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Bar bags anyone?

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in4:
I'm considering getting a bar bag for use whilst touring. I don't intend carrying bricks, small cattle or weighty tomes, just a phone, wallet, first aid kit etc. Reading around the topic there seems to be a debate about using one at all. Some say that a barbag interfers with steering, balance and that it can crowd out handlebar space. Others think they are great for carrying bits and bobs and for being a great map and snack holder.
If you're a barbag user which one do you use? Ortlieb, Vaude, Carradice?

bobs:
Ortlieb ultimate 6, great kit.

Danneaux:
Ian,

I carry largish/bulky but not heavy things in mine when possible so as to have minimal affect on handling. It is also my valuables repository so is never left on the bike and comes with me when I leave. It is stowed in the footbox/tail cone of my tent when I sleep. It also carries my electronics while they're being charged by my dybohub charger. Very handy that and waterproof as well.

I bought the Ortlieb Large HB bag because for about the extra weight of an aspirin tablet, I have another 1.5l of capacity, nice for stowing a wind shell or similar.

A real key to avoiding handling problems with a HB bag is minimizing weight carried in it, but almost as important is making sure the weight is carried as low as possible and as close as possible to the steering axis. This is where Thorn's Accessory T-bars are of such great use. They come in 55mm and 105mm forward extensions. I settled on the shorter for my needs 'cos the forward extension of the Ortlieb bracket made up the difference.

Hopefully helpful as another data point.

All the best,

Dan.

DAntrim:
Carradice super C for me.

Only has a 5ltr capacity, but that's enough for my pass through battery, valuables and some snacks - never stays on the bike always with me.

geocycle:
I have an ortlieb ultimate 4. Works well with some caveats. If it’s not full things rattle inside, if it is full it makes the steering heavier and the front end can swing around alarmingly when parked. The heavy steering is not a big problem you just adjust. I don’t like the bracket that is pretty much permanently fixed to the bike. The cable that supports it isn’t easy to reuse often. I would probably switch to something that buckles onto the wall bars like a carradice but then it’s harder to take indoors with you and I like to use the map pocket on the ortlieb. So I’ve not found the perfect solution yet.

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