Musette/Bonk Bag? Old Skool

[deliquium]

Can anyone shed any light on the history of the type shown? It's cotton, backed with a thin 'rubberised' vinyl? It has 2 rings at the base for ties to go around the rider's waist which prevents the bag swaying or slipping. Size is 33cm x 26 cm.

Presumably it wasn't the type handed up to racing cyclists' as the waist tie would have been too much of a faff?

Are they a British club riders' adaption of the 'racing' musette?

I'm finding it very useful indeed

Click on photo for a larger version

[tatanab]

I used them (that specific design) from 1986 to about 1990. Normally it would be used by racing cyclists in the days when people rode to events instead of driving. It was also used by tourists to bundle paperwork etc in one place when put in a saddlebag. Not many people used the potential for waist loops since the bag would usually stay in place on your back adequately well. Some shops had their own logo on bags for advertising, usually as a plastic cover stitched over the face of a plain bag. They were a lot tougher than the cotton musettes handed up to riders in road races.

CTC got very sniffy about people using them instead of saddlebags when riding in the BCTC. Some riders would just put enough bits and pieces inside for the day instead of carrying a saddlebag, possibly like modern riders might stuff their pockets and put tools in a small saddle wedge bag. But CTC did not like that and so riders were penalised on points even though many/most saddles of the time (1970s) did not have saddlebag loops.

[mig]

they would have to be extremely useful..!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Campagnolo-Musette-feed-bag-Vintage-Retro-Racer-Racing-Road-/291474857485?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item43dd415e0d

[deliquium]

they would have to be extremely useful..!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Campagnolo-Musette-feed-bag-Vintage-Retro-Racer-Racing-Road-/291474857485?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item43dd415e0d

That's just so crazy - not a world I want to be dealing with!

I bought it off a kindly forum member for £15 and I am NOT SELLING it.

[rjb]

I was using an identical one in the late 1960's. As Tatanab says a lot of cycle shops sold them with their own name on. I had a brown/purple one with "Don Farrell" on it. It's a long time ago now but I vaguely recall the bag was a freebie with a minimum purchase.

[tatanab]

I used them (that specific design) from 1986 to about 1990.

That was a silly typo - of course I meant from 1968 ---

[robgul]

I was using an identical one in the late 1960's. As Tatanab says a lot of cycle shops sold them with their own name on. I had a brown/purple one with "Don Farrell" on it. It's a long time ago now but I vaguely recall the bag was a freebie with a minimum purchase.

Indeed - I had a Cyclo Benelux musette from the bike shop in about 1962/3 - IIRC they gave it me when they dished a wheel and fitted a 4 speed freewheel for my newly acquired Benelux rear mech (the one with the great big spring that you would up to get tension on it)

Rob

[fastpedaller]

they would have to be extremely useful..!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Campagnolo-Musette-feed-bag-Vintage-Retro-Racer-Racing-Road-/291474857485?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item43dd415e0d

That's just so crazy - not a world I want to be dealing with!

I've a good mind to ask if it has food included at that price!!!

[Brucey]

they are vaguely useful and I did sometimes use one back in the day. But I wouldn't now.

The reason? People might mistake me for one of those urban hipsters.... you know, the ones who will pay three times as much for something that is 'retro' or has 'campagnolo' written on it....

cheers

[thirdcrank]

IIRC, these usually went with a Walls Icecream PVC pennant, liberated from outside some sweetshop etc and wrapped round tubs rolled up under the saddle. (That's not tubs of icecream BTW )

[Tasker]

What a great idea/perfect thing.

[drossall]

As others have said, they were universally used when most people rode out to events. Any self-respecting bike shop would sell its own branded ones. I still have, and use, my CTC one.

I disagree about waist straps - they are useful and I miss the ones that have come off my CTC bag.

[ANTONISH]

IIRC, these usually went with a Walls Icecream PVC pennant, liberated from outside some sweetshop etc and wrapped round tubs rolled up under the saddle. (That's not tubs of icecream BTW )

I remember "liberating" a couple of those.
Large bonk bags were a common sight in the fifties. Home made out of a length of deckchair canvas with a wide strap. Quite handy for carrying kit out to events - most of us didn't have cars.

[pete75]

Available from £1.49 http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CLAPMUSE/apis-musette

[foxyrider]

I found a race musette in my kit bag that i was given when i bought a new frame. Its much like they use today, cotton, couple of studs and can easily be shoved in a pocket when empty. TBH i used to use it for my embrocation but it'll be pressed into use at L'Eroica!