Compression straps

[JohnCKirk]

I'm looking for some straps that I can use to tie a sleeping bag etc. to the top of my rack. I've used these when I rented a touring bike, but I'm not sure where to buy them; the usual suppliers (e.g. Wiggle, Evans) don't seem to stock these. This is the type of thing I'm after:
http://travellingtwo.com/resources/straps-nets-and-cords

That site refers to them as "compression straps", but the REI site is in the USA, and when I search for that phrase I mainly find straps that are built into rucksacks/panniers. Some other people refer to them as "utility straps", e.g.
http://www.littleadventureshop.co.uk/Kids-Adventure-Products/Nylon-Utility-Straps-(2-x-1-m).html
However, I'd ideally like to get some with the metal buckles.

Maybe there's a better term that I'm not searching for. Can anyone recommend a particular brand/shop?

[snibgo]

I use straps like those, aka "luggage straps", to attach sleeping bag and bivvy to rack. Dunno where I got them from, years ago, but probably a camping shop like Blacks, or army surplus place.

These days, punching "luggage straps" into ebay is good.

[phil1965]

can buy them at halfords

[Barrenfluffit]

And buy the straps by the metre from B&Q. But you then have to tie them rather than use a ratchet (although it might save a bit of weight). The ends need to be heat sealed to stop unravelling.

can't find a link but its on a reel with the chains, ropes and cords.

also
http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/nav.jsp?a ... earch=true

[vernon]

The straps are also known as luggage straps and luggage tie down straps.

I bought mine from outdoor sports suppliers such as Millets, Blacks and Cotswold.

I have just done a quick search of the above's online stores and they are not listed but they are generally found on the accessories racks in the stores.

Here's an Ebay link:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Set-2-x-1-5-m-Med ... 402wt_1141

[groberts]

Maybe reconsider your plan and use a cargo net instead. I find this more secure and flexible than straps or bungees; stops prying hands if you need to leave your bike and can accommodate bits and pieces too if necessary. I presume you're sleeping bag is in a waterproof / compression bag, personally if like this in my panniers away from the elements.

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/del ... argo%20net

[simonineaston]

Fastex buckle

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For me, the key-words would be 'Fastex buckle'. The metal ratchet seems like over-kill to me, being heavy and designed to tighten the strap to a degree unnecessary in the context of a bicycle luggage rack. They're a bloomin' nuisance to thread and unthread, too. Fastex buckles do the job really well - the clue is in the name!
BTW I have 2 much treasured luggage straps, made of rubber, which being elastic by nature, are self tightening. I have had them since one of the Bristol Big Bike Rides of the '90s when I was marshalling and ended up with a couple of these straps left over from the event signage. They're the best luggage straps ever, and I've never been able to get more.

[meic]

I find that the fastex type do not hold fast around small-medium size cylinders (tents and sleeping bags).
Because the webbing is coming in from "below" the buckle a little bit, instead of from behind under tension, the serrated grips dont get a proper bite and it slackens off.

[ossie]

Does anyone else just use bunjees ? I find them more versatile (and cheaper) than luggage straps.

[thirdcrank]

As somebody mentioned above, Halfords do various things like this. I've been watching the paint dry and the grass grow on their awful website and I've found this:

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... yId_165760

You may find a trip to your local store is quicker than the website, even if it means a 200 mile round trip.

[alicej]

Does anyone else just use bunjees ? I find them more versatile (and cheaper) than luggage straps.

Yeah me, and I sometimes use a cargo net like this http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Silverline-140818 ... 1e61c8827a

I think motorbike riders sometimes use them, and you can get different sizes depending on what you want it to go over. Handy for being able to shove your jacket on the back of the bike without having to undo bags.

[snibgo]

Does anyone else just use bunjees ? I find them more versatile (and cheaper) than luggage straps.

Bunjees have their uses, mainly when I need to strap hard things together, which is rare. But the rubber perishes and breaks, or the hooks gets caught or unbend, or the things just ping across the road.

I find that luggage straps do not come undone. It doesn't happen. I do them up tight, and they stay that way.

And they are lighter than bungees.

True, it's an extra minute of faff at the beginning and end of a day. OTOH they form a (trivial) barrier to scroats.

[tatanab]

Lots of manufacturers such as Gelert http://www.campingworld.co.uk/Models.aspx?ModelID=3412
I use them to easily hold things tightly, and release easily, where a bungee has to be stretched to an inch of its life. Last year I needed a couple of extra ones quickly and picked them up in a French supermarket. I use a cargo net as well for things like shopping that will be transported a short distance on the top of the carrier or bags.

[JohnCKirk]

Thanks all - that gives me some good ideas of where to look.

[scottg]

Toe straps are good for too, I have some 17in long versions from Velo Orange.
Before fixed became fashionable, bike shops almost gave them away.