Can I just check Dan, that both the sport packer and the bike packer will work ok with low loader front racks?
Hi Richie!
I just went out where the Nomad is standing by the fireplace in its rear-wheel stand, and mounted both bags ont he front racks. Keep in mind I am running 26x2.0 Schwalbe Duremes and Thorn Low-Loader MkV front pannier racks.
With the bike vertical, the (front) Ortlieb SportPacker Plus bags clear the ground by 8in/20.3cm. The (rear) Ortlieb BikePacker Plus bags clear the ground by 6-7/8in/17.46cm -- roughly 30mm less. Most city curbs here in the 'States run between 6in/15.24cm and 6.5in/16.5cm tall. For what it's worth, even the large bags do pretty well at skimming the sagebrush when I bushwhack cross-country in the deserts of the Great Basin. I won't ride in water deep enough to wet the bottom bracket or hubs (and put my cranks horizontal to save the pedal bearings in shallow water), but it is worth noting a good part of the bottom of these bags can get wet and cause no problems. These cap-top Packer-series bags are waterproof for all ordinary use, but they cannot be submerged and remain dry inside. But, then, the bike and bearings really shouldn't be submerged, either, no matter how cool it looks in photos. A person
will pay for the fun later in greatly reduced bearing life...which
will manifest at the most inconvenient time in the
most remote place.
So, yes, both these bags work OK with my front racks and tires size combo. I usually use the SportPacker/BikePacker combo, but will also go the BikePacker/BikePacker route when I need more room, being mindful of the actual weight limits for the front fork and racks mounted there. The larger bags are for added bulk, not weight. Same for the HB bar bag...I carry light and light/bulky stuff there I need to reach quickly or take with me (papers, ID, cash, credit cards, meds, toothbrush and paste so I'll actually use them, ultralight wind jacket, caps/hats, etc), keeping the total weight down around 5-6lbs/2.3-2.7kg max.
My rear ortliebs I have now are too "long" and hit the ground when cornering.
Yikes! Keep in mind that large (rear) bags mounted on the front will be wider when filled than a set of front bags. "Wider" means "less clearance" if you're into cornering deeply when touring. You'd have to by tilted over at low-roadie levels to scrape a bag. I just filled the BikePacker to maximum capacity/width with a combo of cardboard boxes and some fleece jackets, then tilted the bike with one of my frame-building angle-finders. It turns out the outer bag corners strike the ground at exactly 40° from vertical, about 5° past where the tires would be "planted". That's pretty far, but I've been that low unladen on past road bikes; it is right on the edge of having the tires slip out, and you can feel them chatter and slip out from under, even with slicks on the smoothest of pavement; I've fallen trying it in my misspent youth. 'Wouldn't want to try it with a full touring load.
It is also possible you might find yourself in situations where you are "ditch-running", and low-mounted front bags could clip the edges of the channel in which you're riding. There was one account I saw a few years ago, of riding across Siberia in springtime snowmelt and bog where this was a problem. Not common, but it can happen. I couldn't see it made much difference, as it was impossible to ride and the bkes were having to be pushed and were already half-submerged in mud and muck.
Touching on your initial question at the top of this thread...
Also does anyone know if you can use the sport packers with a lowloader front rack. I believe I read somewhere they sit higher than usual?
Richie, it is the cap-tops of these bags that sit higher than usual, standing proud above the rack. This has caused me to revise my own rear rack packing scheme, 'cos when the rear bags are full-up, they create a valley between them. This isn't a problem if you place only one "log-roll" of luggage lengthwise (longitudinally) atop the rear rack. It can cause a problem if you place things crosswise. In those circumstances, I just fill the valley with my tent, which creates a level surface along with the full rear bags and cap-tops. The dry sack with my sleeping bag, pad, silk liner and pillow just goes crosswise. For discussion and photos, see:
http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=1998.msg16833#msg16833I hope this helps, Richie; any other questons, just give a shout. You're in that awful last-minute frenzy where
everything needs to happen at once, so if there's anything we can do to ease the selection process, let us know.
Damned real world getting in the way of fiddling with bicycles.
I know! My biggest complaint!
I think my bar bag is not the biggest! This will never do.
Gotcha covered there. See:
http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=4523.msg22707#msg22707 with pics. It is an argument for getting 1.5l more capacity at a cost of only 20g/.7oz. Bargain! The next couple posts after that go back and forth on mounting it right the first time.
All the best,
Dan.
