I couldn't agree more, I have a couple of vintage bags that have just about had it, so I am shopping around for a new one. My Carridice saddle bags have also been through hell and high water but show no signs of wearing out, except for the hole I managed to put in one years ago. (Just for the record, they are very polite about repairs at minimal cost) I like that each one is signed by the person that made it!
The only way to go! Solid. Functional. Organized. No interference with bar real estate. No cable issues. None of the bizarre headtube straps of bike packing bags. I never ride a bike without one.
I had a few vintage Cannondale handlebar bags because I also appreciated the aesthetic and function. They mounted with a bent steel rod that went under the stem and over the handlebars - and then bungee cords connected the bottom of the bag to hooks near the bottom of the fork. It was a good system that didn’t require much hardware (no front rack) but that steel part was designer/bent for older, skinnier stems and didn’t fit with modern stems. I bought a comparable modern equivalent made of plastic that had quick release functionality and it broke after two trips and I gave up on the bags, switching to a roll bag + front pouch. Swift’s Cascade Paloma is a lot like my Cannondale bag.
As I explore rando bags for my front bike rack, I always try to understand how each bag attaches to the rack, because I'm riding off road and I need a robust attachment. Many vendors, like this video, gloss over that crucial feature.
I have a rando bag made by Guu Watanabe from Tokyo, and it is just SO USEFUL. I love it. Never worried about space. I'm also impressed with how well the canvas repels water.
I have several bags from Road Runner Bags and love them! I've been fortunate enough to meet RRBags owner Brad several times and it feels good to support someone who's so passionate and an all around great dude
I have the smaller sized Arkel bag. I like the map carrier. The bag comes with a sturdy aluminum handlebar mount that holds the bag free of bike surfaces that might otherwise be scratched. Also, this mount enables quick install and removal of the bag, so you can take it into a store, restroom or whatever. I treat it like a purse. Arkel sells extra mounts so you can move the bag from one bike to another (this bag is expensive). The main compartment has a waterproof liner that you can zip out for cleaning. On casual rides, I also take a small quick mount pannier if I need to carry something bulky or heavy. I prefer keeping the weight low in the front.
Rando bags are great, so easy to carry stuff and it is all in front of me while riding! From extra layers to put on or off, food, camera, almost anything.... Back in 2010 I bought a VO Rando bag and still use it today. Looks just like a Berthoud bag, looks great on my VO Rando bike and it has many miles on it. On my VO Campeur I have a medium size Acorn Rando bag and I love it. And on my old Trek 420 (650B conversion) I use a Lone Peak rando bag, great bag too! All of my bags are set up with a decalleur holding them and sitting on a small fwd rando rack. I have ridden over 45,000 km on all of these bags all brevets ranging from 100 to 1500km events. Plus thousands of miles on tours, trail riding and commutes. Rando bags are the way to go!
My Gilles Berthoud rando bag is more than a decade old and still sees daily use in season. This type of bag pairs well with low trail and wider tires. With the decaleurs and racks I've made, the bag moves from bike to bike in about 20 seconds. The small front rack supports lights and fenders and can be made to be very light weight. I added a carry strap a couple of years ago, but that's the only change I've made.
Nice video, Russ. You make a great case for good ol' rando bag. Shopping for groceries or touring on gravel roads, my Ironweed bag just does it all while quietly perched on VO's Integrated decaleur front rack. It's boxy interior just swallows anything from vintage wool sweaters and odd-sized sketch books, to gourmet Virgina peanuts and Portugese canned sardines - and it does it all in timeless style!
Don't have a rando bag, but you made me start thinking.... hmmm. Currently use a Sweetroll, but it's nowhere as accessible as the rando bag you featured. Thanks for this video and your enthusiasm!
I really enjoy your reviews. I would love to see a review/discussion of how a moderately loaded rando bag and front rack actually affect the handling of a high trail modern gravel bike (Walbird, Jamis Renegade, Salsa Journeyman, etc), as opposed to a low trail bike that is designed for such a load.
Been riding with a Berthoud front bag all year. I can’t imagine doing without it now and I have no problem riding fast with it either (I’ve top 10ed for my age and/or weight on Strava segments with the bag mounted). I still keep my other bike around, but it has gone down to being used once a week.
Same. If you think about it, the aero impact is pretty minimal, as it does sit in front of the most turbulent part of the riders body - the spinning legs. Plus, I think upper body position is the most important aero factor and the weight is really a non issue as most riders can easily afford to loose 5 pounds of weight if they are worried about the weight of the bag, but I digress. At any rate, I had a top 20 time in the last century I rode with the bag and 650bx42's and fenders, although I did turn my geno hub off to save 5 watts, lol. But seriously, all of those things make long and fast training rides so much more practical and enjoyable that I have definitely gotten way more fit on my modern rando style bike then I ever did on "faster" carbon bikes.
Well this is now almost exactly four years too late lol. But... having used several different handlebar bags over the years, I've come to the conclusion that a front basket which you can swap a variety of bags into according to need is probably the most flexible and convenient solution. Of course you have to like the look of a basket on your bike, which I do. Every bag I've ever had has been limiting in some way - better to have an option which allows you to chose the right bag for the ride you're going on. That's just my thought. I've just ordered a Surly Porteur House bag for shopping and long winter rides, have to see how that works out. And realistically, I'd rather have a bag that's a bit too big than one that just perfectly fits everything and then turns out to be too small to add anything to. I don't mind having a half empty pannier or saddlebag on the bike after all.
Rando bags are the best. I have an Acorn and my partner has a Swift. My partner works from home and loves hers for just being so easy to carry everything she needs - she can just throw a jacket in the box and her phone in the map case and go. I use a basket zip tied with reusable zip ties to my rack for my commute, but my Acorn for fast weekend rides. I run reusable zip ties around the bottom of the rack and through the leather belt for the tombstone on the bag and cinch them down and it makes the bag super secure without a decaluer (sp?). I am not sure what other bags have the stiffness to them that the Acorn does, but with the zip ties I have ridden everything from luxury gravel at high speed to baby head laden single track and that bag was definitely not going anywhere at all and I never even worry about it gettin' loose. To be able to eat real food on a long ride is a game changer for adventuring. In my opinion, front loading in general is the way to go (low trail really shines here) and rando bags can't be beat for there convenience, design, and good looks.
A good discussion of the bag. One thing you left out was that some bikes can't accept those types of bags because the shifting cables run through the space they occupy. The bags require the cables to be rerouted, which can be done but is another complication.
Hi, greetings from Finland. You're doin great videos. I'm watching your gravel rides while doing indoor training with my turbo trainer. I have to take more time and watch more of your videos. I like to do long distance rides with vintage road bike, Raleigh Joop Zoetemelk from 1980s. I use Ortlieb seat pack and Blackburn outpost frame pack. Everything else stuff goes into biking shirts pockets. Maybe I'll also get handlebar pack into my road bike. It might be handy... U never know. Keep doing good stuff and have a nice day! Tapio-T, Vintage Velo Randonneur
Also Finnish here. These Carradice bags seem pretty nice. Easy to add even to a road bike without adding a front rack: www.carradice.co.uk/bags/handlebar-bags
This is just the type of bag I am looking for. I have a Qualisports Volidor folding bike and I can order a front rack as funds permit. I am a photographer and having super easy access to camera gear at the front of the bike means I don’t have to dismount. August 11th, 2019 is CAReFREE Sunday in Milwaukie, Oregon... we would most welcome the supple life there!
Seems like a decent style to use on an allround/commuting bike or as an extra bag when you have traditional panniers, but not as useful when you're using a backpacking style setup.
Like this idea, and love the bag. I just have to figure out what rack to put on the front of my Salsa Journeyman. I wonder if the Rawland Cycles Radioverks Rando rack will work? If not maybe the Demiporteur rack.
Are used to stop in at bike so good in Georgetown/Seattle, and the owner would send me out on one of his own bikes to explore around every week. I never got a clear fix on how many bikes he actually owned, but he had a Rando bag on each one. I loved those things! I have been waiting for years to find out what they are actually called, asking in at shops periodically, they invariably steer me toward some rackless bike packing options. Thanks Russ, you've solved the mystery… Or the first part of the mystery. The second part will be attaching one of those things to my Open UP.
Love that bag. Used a similar bag in the 80s biking across Canada and Europe but with rack thingy on handle bars with stabilizing bungees to fork that didn't really stabilize it. Looking for something like this for 2019 Salsa Fargo with carbon fork for on and off road touring. I'm old school and likd the rack and pannier setup but am not averse to considering the new style bikepacking setups or a combination of both. Any suggestions from you or viewers. Love your videos by the way. Find I'm watching them more and more.
Nice bag, too bad I ride a recumbent bike, and even if I did ride a upright bike, I could not afford one.. But I do have a small front rack on my recumbent so you have set me to thinking about adding a bag too it.
Did you say "Q" at 4:40? Are you one of "them"!? 😜 The blue neoprene(?) dslr cover...self made or bought? It looks interesting so where could I check one out? I have an ancient Blackburn front rack on my tourer for my tripod and other stuff but have not tried a rando bag....something worth considering after your video👍
They wont survive a swim in a river, but I've toured and ridden with one for years and find them fairly water resistant. Enough so, that I wouldn't hesitate using them even in wet environments. For sensitive things, I would still double bag electronics, etc.,
I can only speak for this particular bag but I can tell you that the outer material is made of 1000D Cordura Brand material which is extremely water resistant while the inner material is made from 18oz truck tarp vinyl which is a waterproof material. The only thing is the seams of this bag are not sealed thus the bag is water resistant. Even if the outer material is fully waterproof, without sealed seams water can get in. Hope that helps!
I have a Swift Industries Hinterland Ozette rando bag that I've been using off and on for two or three years. I had it set up with a VO rack complete with decaleur. But I just swapped the bag to a Surly LHT which just has a more traditional rack without a decaleur. I braced the top rear of the bag using a toe strap around the handlebars, but the aesthetic is awful and it compromises the accessibility of the bag a little. I'm wondering how critical it actually is to brace the bag that way. Any thoughts?
I’ve run the Ozette on a Soma front rack and have used just the Velcro on the bottom, as well as a toe strap around the back loop which is meant to go over a tombstone around he front rack. Didn’t have any probs with it setup that way.
My bike has flat bars quite high up (Due to my old back), do you think this style of bag will work for me as it will be quite low down from my bars and hence not accessible while riding?
@@PathLessPedaledTV Thank you for the quick reply. Some of these bags are hard to get in the UK but there are some nice European alternatives that I will be looking into.
Great video! What are your thoughts on going decaleur-less with a rando bag? My Swift Ozette seems like it would be pretty snug without one on my Nitto rack, but I haven't yet had the opportunity to really bump it around (thanks, smoke).
Prio to the VO, I ran an Ozette decaleur-less on a Rawland portuer rack with a tombstone. With the velcro on the bottom it worked great and had no problems.
I am not sure about the Ozette, but on Acorn's they have a little leather belt that goes over the tombstone part of the rack, and then straps on the bottom. I use two reusable zip ties, and thread them down that leather belt and underneath the rack and then cinch that bad boy down. It doesn't go anywhere and the way the leather belt is it's not hurting anything either, and the reusable zip ties are super easy to get on off. Anyway, not sure if that makes sense but maybe it would work on that bag? Not sure if there is enough rigidity on the tombstone strap on the Ozette - the Acorn is super thick stiff leather.
I use to tour with a classical randobag supportet by the Specialized Pizzarack. And a classical Carradice saddlebag, too. I did the Tuscany Trail and the Torino-Nice Rally with this setup and had no problems at all. instagram.com/p/BiEYmA_hzke/
Both are great. Depends on the load. My main commuter bike is set up with a basket and I toss my boots and waders in there all the time. For rides where I’m carrying camera gear to film, I prefer the rando bag.
I needed to access the light control on my Fenix BT-10 during the commute (switched from high to low beam and flashing mode) so it needed to be readily accessible. I was using a largish converted DSLR shoulder bag that I attached a VO decaleur receiver to. As a bag, it worked well and it was padded so it was a natural for carrying a camera for recreational riding. I needed to manipulate the light on my multi-modal commute so off it came.
I have a custom TimTas Rek randonneur bag on my Batavus Randonneur GL bike. Excellent bags that can take lots of stuff. Added the Grand Bois rack clamps and the bag is solid but easily removeable. www.bikeforums.net/20414929-post48.html
One word: "Berthoud" (yeah I, know, the other word some people like to use: "Overpriced", but I'm immune to other people's opinion. I have a half dozen Berthoud bags and I love them.) Queue the flame wars...
I'd cut them a little slack on the price 'cuz they're handmade (and well-made) by small volume shops in US & UK. In the late 60's a little Ohio mom & pop called The Touring Cyclist Shoppe made these, a nylon fabric knockoff of the even earlier TA canvas handlebar bag, and sold them for $50 back then. Park Tool made a h'bar bag support (now "decaleur"), too. Which gets to what pisses me off with all this supple shit - it's all so precious. Slick back your hair, put on some plaid, & you're a trailblazer. But really you're just fashion-surfing your way to a place my riding never left. Russ is in Missoula for chrissakes, where the Burdens & Siples landed after HemisTour to start BikeCenntenial. Then again, I don't know how you'd sell this stuff w/o pretending that it's new & therefore exciting, and I'm glad more people are enjoying riding. To help you enjoy your riding, remember that you can strap pretty much any lunch bag to your bike and figure out what you need to change from there - that's how cyclists have always done it.
I couldn't agree more, I have a couple of vintage bags that have just about had it, so I am shopping around for a new one. My Carridice saddle bags have also been through hell and high water but show no signs of wearing out, except for the hole I managed to put in one years ago. (Just for the record, they are very polite about repairs at minimal cost) I like that each one is signed by the person that made it!
The only way to go! Solid. Functional. Organized. No interference with bar real estate. No cable issues. None of the bizarre headtube straps of bike packing bags. I never ride a bike without one.
I use the Ostrich bags and theyre so excellent. Use them on my randonneur as well as my gravel grinder.
I had a few vintage Cannondale handlebar bags because I also appreciated the aesthetic and function. They mounted with a bent steel rod that went under the stem and over the handlebars - and then bungee cords connected the bottom of the bag to hooks near the bottom of the fork. It was a good system that didn’t require much hardware (no front rack) but that steel part was designer/bent for older, skinnier stems and didn’t fit with modern stems. I bought a comparable modern equivalent made of plastic that had quick release functionality and it broke after two trips and I gave up on the bags, switching to a roll bag + front pouch. Swift’s Cascade Paloma is a lot like my Cannondale bag.
As I explore rando bags for my front bike rack, I always try to understand how each bag attaches to the rack, because I'm riding off road and I need a robust attachment. Many vendors, like this video, gloss over that crucial feature.
I have a rando bag made by Guu Watanabe from Tokyo, and it is just SO USEFUL. I love it. Never worried about space. I'm also impressed with how well the canvas repels water.
I have several bags from Road Runner Bags and love them! I've been fortunate enough to meet RRBags owner Brad several times and it feels good to support someone who's so passionate and an all around great dude
Yo whatup! Thank you so much for your support over the years and for spreading the RRB
I have the smaller sized Arkel bag. I like the map carrier. The bag comes with a sturdy aluminum handlebar mount that holds the bag free of bike surfaces that might otherwise be scratched. Also, this mount enables quick install and removal of the bag, so you can take it into a store, restroom or whatever. I treat it like a purse. Arkel sells extra mounts so you can move the bag from one bike to another (this bag is expensive). The main compartment has a waterproof liner that you can zip out for cleaning. On casual rides, I also take a small quick mount pannier if I need to carry something bulky or heavy. I prefer keeping the weight low in the front.
Rando bags are great, so easy to carry stuff and it is all in front of me while riding! From extra layers to put on or off, food, camera, almost anything.... Back in 2010 I bought a VO Rando bag and still use it today. Looks just like a Berthoud bag, looks great on my VO Rando bike and it has many miles on it. On my VO Campeur I have a medium size Acorn Rando bag and I love it. And on my old Trek 420 (650B conversion) I use a Lone Peak rando bag, great bag too! All of my bags are set up with a decalleur holding them and sitting on a small fwd rando rack. I have ridden over 45,000 km on all of these bags all brevets ranging from 100 to 1500km events. Plus thousands of miles on tours, trail riding and commutes. Rando bags are the way to go!
Hey, great video. I bought one of those bags and racks for my PBP ride this year and it was the best thing I ever did.
My Gilles Berthoud rando bag is more than a decade old and still sees daily use in season. This type of bag pairs well with low trail and wider tires. With the decaleurs and racks I've made, the bag moves from bike to bike in about 20 seconds. The small front rack supports lights and fenders and can be made to be very light weight. I added a carry strap a couple of years ago, but that's the only change I've made.
Nice video, Russ. You make a great case for good ol' rando bag. Shopping for groceries or touring on gravel roads, my Ironweed bag just does it all while quietly perched on VO's Integrated decaleur front rack. It's boxy interior just swallows anything from vintage wool sweaters and odd-sized sketch books, to gourmet Virgina peanuts and Portugese canned sardines - and it does it all in timeless style!
Nice bag (the Ironweed), why oh why is it designed to open the wrong way round?
Don't have a rando bag, but you made me start thinking.... hmmm. Currently use a Sweetroll, but it's nowhere as accessible as the rando bag you featured. Thanks for this video and your enthusiasm!
I really enjoy your reviews. I would love to see a review/discussion of how a moderately loaded rando bag and front rack actually affect the handling of a high trail modern gravel bike (Walbird, Jamis Renegade, Salsa Journeyman, etc), as opposed to a low trail bike that is designed for such a load.
Been riding with a Berthoud front bag all year. I can’t imagine doing without it now and I have no problem riding fast with it either (I’ve top 10ed for my age and/or weight on Strava segments with the bag mounted). I still keep my other bike around, but it has gone down to being used once a week.
Same. If you think about it, the aero impact is pretty minimal, as it does sit in front of the most turbulent part of the riders body - the spinning legs. Plus, I think upper body position is the most important aero factor and the weight is really a non issue as most riders can easily afford to loose 5 pounds of weight if they are worried about the weight of the bag, but I digress. At any rate, I had a top 20 time in the last century I rode with the bag and 650bx42's and fenders, although I did turn my geno hub off to save 5 watts, lol. But seriously, all of those things make long and fast training rides so much more practical and enjoyable that I have definitely gotten way more fit on my modern rando style bike then I ever did on "faster" carbon bikes.
Well this is now almost exactly four years too late lol.
But... having used several different handlebar bags over the years, I've come to the conclusion that a front basket which you can swap a variety of bags into according to need is probably the most flexible and convenient solution. Of course you have to like the look of a basket on your bike, which I do. Every bag I've ever had has been limiting in some way - better to have an option which allows you to chose the right bag for the ride you're going on. That's just my thought. I've just ordered a Surly Porteur House bag for shopping and long winter rides, have to see how that works out. And realistically, I'd rather have a bag that's a bit too big than one that just perfectly fits everything and then turns out to be too small to add anything to. I don't mind having a half empty pannier or saddlebag on the bike after all.
Rando bags are the best. I have an Acorn and my partner has a Swift. My partner works from home and loves hers for just being so easy to carry everything she needs - she can just throw a jacket in the box and her phone in the map case and go. I use a basket zip tied with reusable zip ties to my rack for my commute, but my Acorn for fast weekend rides. I run reusable zip ties around the bottom of the rack and through the leather belt for the tombstone on the bag and cinch them down and it makes the bag super secure without a decaluer (sp?). I am not sure what other bags have the stiffness to them that the Acorn does, but with the zip ties I have ridden everything from luxury gravel at high speed to baby head laden single track and that bag was definitely not going anywhere at all and I never even worry about it gettin' loose. To be able to eat real food on a long ride is a game changer for adventuring. In my opinion, front loading in general is the way to go (low trail really shines here) and rando bags can't be beat for there convenience, design, and good looks.
A good discussion of the bag. One thing you left out was that some bikes can't accept those types of bags because the shifting cables run through the space they occupy. The bags require the cables to be rerouted, which can be done but is another complication.
Hi, greetings from Finland. You're doin great videos. I'm watching your gravel rides while doing indoor training with my turbo trainer. I have to take more time and watch more of your videos.
I like to do long distance rides with vintage road bike, Raleigh Joop Zoetemelk from 1980s. I use Ortlieb seat pack and Blackburn outpost frame pack. Everything else stuff goes into biking shirts pockets. Maybe I'll also get handlebar pack into my road bike. It might be handy... U never know.
Keep doing good stuff and have a nice day!
Tapio-T, Vintage Velo Randonneur
Also Finnish here. These Carradice bags seem pretty nice. Easy to add even to a road bike without adding a front rack:
www.carradice.co.uk/bags/handlebar-bags
This is just the type of bag I am looking for. I have a Qualisports Volidor folding bike and I can order a front rack as funds permit. I am a photographer and having super easy access to camera gear at the front of the bike means I don’t have to dismount. August 11th, 2019 is CAReFREE Sunday in Milwaukie, Oregon... we would most welcome the supple life there!
Love your videos with tons of inspiration and information. You rock!
Seems like a decent style to use on an allround/commuting bike or as an extra bag when you have traditional panniers, but not as useful when you're using a backpacking style setup.
The rando bags are already making a come back, even here in europe they start remaking these!
I don't have one but that looks like what I'm looking for. Thanks for featuring it.
Love my custom Swift Industries Paloma bag....a purchase inspired by Path Less Pedaled.
That’s my fave bag when no rando rack is possible!
eredinger n
I just bought a used video camera bag from a thrift store and afixed it to my front handlebars and rack for a lot less money.
👏
Like this idea, and love the bag. I just have to figure out what rack to put on the front of my Salsa Journeyman. I wonder if the Rawland Cycles Radioverks Rando rack will work? If not maybe the Demiporteur rack.
More patches and stickers please let me know when they're in
I think this is exactly what I'm looking for. I'd ratherbuse this setup as oppose to all the different bike packing bags.
Hey Pathless, I want one. Where can i buy that Rando bag? Ty.😉
Are used to stop in at bike so good in Georgetown/Seattle, and the owner would send me out on one of his own bikes to explore around every week. I never got a clear fix on how many bikes he actually owned, but he had a Rando bag on each one. I loved those things! I have been waiting for years to find out what they are actually called, asking in at shops periodically, they invariably steer me toward some rackless bike packing options. Thanks Russ, you've solved the mystery… Or the first part of the mystery. The second part will be attaching one of those things to my Open UP.
Love that bag. Used a similar bag in the 80s biking across Canada and Europe but with rack thingy on handle bars with stabilizing bungees to fork that didn't really stabilize it. Looking for something like this for 2019 Salsa Fargo with carbon fork for on and off road touring. I'm old school and likd the rack and pannier setup but am not averse to considering the new style bikepacking setups or a combination of both. Any suggestions from you or viewers. Love your videos by the way. Find I'm watching them more and more.
I really like running one inline small brake lever and so I can't run a rando bag even though I have a rando bike
Have you tried testing out a Van Dessel A.D.D?
You said "rock".....ok Russ, still hip when it comes to the language. 😉
Nice bag, too bad I ride a recumbent bike, and even if I did ride a upright bike, I could not afford one.. But I do have a small front rack on my recumbent so you have set me to thinking about adding a bag too it.
Did you say "Q" at 4:40? Are you one of "them"!? 😜 The blue neoprene(?) dslr cover...self made or bought? It looks interesting so where could I check one out? I have an ancient Blackburn front rack on my tourer for my tripod and other stuff but have not tried a rando bag....something worth considering after your video👍
Ha. Q as in QBP. Love these lens wraps: amzn.to/2L178b4
Path Less Pedaled thanks. I had not seen these before.
What is a good bag for the jone's h-bar?
To what extent are Rando bags water-resistant or water-proof?
They wont survive a swim in a river, but I've toured and ridden with one for years and find them fairly water resistant. Enough so, that I wouldn't hesitate using them even in wet environments. For sensitive things, I would still double bag electronics, etc.,
I can only speak for this particular bag but I can tell you that the outer material is made of 1000D Cordura Brand material which is extremely water resistant while the inner material is made from 18oz truck tarp vinyl which is a waterproof material. The only thing is the seams of this bag are not sealed thus the bag is water resistant. Even if the outer material is fully waterproof, without sealed seams water can get in. Hope that helps!
I have a Swift Industries Hinterland Ozette rando bag that I've been using off and on for two or three years. I had it set up with a VO rack complete with decaleur. But I just swapped the bag to a Surly LHT which just has a more traditional rack without a decaleur. I braced the top rear of the bag using a toe strap around the handlebars, but the aesthetic is awful and it compromises the accessibility of the bag a little. I'm wondering how critical it actually is to brace the bag that way. Any thoughts?
I’ve run the Ozette on a Soma front rack and have used just the Velcro on the bottom, as well as a toe strap around the back loop which is meant to go over a tombstone around he front rack. Didn’t have any probs with it setup that way.
Cool. Thanks. I'll give it a shot without any back support.
My bike has flat bars quite high up (Due to my old back), do you think this style of bag will work for me as it will be quite low down from my bars and hence not accessible while riding?
As long as its on a front rack shouldn't be a problem. May have to stop to access but not a biggie.
@@PathLessPedaledTV Thank you for the quick reply. Some of these bags are hard to get in the UK but there are some nice European alternatives that I will be looking into.
Great video! What are your thoughts on going decaleur-less with a rando bag? My Swift Ozette seems like it would be pretty snug without one on my Nitto rack, but I haven't yet had the opportunity to really bump it around (thanks, smoke).
Prio to the VO, I ran an Ozette decaleur-less on a Rawland portuer rack with a tombstone. With the velcro on the bottom it worked great and had no problems.
I am not sure about the Ozette, but on Acorn's they have a little leather belt that goes over the tombstone part of the rack, and then straps on the bottom. I use two reusable zip ties, and thread them down that leather belt and underneath the rack and then cinch that bad boy down. It doesn't go anywhere and the way the leather belt is it's not hurting anything either, and the reusable zip ties are super easy to get on off. Anyway, not sure if that makes sense but maybe it would work on that bag? Not sure if there is enough rigidity on the tombstone strap on the Ozette - the Acorn is super thick stiff leather.
I use to tour with a classical randobag supportet by the Specialized Pizzarack. And a classical Carradice saddlebag, too.
I did the Tuscany Trail and the Torino-Nice Rally with this setup and had no problems at all.
instagram.com/p/BiEYmA_hzke/
Is rando short for something? I feel like I'm missing a reference, but can't figure it out.
Short for randonneuring.
Thank you. I would never have picked that one up on my own.
but can you pronounce it? ;)
What camera sleeve is that? The blue one.
amzn.to/2rSEovm
Thanks Russ!
how is the metal brace connected to the bag
Bolted on.
What’s your opinion on a rando bag vs a basket?
Both are great. Depends on the load. My main commuter bike is set up with a basket and I toss my boots and waders in there all the time. For rides where I’m carrying camera gear to film, I prefer the rando bag.
#basketlyfe for me
Do you have a cold?
It’s the smoke.
Path Less Pedaled awful in Idaho as well...
Had one, stopped using it on my commute as it blocked my headlight which I use on a handlebar accessory holder. I switched to a smaller handlebar bag.
+1 with the Gino Mount.
I needed to access the light control on my Fenix BT-10 during the commute (switched from high to low beam and flashing mode) so it needed to be readily accessible. I was using a largish converted DSLR shoulder bag that I attached a VO decaleur receiver to. As a bag, it worked well and it was padded so it was a natural for carrying a camera for recreational riding. I needed to manipulate the light on my multi-modal commute so off it came.
I have a custom TimTas Rek randonneur bag on my Batavus Randonneur GL bike. Excellent bags that can take lots of stuff. Added the Grand Bois rack clamps and the bag is solid but easily removeable. www.bikeforums.net/20414929-post48.html
Stay classy
One word: "Berthoud"
(yeah I, know, the other word some people like to use: "Overpriced", but I'm immune to other people's opinion. I have a half dozen Berthoud bags and I love them.) Queue the flame wars...
All these handlebar bags are not in gold, so stop overrated them in terms of price, make them accessible for everyone. 50 bucs for a bag it's a joke.
I'd cut them a little slack on the price 'cuz they're handmade (and well-made) by small volume shops in US & UK. In the late 60's a little Ohio mom & pop called The Touring Cyclist Shoppe made these, a nylon fabric knockoff of the even earlier TA canvas handlebar bag, and sold them for $50 back then. Park Tool made a h'bar bag support (now "decaleur"), too. Which gets to what pisses me off with all this supple shit - it's all so precious. Slick back your hair, put on some plaid, & you're a trailblazer. But really you're just fashion-surfing your way to a place my riding never left. Russ is in Missoula for chrissakes, where the Burdens & Siples landed after HemisTour to start BikeCenntenial. Then again, I don't know how you'd sell this stuff w/o pretending that it's new & therefore exciting, and I'm glad more people are enjoying riding. To help you enjoy your riding, remember that you can strap pretty much any lunch bag to your bike and figure out what you need to change from there - that's how cyclists have always done it.