Cycling UK Forum

Anyone remember them? I had a black cotton duck Carradice one through the 80s, quite compact, it clicked onto the white wire frame by two rigid plastic clips. There were two velcro lid straps and one adjustable strap that went round the head tube. In winter you could crouch behind it and imagine you were getting some protection from the elements.

Not very stiff and the map lid was a bit of a joke but did some great rides behind that old barbag, with a Walkman inside and earphone wire dangling. The wire frame relied on a flat quill stem of the correct width, so threadless angled versions have seen them off. I think mine died of old age or a broken heart when I replaced it with a later (but now long defunct) barbag that squeaked which I never got attached to and binned after a few rides.
Karrimor did a similar version with two stabilising elastics. I still have the matching Karrimor saddlebag, a huge affair that I don't think I've used in 20 years.

I still have my wire puzzle bar bag and wire. Excellent thing as i could swap it between bikes without having lots of different attachments for different bikes. It consisted of metal prong looped in such a way that it threaded under the bar stem, then the bag had "guides" that threaded on to the prongs, and the stabilising elastics. Never had a problem with the "puzzle".

A piccie of such prongs!




Note the early "KlickFix" where the wire prong clicked in before they started placing moulded fixings on to the bags!

I had a raliegh one - used it on the end-to-end. Apart rom the bungies catching on things it seems to work OK even though it was on an angled stem. In the end one of the guides for the prongs ripped so I progressed to a carradice.

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The "retro" bar bag I have been trying to sell has the same mounting as shown in Cunobelin's pic.
What I'm wondering now though is why he's got such a collection of wire puzzles.
If he hasn't got bags to go with them, this could be the start of a thread on what's the weirdest collection of cycle-related products.

Once the bag is dead you can make good map holders out of them!

Si wrote:Once the bag is dead you can make good map holders out of them!

Explain, please.

attach the frame (as shown in Cunobelin's pic) to bars and hold in place with a bag tie that loops the opposite way around the stem and up over the frame. chop the top map holder bit of the knckered bag. Attach each end of the map holder to the sides of the frame using whatever bodge comes to hand (eg glue some velcro on) but remember not to make the attchment permenant otherwise you'll not be able to removed the frame from the bike!

Si wrote:attach the frame (as shown in Cunobelin's pic) to bars and hold in place with a bag tie that loops the opposite way around the stem and up over the frame. chop the top map holder bit of the knckered bag. Attach each end of the map holder to the sides of the frame using whatever bodge comes to hand (eg glue some velcro on) but remember not to make the attchment permenant otherwise you'll not be able to removed the frame from the bike!

My bags O.K. It's the map bit that's knackered.
The problem now is that I have an Ahead stem and the clip isn't big to fit the new size.

There's an old green Karrimor currently on the tourer. I use it for carrying boxes of freerange eggs from a farm on the way home from work.