icemilkcoffee 

For people using older Shimano brifters with exposed shift cables: have you found a handlebar bag that works for you?
On my bike I have this burrito looking bag with 3 point mounting:


it kind of works but it brushes my knee when starting from a stop.
From 1990 to 2010, there was a 20 year span of time when all Shimano brifters had exposed cables. Somebody must have figured out some kind of handlebar bag solution during that whole time.

Lazyass

Not the best pic but my bag is similar to yours. It fits perfect and doesn't wobble at all. But I have cross top levers and canti brakes. The bag is squeezed in between the levers and brake cable perfectly. It's a Banjo Bro's bag and I believe the one Jandd sells is the exact same one.

https://banjobrothers.com/collection...ebar-bag-small

Koyote

Just have to run longer shift cables and housing -- loop them out a bit further in front.

chaadster

Nice looking bike!

Lazyass

Thanks, I got it for $250 haha. As said above, I think your shift cable housing is cut too short. Mine runs under the bag.

chaadster

Don’t talk about my shift cables, yo. You don’t know my shift cables.

I’m not the OP.

Lazyass

Ooop, sorry

chaadster

The OP’s shift cable lengths look fine to me, but what I don’t get is how they have the bag mounted. OP, do you ride with the bag sitting atop your bars like that? That’s unusual for more reasons than one; you compromise hand positions and it’s hard to get into with the zipper facing away from you. I’m not a bar bag user— well, I do have a bike with a Route Werks handlebar bag, but that’s not really relevant to your type of bag— but I’m pretty sure yours is designed to mount under the bar, which would improve access ergonomics and locate it further forward, away from your knees. If you just flipped it up for the sake of the pic, why do you run it with the zipper facing the road?

ehcoplex 

Different style bag and different setup, but I was able to solve my brifter-shifter cable/handlebar bag interference issue with a pair of v-brake noodles. The housing length in the photo isn't quite right (I think it can be a bit shorter so the noodles point straight down), but it works fine so I haven't got around to trimming.... These are fairly narrow bars but the noodles give me just enough clearance to open/close the bag. Granted, it required redoing my shifter cables and readjusting the derailleurs, but I was due for new cables anyway..

pdlamb

I just mashed an Ortlieb down between the cables, and it worked well for 10,000 miles or so.

After that I started wondering about really long term interference with the cables (hadn't seen it yet), so I put in a couple V-brake noodles.

cyccommute 

Just smoosh the bag into place. I’ve haven’t found it to be an issue. Not in the 1200 miles of this tour



Nor the 1500 miles of this tour.

IMGP1059 by Stuart Black, on Flickr

If you really insist on moving the cables out of the way, you can use brake noodles from v-brakes. It worked but, eventually, the cable housing had an issue and I found I didn’t need to redirect the cables.

IMG_0821 by Stuart Black, on Flickr

There is a difference between the two setups. In both pictures of the white bike, I have Salsa Bell Lap bars which have a bit of flare to them and the shifters are angle inwards which points the cables downward a little. In the gray bike picture those are conventional bars and the shifters are fairly close to perpendicular.

mstateglfr 

First things first- attach the bag so that it isnt upside down. The way its mounted, the zipper will be at the bottom and that doesnt make sense.

Both of the bar bags below fit fine on my kid's road bike that has Tiagra 4600 shifters. Its a 50cm frame with relatively narrow bars too, so there isnt a ton of room up front but it all fits fine.

https://www.rei.com/product/167665/r...E&gclsrc=aw.ds

https://leadoutgear.com/products/lea...waAuHQEALw_wcB

icemilkcoffee 

I can't mount it under the bar because the front caliper brake cable is in the way. And in any event the bag mounts to the bar and stem with 3 straps, like a triangle. If I flip it upside down it will be in the same position fore and aft, but just lower. So that definitely won't do anything for knee clearance.

Now that is a neat solution!

icemilkcoffee 

Which bag is on this bike? Looks like it's slim enough that it fits behind the shift cables.

chaadster

I understand your reasoning, but are you sure the bag is supposed to mount to bars and stem, and not to bars and head tube? Again, I’m not superfamiliar with that type of bag, but the ones I’ve seen use a strap around the head tube to keep the bag more stable; the bag is not supposed to be snugged up tight to the HT, so it should provide more knee clearance mounted thusly.

Also, this is where the folks were talking about cable length; if you cut new, longer cables, you’ll have more room to displace them around the bag.

chaadster

Stuart can chime in with the pictured models, but they’re both Ortlieb bags, and if you visit the Ortlieb site, you’ll see that they have a bunch a different models. That it fits behind his cables does not mean it will fit behind yours, as bars have different reach dimensions, and probably various Shimano brifters have different dimensions as well. You can easily measure the depth you have between the handlebar and cable inlets on the shifters, and find a bag which will fit within that space; there are virtually hundreds— maybe literally— of bar bags to consider. Remember to account for the mounting bracket stand-off if the bag uses a quick-release mount instead of straps.

For example, this Ritchey bag has quite narrow depth:

https://specials.ritcheylogic.com/co...74ec-227395145

icemilkcoffee 

The link goes back to this thread.
But this is what I'm looking for a bag that is slim enough to fit behind the shift cables.

chaadster

whoops! Hahaha! I fixed the post and put the correct link in.

mstateglfr 

You wont flip it upside down if you change it, you will flip it right side up. Its currently upside down. Its supposed to be lower and in front of the bars.
If your knees are hitting a bag that is in front of your stem and the flats of your bars, then the bike doesnt fit. Also, if your knees hit the bag, then they are also hitting the handlebar.

You can attach it with just the mounting points that connect to the handlebar. The last stabilizer mount(usually a compression cord or something similar) can wrap around your head tube or even around the cable housing.

icemilkcoffee 

If I mount it in front of the bar, then the third mounting strap definitely will not reach the head tube. The third velcro strap is not any longer than the two velcro straps for the handlebars. I am guessing this bag was originally designed for an upright bike with a rising stem.
I guess I could put the front reflector bracket back on there, and use that as a mounting point for the third strap.

mstateglfr 

Or just wrap the stabilizer strap around a cable or two. That strap isn't load bearing, it just helps reduce movement.

cyclezen

I dislike having stuff in my jersey pockets, only things I carry in pockets, banana for longer ride, COVID mask in ziplock... my phone doesn't fit in my saddlebag... has space for small tool, tire levers, essential small reading glasses,, 2 tubes, and gel packet...
...so , I always have a 'handlebar bag' for cell and anything else, powerbar, arm coolers (white)/arm warmers (black), etc.
Handlebar bag is a small/med saddle bag. aero penalty , LOL! but works great, just right...

handlebar bag = med saddlebag
I have a small barrel bag, like yours, and on another bike with exposed brake & shift cables, cables go around it - maybe it's because of my 56 cm frame size. Large 'touring' bar bag would be more of issue, and shift cables are displaced, but still working...
Smaller saddlebag size works for me for almost all day rides... arm warmers and vest will fit with cell - if using leg warmers, they would go into jersey pocket...
Some guys also use the 2nd bottle cage for a gear-storage - I've not yet resorted to that, for a 50+ mi ride I'll be using both bottles...
Thx
Yuri yeah... I know, need new bar tape...

chaadster

dude…WTF?!?

cyclezen

dude, not sure - WTF
LOL!
but not everyone worries about minor 'sh#t' all the time...
I'll get around to the tape - as for bag, it works for me.
I do more than just 'ride'... but when time becomes a choice between ride and OCP,
I make sure the bike is roadworthy and running solid, then do the rest when time allows...
Been doin it that way for 58 yrs of riding...
works for me... ymmv
Yuri

cyccommute 

Both are Ortlieb Ultimate 6 medium with the same dimensions. Only the color is different. Ortlieb makes 2 versions of the bag…medium and large. The large is the same width and height but is deeper from to back according to Ortlieb tech specs. The Salsa bars are longer than some from the curve to the stem but not as long as others. The best way to proceed it to try a handlebar bag without modifying the cabling. If it works, great! If it doesn’t, try adding longer cable housing or the noodles idea. It’s not a critical as some might think.