Have you used this type of bag without a decaleur? Was stability an issue when fully loaded? When only partially loaded?

- Those front pockets look great, but do you use them? Do you use them for thigns you want access to while riding, or for stuff like wallet/keys/cell phone/brevet card?

- Do you ever carry an extra bottle in or on your front bag? If not, have you tried?

- What are the most important things you'd look for in a front bag, generally speaking? What do you wish you could do with one that you can't do with yours?

Thanks in advance!

StephenH

On my cheap little handlebar bag, which I use for brevets (in addition to a rear trunk bag), I keep my brevet card and wallet in that front zippered pocket, which I only need when I'm off the bike anyway.

Consider whether the bag will interfere with cables or with handle-bar-mounted headlights in the design.

It helps if it goes on and off easily, as I mostly don't use mine, only for brevets.

I tend to run out of room on the handlebars, so the less handlebar space it uses, the better. (Lights, speedometer, cue-sheet holder, handlebar bag all go there, supposedly.)

I have a bigger cheap handlebar bag, and I actually did a century on the Worksman cruiser using it. I had a gallon jug of Gatorade in that thing. And yes, the velcro straps held up for the trip. But I don't normally carry liquid in a handlebar bag.

Andrey

I have an Acorn bag that I use with a Nitto rack. I do use a decaleur , plus I made an aluminum bracket that is bolted to the upper portion of the bag. The bag is very stable with the addition of the bracket, I do not even need to use the Velcro under the bag. The original system without a decaleur and strings that attach to brakes was OK, but the bag was not stable enough causing even more handling problems.
If I design the bag from scratch I would make it a smaller size and make smaller compartments inside the bag(for the brevet card, phone, wallet, maps, food pocket) .It would open from the inside to access things easier or from the sides.
Things I like in Acorn bag:
It is 100 %waterproof.
Rubber bands closures-easy to open/close/adjust.
Easy to access while riding.

Things I do not like:
One large compartment makes it messy on long rides and hard to find things. Bag is too large.
Cotton bag/rack is heavy, makes the bike handling slow.
Map pocket on top of lid is not waterproof and not a standard size paper sheet for cue sheets.

lonesomesteve

I currently use a VO Campagne bag that sits on a Nitto M12 rack and is held up with a VO Decaleur. For the most part I'm pretty happy with this setup. See answers to your questions below.

bobbycorno

I'm running a Berthoud #28 bag on a Nitto M12 rack with a VO decaleur on my Kogswell P/R. AFAIK, that's the biggest, tallest "bar" bag currently available. And the map pocket is still a couple inches LOWER than the top of my stem. I'm tall. It works great, except that the bag "sways" (for want of a better word) from side to side. The back panel of the bag is held firmly in place by the decaleur and rack, but the rest of the bag is free to flex side to side, which it does quite readily. I'm working on a way of attaching the front bottom of the bag solidly to the rack, which should fix the problem and pretty much eliminate that cause of front wheel shimmy. (Yes, I've seen Mike Kone's solution. It doesn't appear to be quite as elegant or robust as I'd like.)

I really like the elastic band and hook closures - easy to manage while riding, and plenty secure. The only pocket I use while riding is the main one, and the "open away" design works great as the wind holds it shut even if it's not fastened shut. I've never even thought of using it "sans decaleur", which would most likely be disastrous, and I've never carried a water bottle in it, tho' it routinely carries a lot of "ride food", which can be a pretty substantial load.

Would I use this setup again? You bet, tho' I'd just as soon not spend QUITE so much on the bag.

SP
Bend, OR

spokenword

for disclosure, Coluber (Hi, E!) is designing the bag for me and I find it kind of funny how common complaints about map cases are as that's one reason why I've looked into getting a custom bag rather than going with Acorn or Ostrich or V-O. Basically, the requirements that I've given, which I'd welcome feedback on.

Main compartment with one internal flat pocket to hold easy access stuff that should stay waterproof (ie. wallet, brevet card, phone, camera)

Two outside inward facing 3D pockets for food, electrolytes, head lamp and other easy access items that could be exposed to weather (Coluber is floating the idea of keeping these pockets open so as to make it easy to retrieve items from them. I'm still thinking that I'd like flap closures, but I'm curious to hear from folks who've used pockets with flaps and what their preferred closure mechanisms are)

Double-sided map/cue-sheet holder that allows for easy flipping of an 8.5x11 sheet of paper during the course of a ride without dismounting (this is still being brainstormed but we've got a few interesting candidate ideas)

Single 3D front pocket with flap that could hold easy access off bike items (ie. spare tubes, batteries, etc.), supplementing the side pockets on the saddlebag.

I would still plan on riding with a Carradice saddlebag that would hold the bulk of my gear (clothing, toolkit, pump, etc.) but the front bag would hold things that I would need while riding. The bag doesn't have to be cavernous, but large enough to hold what one may need to use on a 40 mile leg between two controles.

SBinNYC

I still use a TA front bag. https://velo-orange.blogspot.com/2006...lebar-bag.html

It's got several advantages over all its imitators. First, all pockets and compartments use an elastic strap that requires only 1 hand to release. The top flap opens to the back with the elastic going around the stem. It's a snap to pop open without missing a rev while riding. The two rear pockets have metal catches that open with one hand. The front pocket is the only one that requires you to reach over the handlebars to open, while on the bike.

I've used the front bag for items that I want to get at while riding the bike. That's mostly food. I do carry a rain jacket and arms & legs in it. I don't want to put anything heavy in it. I'll also use a seat pack for the heavier and bulkier stuff; that's where the spare tubes and tools go.

I have always used some kind of decaleur. I've used this, before I got a proper one. https://store.velo-orange.com/index.p...bag-mount.html One word of caution, they don't include the elastic strap that went around the head tube to stabilize it.

I always have my identification, house keys and valuables, including the brevet card, on my person in one of the jersey pockets.

My bike has braze-ons for 3 water bottles. Water is heavy and bulky. It does not belong in the front bag, where space and weight are at a premium.

Two incidents with front bags might be illuminating.

I was on a tour in China in 1981. I carry at least 1 chocolate bar in the front bag. A rat smelled it, bit a hole through the canvas and and ate the chocolate, while I was sleeping. I made it a point to keep my front bag a safe distance away from where I was sleeping thereafter.

I was on a 400K brevet that featured 18 hours of heavy rain. I'm a tortoise and I told a hare that I'd beat him on this brevet by backing PBJ sandwiches and not stop for food. He bought a nylon-coated front bag and told me he would follow me and beat me in a final sprint. When the rains came, he discovered that his "waterproof" front bag let the rain in but held it tight once it was in. His sandwiches were floating in a puddle of water. BTW, at the 200+ mile point we decided to come in together.

noteon 

I use a small, soft handlebar bag without a decaleur--but if I were designing a Berthoudy-Ostrichy front bag, I'd want a strap on the side, along the lines of a taillight strap, to hold a pen for information controles and notes to myself. I'd also want a good place to clip a map light so I didn't have to aim my forehead light while pedaling.