Touring with a Carradice Barley

[tippy]

Howdy all

Considering doing an3 or 4 day lightweight credit card tour. I normally ride with a Carradice Barley on a bagman and wondering about if I can squeeze enough to last a few days.

Or whether to switch to something like an Apidura if I need something a little bigger.

Anyone any experience or done this?
TIA

[honesty]

Done that length of ride stopping at B&Bs using a Nelson on a bagman. I think I could drop to a barley by cutting a few extraneous things out (shoes for the evening spring to mind) and still be fine.

[pjclinch]

Howdy all

Considering doing an3 or 4 day lightweight credit card tour. I normally ride with a Carradice Barley on a bagman and wondering about if I can squeeze enough to last a few days.

You have the bag, and you presumably have an idea of what you'll need... try fitting the latter in to the former. If you can, the answer is yes, if you can't, the answer is no.

Pete.

[scottg]

Strap a stuff sack or dry bag to the cape rings on the Barley.

[whoof]

If you don't have enough room in your Barley you could add one of these.
https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CCPODHBB/ ... barrel-bag
Cheap and 100% waterproof.
However, you can't overfill it if you are using dropped bars as it will fill the entire space between the levers and leave no room for your hands!
It will give a few extra litre capacity though and is easy to put on and off without having to fit brackets normally used with bar bags.

I managed a weekend camping a earlier in the month with one and a seat pack.

[geocycle]

Strap a stuff sack or dry bag to the cape rings on the Barley.

Yes, I've done that. Ultimately it depends how minimal your packing is and avoiding bulk things like spare shoes.

[ebor62]

Have done several tours with my Carridice Barley. I take about the same for a 3 day ride as I do for a two week tour, just have to wash more. As I mainly hostel, one of the largest items is a towel (even though its a lightweight, quick dry). If using other accommodation they would provide, or you can hire at YHA but that adds up over 2 weeks. The next is shoes, now I take a pair of light deck shoes, which flatten down to the size of a pair of insoles. Mobile phone instead of camera etc. Miniature travel items in wash bag. Do a pack list and think about each item. I have also used the straps that should fix the bag to the pole, to extend the closing straps, turning it into a long flap version ( without the flap ). That's fine as long as you pack inside a waterproof bag, which I do as most luggage will let water through eventually.I Keep looking for a bargain bigger bag but at least this way makes me keep the weight down as daily mileages tend to be high.

[tippy]

Thanks all, going to try packing it and see where I get to. If the weather stays as it is I'm not going to need much at all and think I can also strap a small drysack to the top of it if required.

[LollyKat]

Would you have a barbag or similar as well? Personally I don't think I could manage with Barley, but I'm in Scotland with dodgy weather and long distances between pit stops. For me the slightly larger Pendle plus small barbag works well.

[the_twin]

If you don’t carry spare shoes you should be fine.

[tippy]

Would you have a barbag or similar as well? Personally I don't think I could manage with Barley, but I'm in Scotland with dodgy weather and long distances between pit stops. For me the slightly larger Pendle plus small barbag works well.

I think so, I'm now thinking of taking one and probably also strapping/bungee a small waterproof sack to the top of the carradice.

[RickH]

Would you have a barbag or similar as well? Personally I don't think I could manage with Barley, but I'm in Scotland with dodgy weather and long distances between pit stops. For me the slightly larger Pendle plus small barbag works well.

I think so, I'm now thinking of taking one and probably also strapping/bungee a small waterproof sack to the top of the carradice.

At the risk of being traditional at one end & "trendy"* at the other, planet x do quite a neat waterproof roll top bag with a harness to strap to the bike. I got one & it seems reasonably well made but inexpensive. The only minor problem I found was I needed to remove my "out front" computer mount & use a bar/stem one instead.

(*although I recall strapping my sleeping bag to my bars, double wrapped in plastic bags, for a camping tour of Scotland back in 1977, so maybe not that trendy really! )