Carradice questions

[Danneaux]

Hi All!

Update on my Carradice saddlebag carrier...

After a good deal of thought and some preliminary fabrications of my own, I decided to add a Thorn 45° Saddlebag Bracket to my last SJS Cycles order. I had considered it for some time: http://thorncyclesforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=11787.msg85868#msg85868

My Nomad is the flagship of my fleet and I like to keep its configuration stable while I work out new solutions on other bikes, then transfer the results to the Danneaux'mad  so it has minimal downtime.

Accordingly, I've been trialing the Thorn bracket on another bike and it looks to be working well enough to transfer over. Photos below.

The bag sits well supported by the rear rack while the upper mounting straps are configured with the buckles outside, meeting my requirements for a quick-release setup (the idea being to remove or mount the bag quickly in the rain, then take it into the dry tent to un/pack).

It also decouples the bag from the saddle, allowing the Thudbuster LT suspension seatpost to move freely without the added weight and mass of a loaded bag.

Best of all, the Thorn bracket leaves the rack itself clear so I can mount a rack-top pack if I prefer or strap on a rack-top load when touring with no interference. I added tall stainless acorn nuts to 5mm buttonhead allen bolts through the pre-drilled holes in the bracket; they serve to retain the buckled straps so they can't work off the sides of the bracket.

All in all a pretty tidy solution and available ready-made. Unfortunately, not all my bikes have this much clearance, so I will still need to fabricate a separate solution for those bikes...some have shorter Thudbuster ST sus-posts and some have rigid ones, most have rear racks.

The last photo shows a little silicone gasket I bought from an eBay vendor and slid over the seatpost. It provides a measure of weather protection to prevent water from running down the kerf at the rear of the seatpost. While not as effective as stretched piece of innertube, this looks considerable neater. Of course, I take care to generously grease my seatposts and quill stems with Phil Wood waterproof grease and remove them annually to check for galling. So far, so good over the last 35+ years.

Best,

Dan.

[Danneaux]

By the way...the bag and rear rack in the photos above are both level...but appear tipped forward because the bike is elevated in a rear wheel stand.

Best,

Dan.

[Neil Jones]

Hi Dan,

It looks like you've come up with another well thought out, neat solution. Those T bars have so many uses don't they.

May I ask what you keep in the red pack under your Brooks? Looks like a first aid kit or maybe a rainproof.

Regards,
Neil

[Danneaux]

Hi Neil!

Thanks so much for the kind words, but in this case, all credit must go to SJS Cycles' pre-canned solution: The Thorn 45° Saddlebag Bracket. It does work a treat in this application and for the Nomad (I need to order another), but I will need to dream up something else for the other bikes. I posted figuring it might spark some interest for others with unusual requirements.

Yes, those Thorn Accessory T-bars are a wonder! I have another 55mm version (thanks Dave Simpson!) I will mill an aluminum spacer for so I can affix it to the quill stem on my tandem to hold my Ortlieb handlebar bag mount. I might hesitate in ordinary circumstances, but this quill stem has a thick-walled stainless shaft that overlaps the alloy stem insert by a bit more than the depth of the Thorn Accessory T-bar clamp. This means what would normally be an aluminum quill alone is sleeved in a stainless tube for the entire portion where the T-bar will clamp. This adds a considerable margin of safety I would not wish to risk with an ordinary aluminum quill. My goal is to lower the center of gravity for the HB bag and to also free up a bit of space atop the handlebar. So many projects, so little time! 

The little red bag is a hastily mounted and temporary minimalist tool kit grabbed from another bike and contains a patch kit, spare tube, and 1 tire lever. I have a larger kit intended for this bike -- an Ortlieb Large Underseat Bag -- that I will mount to the underside of the Thorn Saddlebag Bracket as soon as I can mill a bracket out of aluminum. This way, I will be able to carry a bit more in the kit if I am just going a day ride and don't need the luggage capacity of the Carradice. The Large Ortlieb will hold my wind jacket, a longsleeve thermal jersey, second (spare) mini-pump, tube, two patch kits, and my multi tool with a wee bit of room left over. I think I can use it *and* the Carradice if I plan it carefully. Photos to follow when finished.

All the best,

Dan.

[mickeg]

...
The little red bag is a hastily mounted and temporary minimalist tool kit grabbed from another bike and contains a patch kit, spare tube, and 1 tire lever. I have a larger kit intended for this bike ...

On most of my bikes I have a bottle or cylindrical bag in my water bottle cage below the downtube with that stuff.  On a bike tour, that stuff is in a pannier and the cage is returned to its intended purpose, carrying water bottles.  If I have a spare patch kit of the self-adhesive variety lying around, that gets put in there too.  Came in handy last year when I had to patch a tube to get home, the spare tube was not enough that day.

First photo, I sprayed a Parmesan cheese jar black, it fit perfect.  The clear plastic part of the jar, sprayed the inside so that I do not rub the paint off with the cage.

Second photo, a nylon bag intended for that purpose.

I have also used an older Skippy peanut butter jar, but the newer bottles are downsized and do not fit well in a cage.

[David Simpson]

On most of my bikes I have a bottle or cylindrical bag in my water bottle cage below the downtube with that stuff.

Thanks, George, for another great idea!

I sprayed a Parmesan cheese jar black, it fit perfect.

I'll need to take my bottle cage to the grocery store and find something that fits.

Grocery store employee: Can I help you, sir?
Me: Yes, I'd like the cheapest product in the store that fits this bottle cage.
Grocery store employee:

Second photo, a nylon bag intended for that purpose.

That's a nice bag. Do you know the brand or model?

Thanks,
DaveS

[Danneaux]

On most of my bikes I have a bottle or cylindrical bag in my water bottle cage below the downtube with that stuff.

That's a clever repurposing that came out well, George; nicely done and looks good!

For about the last decade, I've been using SOMA Tool Bottles. They come in two sizes to fit in standard bottle cages. The larger version has a notch in it to catch on the "retention finger" at the end of the cage to prevent ejection over big bumps. BBB, Shimano, and a number of other vendors make nearly identical models. They hold a surprising amount. Pictured below is the large size. Best prices can be found on eBay if you search for "Bicycle Tool Bottle" (no quotes). They're available in a variety of molded colors and are waterproof and some are adjustable for size/length, many for USD$5.95 including shipping. I built my Folder with four bottle mounts so I could have three water bottles plus the tool bottle.

It is also possible to use a standard wide-mouth water bottle as a tool bottle. The Zefal Magnum 1l bottle is an ideal candidate and holds a lot.

[Figuring someone might wonder/ask, the cut-down combination box/open end wrenches shown in the photo are used to tighten the 14mm swingarm pivot bolts on my Danneauxbuilt Folder]


All the best,

Dan.

[mickeg]

On most of my bikes I have a bottle or cylindrical bag in my water bottle cage below the downtube with that stuff.

Thanks, George, for another great idea!

I sprayed a Parmesan cheese jar black, it fit perfect.

I'll need to take my bottle cage to the grocery store and find something that fits.

Grocery store employee: Can I help you, sir?
Me: Yes, I'd like the cheapest product in the store that fits this bottle cage.
Grocery store employee:

Second photo, a nylon bag intended for that purpose.

That's a nice bag. Do you know the brand or model?

Thanks,
DaveS

If you have a water bottle that is the exact diameter you need, take a strip of paper and wrap around the bottle and mark on that paper what the circumference of your bottle is.   Then put that strip of paper in your wallet.  Then in the store, if you see a good candidate for a bottle, take out the paper and wrap around it to see how close it is.

When I spray painted the bottle, it was clear plastic so I sprayed the inside of the bottle so that the paint does not get scrapped off on the cage.  The lid was not clear so I sprayed the outside on that.

A couple years ago I bought a jar of Almonds that came in a jar of perfect size, I kept the bottle instead of discarding it when empty but have not yet found a bike that needed it.

The bag, I bought it years ago so I doubt that it is still available.  Made by Sci Con.

At one time I bought a bottle made by Zefal that I use on my newest bike.

The red bike in my first photo, that frame did not have lower bottle cage mounts, so I used the old style straps like we used to use on all of our cages decades ago when frames did not have bottle cage mounts.

[sd]

Sorry could not bring myself to go through the whole thread, so this point may already have been made. Speaking from experience cotton duck is 100% waterproof at all times. When wet the thread expands to block all the minute holes including stitching. I have had mine 15 years and never has a drop of water got in. I have cycled in torrential rain. My tent has been blown away in storm and my carradice c, left outside the tent did not let a drop of water in.
A few years ago I started proofing the outside as I decided I didn't want to carry wet bags all the time. At times I would expect the bags to be wet most of the winter. I suspect there is a decent reduction in weight having bags that are dry no matter how hard it rains. I bought a half gallon fabsil canvas waterproofer from millets. The waterproofing doesn't last for ever but it's nice see all the water beading on the bags. Application is with a brush and takes minutes.