Technical > Luggage

Rear Luggage - what capacity (novice questions)

<< < (3/3)

JohnR:
Carradice is another baggage brand to consider. Spa Cycles has a good range although some items are out of stock at the moment https://spacycles.co.uk/m5b0s74p0/Bags-and-Luggage/Pannier-Bags. I bought this cheap bar bag https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08F5887XD a couple of months ago but I haven't had a need to test it yet. It's about 25cm long so should fit where space prevents a bigger bag. A top tube bag and/or a frame bag are other ways to carry smaller items to avoid them disappearing to the bottom of a pannier.

mickeg:
I like the concept of the Thorn accessory bar or a second stem with a stub of handlebar tubing to put the handlebar bag bracket lower than the handlebar.  For the Thorn accessory bar, I use the 55mm one with drop bars.
https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/accessories/thorn-accessory-bar-t-shaped-55-mm-extension-222-mm-0-deg/

For those to work, you need enough steerer tube for both your regular stem and the accessory bar or second stem.

First photo, my road bike with the Thorn accessory bar.

Second photo, my rando bike with a second stem.

Third photo, I used an adjustable stem on my light touring titanium bike.  This photo also shows my "parking brake", an elastic on the brake lever.

So, if you plan something like this, make sure that the bike manufacturer does not cut the steerer tube too short.  It can always be cut shorter, but you can't cut it longer.

It might be a good idea to tell them to leave it a couple inches (~~ 5cm) extra long after you have already added your second stem in case you decide as you get older that you want the bars a bit higher.

My road bike came with the stem down low and only 50mm of spacers, but with a 35 degree angle stem I could get the bars up where I wanted them.

***

I usually bring two shirts for off bike use, two pairs of pants (which may include one pair of shorts instead), two sets of bike clothes, but four days of socks and four days of underwear because in rainy weather you might not have a chance to dry your laundry.

I use pedals with SPD on one side, platform on the other.  There have been several times when I did not want to wear my bike shoes on the bike, for example if the bike shoes were soaked from too many rainy days, etc.  With those pedals I could use my off-bike shoes on the bike too.

If you are never camping, not sure if you would ever need a drain stopper.  Campgrounds often do not have a drain stopper if you do sink laundry.  I bring my own flat silicone stopper.

A down vest collapses down to nothing but is quite warm, especially under a jacket.  I keep a thin stocking cap in a vest pocket so I remember where I put it.  I almost never wear the vest when on the bike, but my vest is bright yellow for visibility in case I want to wear it on the bike on a cold morning.  And a neck gaiter can come in handy too.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[*] Previous page