Cycling UK Forum

Serendipitously, I'm just back from our local halfords (Hertford). I popped in to pick up some touch-up paint and a cable sheath.
I was surprised to see that it was "moving". Turns out that this is newspeak for closing down. Nearest alternatives 10 miles away.
Weve lost a millets and an ironmongers from our town centre in the last couple of years. There's now almost no useful retail in a county town centre in a fairly prosperous part of the south east.
Sad times.

Thanks for the pics.
A couple of questions if I may....
Is the bag supported at the bottom in any way?
How much weight have you put in it without the brackets slipping on the handlebars? (Including the weight of the bag)
Thanks.

Here's an article on using aerobars, including luggage options :
https://www.cyclingabout.com/bikepacking-aero-bars-comfort-speed-bike-adventures

I'm currently trying to work out the best way to carry luggage on the front of my bikes (one road, one mtb), and while I can't help with your specific question, there are a couple if possibilities which might help.
One is to get a handlebar extender to which you could either attach your bits&bobs or the bar bag. An example would be this :
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07WCN35DT/ref=sspa_dk_detail_0?pd_rd_i=B07WCN35DTp13NParams&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEySThCRjBDM0dGRThGJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNDQ5MDQ0MkxHRUkzT0tMUEwwSyZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwOTM3MDA0MzRKMVdYQUhXU0lRVSZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2RldGFpbDImYWN0aW9uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl&th=1
The other is to try something a bit more left field and try attaching aero bars to act as a dry bag rack, or using a klickfix basket bracket and a homemade cradle to move the luggage a little away from the front of the bars. Either would probably leave a bit more space on the handlebars or give other things to mount stuff on.

Thanks Richard.
I'll deal with this offline to spare the rest of the forum the minutae!

Hi Richard. While you're there...
Apologies if it's covered previously, but in the map overlay menu there is an option for satellite view (subscriber only). I punted a bit of cash via patreon, but the option is still greyed out. Is this a bug or a feature??
I hasten to add, that I'm not expecting a refund, as I find the tool invaluable in many ways.

it's really hard with bins though...
I took a few with compact bins and my fairly low rent samsung a3 while in the hebrides a couple of years ago. It was no fun, and although it kind of worked (there's a sea otter in the ripples here somewhere), I'm sure that a bolt/stick on lens would have been much easier. I'll be checking the thread with interest, as i don't run to a multi 100 pound phone.

The OP kitlist is my pretty decent, and similar to my own backpacking/short cycle trip list.

Regarding tents, i have a macpac microlight from a similar vintage to the Osprey referenced above. The groundsheet is like shoe leather! Sadly, it is not particularly light by contemporary standards (1.8kg) while still slightly on the micro side... it's on my list of things to upgrade, but would require a few hundred quid, so not for a bit.

I'm of the inclination that many of the specs we agonise over are largely superfluous for most of my cycle based camping, even when doing slightly adventurous off road stuff. More important is sufficient vertical space (im 6.1) to sit up, and straightforward pitching in a small footprint for sneaky out of the way, not on a site, bikepacking. Compact packing and short poles are also handy.

I'm also working my way through an mtb to tourer project.
My observation would be that the original bike purchase is often less of a proportion of the total cost than imagined... I sometimes wonder whether I would have been better buying a new bike. New tyres, racks, new bars, nice mudguards etc etc etc...
Good luck!

For me, sleeping comfortably is one of the key criteria for enjoying a backpacking/touring trip.
To this end, I would not use foam, as it would need to be pretty darned thick to provide sufficient comfort and would therefore be a b*****r to pack.
My experience with air is that cyclists already carry everything necessary to repair them except for the baffle issue encountered by the user above. I have also had this happen with an exped, and I could not therefore recommend them.

To this end, it has to be non/transverse baffled air. I have a neoair xlite. Packs small, weighs not much and is very luxurious. I do not find the noise and issue (this is obviously personal), but it is definitely quieter then earlier neoairs ime.

For extra warmth, protection against the elements, and for use as a kneeling mat etc I also pack some radiator backing foil/foam. It's very thin and rolls up very small and is therefore easily stashed. It's also very cheap, which the neoair is not. It would also provide a tiny measure of comfort until I next got to an outdoor shop if my airpad died.

jimlews wrote:

colin54 wrote:Spa have the 26''x 65mm wide in silver on offer at the moment, £27 plus £ 4 shipping
It's the Chromoplastic ones I like personally, not the SKS bluemels, I think that's what's on the red bike, not as nice quality.
Other shops may have them in black (actually dark brown with black stripes down the centre) possibly cheaper I don't know.
https://www.spacycles.co.uk/m19b62s80p1 ... -Mudguards
The mud flap on them is fairly useless, I replace it with something homemade as mentioned.

Be aware that the 65mm guards are actually 70mm wide. I've just bought a set and they won't fit my frame

Eventually went with these:

https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/mudguards/b ... 5mm-black/

But being plastic the fittings are not as good; a bit fragile.

Thanks for this. I have about 65mm at the point at which a mudgyard might go, so will probably go down 5 or 10mm in size.
Thanks also to colin54 for rack fitting thoughts. As luck would have it (not), i put a rack on it just before i started this email thread.... and there is only the one braze-on .... hopefully the installation will be reversible at least once before the thread goes. Presumably the mudguard is fitted on before the rack?

colin54 wrote:Nice looking Rockhopper by the way.

Thanks. It's in good nick and has tidy deore bits. All for just over £100. Allowed me to smuggle it into the fold without protest. These old-school mtbs seem ideal for this purpose.
Thanks to you both for the advice. I'm slightly troubled by the fitting process, but if all else fails I guess I can pay someone to finish it!

Thanks again. Time to get shopping...

Thanks. Your setup is what i had in my mind's eye when i picked up the 'hopper.
I notice that your brakes have a centre pull with an inverted v shape allowing more clearance than my horizontal wire. (Apologies for terminology, I am new to this!). Is this likely to be a problem for me, and is it easy to change my configuration without swapping the whole brake set?

I've recently acquired an old specialised rockhopper to press into service as a gravel/easy trails tourer/bikepacker.
It has no mudguards, which I'm keen to correct. The front wheel has a bolt through hole which can be used to secure something. The back has nothing in particular except a non threaded hole on the underside of the cross brace.
Both have a single braze on to attach stuff at the axle.
I'd like decent length/protection. What have people used?
One last thing, should I pass the guards above or below the brake cross wire? Pics below : thanks.