Off Road Touring & Frame Bags: Marmite?

[Heltor Chasca]

Like many others I love the aesthetics of most bicycles.

But triangular frame bags? Man they spoil the look of a good bike. The French, the antipodeans and Americans are into having SOME light stuff on their backs.

Answers on a post card.

[garibeet]

I to love the aesthetics of a nice frame, but not as much as having no rucksack on my back. I have got used to having a frame bag on my bikes now, in fact I find that they look a little "naked" without them these days

[Si]

Can't be doing with them....nothing against the looks but I find them annoying when my knee touches them.

[Warin61]

I have travelled with a small backpack for some weeks ... never again. You might be different, comes down to personal capability. I even reject camel backs, we all have major sweat glands on our backs that I'd rather leave clear to do their job.

[Heltor Chasca]

Thank you both. And what sort of stuff do you load them with? I'm interested.

I haven't used a rucksack on a bike for years so maybe this is something to think about. I also can't stand anything rubbing my legs.

[EddieJ]

I can't stand any kind of unnecessary clutter or additions added to the frame or handlebars of an mtb/eMTB.

I'm more than happy with my Camelbak Mule. Worth every penny, and must have covered the best part of 10,000 miles of off road use with me, and still looks and performs as good as new.

In respect to what to carry, I'd say that it varies very much to the environment that you ride in. If I'm off to the Alps, I tend to carry the below, but leave the spare chain behind when out when riding locally, and would only take one version of chain lube. Not shown is a foil blanket, which always goes with me.




If I'm out trail building or maintaining, then I carry the whole kitchen sink, by adding a folding saw, loppers and army entrenching tool!

[reohn2]

Thank you both. And what sort of stuff do you load them with? I'm interested.

I haven't used a rucksack on a bike for years so maybe this is something to think about.

I use a very small one when MTBing,but there's not much weight in it,a few personal effects and a light waterproof.

I also can't stand anything rubbing my legs.

Depends who's doing the rubbing

[Heltor Chasca]

Thank you both. And what sort of stuff do you load them with? I'm interested.

I haven't used a rucksack on a bike for years so maybe this is something to think about.

I use a very small one when MTBing,but there's not much weight in it,a few personal effects and a light waterproof.

I also can't stand anything rubbing my legs.

Depends who's doing the rubbing

I walked into that one [emoji854].

I pretty much get everything into the seat pack, bar bag, chalk bags and a little accessory bag. Where I fell down compared to my pannier system, was when I stopped to get food and a bottle of wine. I do have one of those little pack away rucksacks. It rolls up to the size of a box of fags but will take up to 18l. Not very comfortable. Maybe ok for getting supplies at the end of the day.

Either a rucksack or a frame bag to consider. I'm selling a few things on eBay, so maybe that'll be the deciding factor.

EDIT: Winter, 2 day tour so I was wearing almost everything and I only had toothpaste & toothbrush. I would also move my 'kitchen' as it was spread out between bags. I like 'departments' to be in the same bag. E.g. Sleeping gear all in the bar bag.

[garibeet]

You could try a half frame bag. I get what your saying about rubbing your legs, I figured it would drive me mad too, but I don't really notice it anymore to be honest. Not much of a rub mind.

[reohn2]

^^^like that photo.
If I were being pedantic I'd say it could do with squaring up to be perfect(the roof line's doing the damage)

[Warin61]

^^^like that photo.
If I were being pedantic I'd say it could do with squaring up to be perfect(the roof line's doing the damage)

If the roof were made square .. the door would be for drunks.

[reohn2]

^^^like that photo.
If I were being pedantic I'd say it could do with squaring up to be perfect(the roof line's doing the damage)

If the roof were made square .. the door would be for drunks.

On a second gander I think it's the line of fixing screws that's distracting the eye

[pjclinch]

I use a standard rack and panniers on my MTB. The rack helps keep the rear mudguard in place. There's a Klickfix mount on the bars, though I only use that coaching: wicker basket very handy for the ubiquitous plastic cones.

Pete.

transmitted from my personal telephony apparatus

[Heltor Chasca]

I use a standard rack and panniers on my MTB. The rack helps keep the rear mudguard in place. There's a Klickfix mount on the bars, though I only use that coaching: wicker basket very handy for the ubiquitous plastic cones.

Pete.

transmitted from my personal telephony apparatus

Thanks Pete. This MTB has got a very short wheelbase and chainstays (420mm) and given the cranks are about 220mm, there's not much room, so heel strike is a given. Also: last summer on another bike with a rack, I dropped down into a eroded gulley and got jammed in with my panniers!

I think I am doing that whole N+1 thing but with bike luggage. Surely that's a special condition [emoji856]Is there help out there for this scenario? Probably not.

[Labrat]

Many years ago, one of my instructors at army cadets (an ex-Scots Guard who fought in the Falklands) told us "the bigger the bag, the more crap you put in it"

It must have taken another twenty years for this message to finally sink in.