I’m always thinking of ways to improve my loaded touring setup and I recently bought a new front bag from Rivendell to give me a little more space for snacks. I’ve been using the Acorn handlebar bag for a while, but I’ve found that it’s just a little bit small and Rivendell’s Brand V bag’s two liters larger capacity sounded just right. The bag is very simple with a single compartment closed by a rear zip. It’s held onto the bike by five velcro straps; two around the bars; two around the brake hoods and a single strap around the head tube. The bag is light and the waxed cotton material will be hard wearing and the only criticism I have is the rear zip is hard to open when the bag is on the bike as it is right against the handlebars and it gives poor access to the contents s you end up feeling around blindly for items inside. On the back of the bike I’ve gone over to the Carradice Expendition Bagman as my only rack and I now strap my sleeping pad to the top of my saddlebag. I did try strapping the pad to my top tube, but there was too much leg rub and I wonder how much of an issue that is on the setups that use internal frame bags. My tent is strapped under the saddle and the straps looped around the Bagman so that the tent is tight up against it which stops any leg rub.
Nice looking set-up and nice write-up. I have to say that I remain partial to Berthoud HB bags but they are expensive and require a rack. I kinda wish Riv would bring back their boxy bag, seems like it would resolve the problem of access when riding as the zipper wouldn’t be up against the bars.
What tires are you running?
The Berthoud bags are beautiful, but they are not really the best option for my touring needs as I like minimalist construction and a simple way of strapping it to the bike.
I liked the Boxy Bag’s top flap, but the support decaleur always struc me as a bit of a pain when removing the bag. I need to carry all my most important stuff in a front bag
that can be easily removed and carried when I’m off the bike. The Brand V bag works for that as the velcro straps are easy to use and they can also be used to attach a shoulder
strap. It’s not as elegant as using D-rings, but it works. The bag can hold a good amount of stuff, 7.5 Liters, but with the single zippered opening it can be difficult to get at stuff
inside, but that’s the only issue I have and I think it will become my default front bag.
My tires are Rivendell Ruffy Tuffy and I’ve found them to be good for light weight touring on roads
Greetings from Durham NC,
Nice setup! I as happy to see your comments on the handlebar bag as I was admiring it on RivBike just yesterday. I’m drawn to its simplicity and that its American-made.
I have a couple questions. First, I am new to waxed cotton, what is the water-resistance of a bag like this compared to an Ortleib bag (which I am also considering for the handlebars)? And, how do you think the map case would do holding a smartphone (which is also my gps)?
The Ortleib appears to handle both well, but is expensive and relatively complex.
Thanks for your time, I look forward to your feedback.
Jack
Waxed cotton is waterproof and I’ve never had any issues with things getting wet inside my waxed cotton bags so don’t worry about that. The map case will hold an iPhone nicely and there is a little lip at the entrance slit that it can sit in. You can also use the touch screen through the plastic map case.
The Ortlieb bag is more sophisticated, rigid and has a rigid mounting mechanism. The Rivendell is minimalist with oly a single large compartment which can be an issue when it comes to organizing things. Also it has no internal structure, but it’s contents and the 5 velcro mounting straps make it secure on the bike. Taking the Brand V off the bike is easy as the Velcro just “rips” of, again it’s not as “engineered” as the Ortlieb’s quick release mechanism, but there’s also nothing to break and it’s really light weight. Carrying the Brand V off the bike is easy as a strap can be looped through the velcro attachments. It wopuld also be an easy matter to sew on a couple of D-rings