bikemig 

I'm curious whether anyone does a weight to capacity calculation in figuring out which bags to use for long-distance events.

I'm thinking of picking up some new bags so I'm curious to see what others are using for long-distance events.

A rack and a rack pack is a fair amount of weight. It's fairly easy to match or beat the carrying capacity of a rack and rack pack with a saddle bag of some type. A revelate viscacha weights 14 ounces and holds 14 liters; that's a pretty efficient bag in terms of weight to carrying capacity. Carradice bags are not lightweight but they're pretty reasonable in terms of weight to carrying capacity compared even to a lightweight rack and bags (like the tubus fly and arkel dry lites).


Seat bags are more efficient (in terms of weight to carrying capacity) since you don't need a rack when carrying a reasonable amount of stuff (say up to 20 or so liters). I'm thinking it's time to ditch the rack and just get a seat bag of the right size.

LWaB

Some seat packs are a pain to use; needing to empty them out to reach stuff at the bottom or needing to load them in a specific manner to stop the bag sagging excessively.

CliffordK

A 5 or 6 gallon under seat bag would be pretty big without having some kind of a rack too.

Perhaps you could split it between a seat bag and a handlebar bag, but still the capacity would be pushing it.

I've started using duffel bags strapped to the rack for general cargo carrying, at least with my cargo bike. One of the advantages of panniers is better weight distribution, so if you go over 20 or 30 pounds, it may be nice to get the weight as low as possible on the bike.

unterhausen

I have never quite understood the need for a lot of volume for randonneuring. I rode this year with a single pannier for a couple of reasons which mostly involve not wanting to spend time on a better solution. I would have used my large Ortlieb seat bag, but I didn't want to deal with moving my tail light. I was thinking about going to a rack top bag, but they are all really heavy considering the volume and also would have interfered with my light.

The new style Ortleib seat bags with the built in rack seem like a good idea, especially since you can mount a jacket on top

skiffrun

Since August, I've been using no handlebar bag and no seatbag, either. I've been putting necessary stuff, including a spare tyre and a large tube of chamois butt'r in my pockets.

I'll get a replacement small seatbag in the next month or so, and will put my tiny handlbar bag, that I borrowed back from my friend Robert, before tackling a 300. (Robert had had the tiny handlebar bag since before PBP-2011.)

MilesDealer

I'm returning to the configuration I used during my first year of randonneurring: a large saddle bag matched with a lightweight backpack. Specifically a Topeak Aero Wedge Large saddlebag (expandable 1.5L - 2L) and a Vaude Trail Light 9L Backpack. Basically store clothing in the backpack and everything else in the saddlebag. I find the backpack to be comfortably light, loaded with clothing instead of water. Basically the loaded backpack is no heavier than if you were wearing all of your clothing.

skiffrun

oh, yeah -- for 400's, 600's, & a Fleche, I've put limited lightweight rain and cold gear in a shoe bag that I've carried on my back, looping the strings over my shoulders. That's been adequate. Properly done, that shoe bag has also doubled duty as a pillow (Irregular Velo Adventures: May-14/15: Morrisville 600 km Brevet).
I may have to figure out something else if I do a 1200. However, with multiple drop bags, ... .

thebulls

I've ridden about 40K km with a Carradice Lowsaddle Longflap. High ratio of capacity to weight! I used to ride with a handlebar bag on a Klikfix rack, but have switched to using a Gilles Berthoud on a low front rack. Most of the time I can ride with just the GB and a small saddlebag. Still a pretty high ratio of capacity to weight! In the winter I take the Carradice as well so that I have more room to stow bulky winter clothes.