I think another good tip is for each bag put the thing you are going to need the most closest to the opening.
So if you take my old packing method as an example:
Bar bag: put camp clothes at the bottom and your jacket at the top so you can grab it out if it starts raining.
Saddle bag: make the tent easily accessible at the top so if you get to camp and it’s raining you can pull it out first and leave everything else in there to stay dry while you set the tent up.
Cheers Lew
Time to start working on a few different options. Thanks
I’m looking for an accessory pocket/small bar bag to stuff a jacket in on long day rides and to expand my storage when I’m in full touring mode.
The new revelate egress pocket - water proof! can use as a satchel which is good for overseas touring, decent size.
Bed rock bags honaker - Can help me carry more water when I need it but not as useful as a bar bag or as big as the egress.
I considered the outershell drawcord but it’s been sold out for a while, could possibly order one.
Any thoughts/alternatives/experience with these products?
Holy moly, cactus are in the game!
Good looking.
Hi folks. I’m looking at making some half frame bags for my bikes. Any suggestions where in Melbourne to buy outdoor type materials needed. For example:
Also question for those who use these bags. How much gap do you need between a packed frame bag and your bottles to be able to get the bottles out? In the pic above I would expect it would be hard to get at your bottles.
Get side release bidon cages, and then you don’t have to worry about the frame bag blocking access?
depends what’s in the frame bag. my large bottles don’t fit unless there’s stuff in the bag that can move around the nozzle. hasn’t been an issue so far, though there’s been times it’s flared out close to my knees.
Tiergear will have most of what you need.
Small frames w/ half frame bags tend to need side-release cages as eraser has said. Otherwise go full frame and put the inside or in anything cages?
I used Tier Gear’s 420D oxford nylon with PU coating for a frame bag, a rando bag, and some small accessory bags. It’s good medium-duty type stuff.
For waterproof zippers, I couldn’t find anything reasonably priced in Aus or shipped here. I tried a couple metres of #5 waterproof zippers from Aliexpress, which of course eventually broke. Cost-effective option IMO is to go for a large (#8 or #10) plain plastic zipper and create a flap above the zip to keep most of the water out. Or alternatively go for a roll-top.
I don’t know about in Melbourne, but as already mentioned Tier Gear will have most of what you need.
Alternatively:
Have pretty big ranges of tech fabrics and hardware, shipping can be a bit much though.
Side release plus cage dropper is the way to go to max out bag space and still get bottles out easily.
Easiest way to relocate the ST cage is to use the upper cage hole in the lower ST cage mount, then ziptie the lower cage hole to the ST. Gets it right down at the BB. FD mount might need attention, spacing the cage away from the frame with presta nuts usually does it.
Cages like arundel stainless can be redrilled to lower them a little but not as much as the above method, others have mounts that can be slid a little, like the old velocagesthat destroyed bottles.
Thanks for all the responses and useful information.
One place I did find in Melbourne is Lefflers in West Melbourne. A bit out of left field - it is a leathercraft and saddlery supplies business. But it has a big range of webbing, heavier duty velcro and plastic buckles, clips and toggles - which is good if you want to handle the stuff yourself, pick the best option and buy in small quantities.
Also just remembered that Bunnings sells webbing and clips/etc if you’re in a bid.
Does anybody have a source for pannier hooks? (preferably in Oz or with cheap mailing)
I have something I want to hang onto a bike rear rack top rail. The hooks don’t have to be genuine pannier hooks, just that size and shape, and strong enough to support about 3kg on each hook.
I found some ortlieb spares but they are overkill and too much for my plans. I looked at a few hardware shops but they don’t seem to have any hooks that are the right size and shape. Any suggestions appreciated.
I think Ortlieb ones are you best bet unless you macgyver some hooks from bunnings or something. I used a pair to attach a rando bag to my bike
Commuter and Abbotsford has a set of two (for one pannier) for $20-25
What are you attaching it to? Get creative:
Assuming it doesn’t need to keep the rail captive and you have a bungee and another hook to attach to the bottom of the pannier. (which is what old/basic panniers do and they only have bent flat stock for hooks)
Thanks for responses, and the links AL2000
Yes I found some ortleib spares but it was $25 for the hooks + $15 for the rail + $10 postage (I am not in Melb).
A DIY option with a suitable sized J-shaped hooks would be fine, I have options to attach it at the base and hold top hooks down onto the rail so they don’t bounce off.
Since you asked I have been playing around with a cooker table, which is overweight and overkill for a long multi-day ride, but kind of fun for a day trip in a NP particularly as weather gets colder and hot stuff is more welcome.
But I thought if I attach some hooks to the top and bottom I can also use the cooker base as a pannier backing board - and attach a vinyl or waxed canvas bag to the other side and put all the cooking and food stuff into this so the cooker base is also a pannier - a picnic pannier if you like. The border of the cooker base is wood so I have no probs attaching hooks, bags, bungies, whatever.
The base is just heavier than a mini ortleib, but if i use the cooker base as the pannier as well, I could leave the ortleib at home, and it would be almost weight neutral.
Could get a cooker with fold out legs and an alu windshield then your pannier would have negative weight… hmmmm.
Yes Mike, I get this is not for you. But I’m not interested getting in a new cooker - this cooker is OK for my purposes, there is a lot of other bikepacking stuff I would like to buy before a new cooker. Having used the base I like it - I can put it on a 30’ slope and the legs will adjust to give me a level base. The top of the stump in the pic is probs 10-15’ slope. This windshield is already Al foil so there isn’t much weight there - but putting on on the base/frame makes it and more much rigid and sturdy.
Anyway this is a bag thread
Back to bags:
Apart from Skin Grows Back - does anyone know an Australian duffle bag manufacturer? Looking for something like a Bogear Duffy.
SGB one has no shoulder strap and don’t have time for custom made.
