C bag on S bars?

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doginabag

Senior Member
I seem to have come across a £150 voucher for brompton junction for use on luggage. I have been wanting an S bag for a while but not really had the funds, no this comes along and they are out of stock!

I could get the roll top messenger bag, but at 9 litres capacity I'm not convinced it will be much use.
Daily I need to carry a pair of trousers and shirt, wallet, phone, headphones. Occasionally I will also want to add a 12 " laptop to that.

Under the premise that bigger is always better, I have read some passing comments that a C bag will fit but just rubs on the brake cable.

Has anyone here used a C bag on S bars and is it possible. If so does it add any hassle to day to day use, ie is there any extra faff when you put it on/take it off the bike?
 

12boy

Guru
Location
Casper WY USA
I have an S bar and I bought a Brompton Bag when I got the bike. When it is holding stuff the outside handle is away from the bars and the brake levers and is not much of a problem. To get the brakes to clear when empty I have to rotate them to be parallel with the ground instead of hanging down which I prefer. I will say the bag holds a lot of stuff and when I run a cord from one handle to the other not much will jump out even when I hit a bump. The bag really is noticeable in a head wind though, and so ! made a couple of smaller bags with some cheap bags which were smaller and more aero. Ugly but sturdy and work well. I also made a bag from an Army Navy store into a seat bag, stiffening it with some plastic from a gallon jug.This I attached to the back of the saddle and is large enough to hold my tool roll, a 5x3 cylinder, wallet sunglasses and a sweater and/or gloves. This bag, being in the slipstream, has no aero drag I can feel. I should have gotten a bare bag frame instead of making laminated plywood ones and just devised some way to switch bags out easily. My point here is it is very useful to have a choice of bag size and a largish saddle bag can be very useful. The drag from a large bag headed into the wind is definitely noticeable, so if you don't need that much capacity a smaller or a seat bag have their uses, too.
 
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doginabag

doginabag

Senior Member
Thanks for the thoughts.
I only commute on this bike so one correctly sized bag should do me, which would ideally be the S bag.

I'm certainly not aerodynamic so not sure if the added wind resistance will be as noticeable.

I think maybe the best thing to do right now is to get the C bag and see if it will work for me, if not I can always sell it on to fund an S bag.
 

oldwheels

Legendary Member
Location
Isle of Mull
There is a utube video somewhere showing someone fitting a C or mebbe T bag to an S bar. Basically you cut off the handle from the frame and replace with a bit of cord. This avoids cable interference but the bag cannot be loaded to its full height. For the capacity I think an S Bag is not significantly smaller.
 

Fab Foodie

hanging-on in quiet desperation ...
Location
Kirton, Devon.
There is a utube video somewhere showing someone fitting a C or mebbe T bag to an S bar. Basically you cut off the handle from the frame and replace with a bit of cord. This avoids cable interference but the bag cannot be loaded to its full height. For the capacity I think an S Bag is not significantly smaller.
I use a T bag on S-bars without any issue unless it's brim full....and that's a lot of stuff!*
Not had to cut the handle off either. Will dig out a photo if I can find one...



*18kg of shopping once!!
 
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doginabag

doginabag

Senior Member
Thanks guys. C bag has been ordered as that is all they had in stock anyway. Will give it a try when it arrives and see what if any modifications are needed to get it to work. If it turns out to be too much of a bodge for my liking, or the bag is just bigger than I need anyway I'll sell it on and get an S bag.

Either way, free bag. :biggrin:
 
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oldwheels

Legendary Member
Location
Isle of Mull
Would have got a T bag if I had not been put of by the instruction not to use it on S bars. Now I have an S bag I am stuck with it as they are pretty expensive and cannot be bothered with the hassle of selling it.
 

Fab Foodie

hanging-on in quiet desperation ...
Location
Kirton, Devon.
IMG_6403.JPG
I use a T bag on S-bars without any issue unless it's brim full....and that's a lot of stuff!*
Not had to cut the handle off either. Will dig out a photo if I can find one...



*18kg of shopping once!!

IMG_6404.JPG
 

John the Monkey

Frivolous Cyclist
Location
Crewe
C Bag is fine on my 2009 S model.

4055383654_b2a18ea50d_z.jpg
Brompton S6-L, C-Bag
by Jacques LeSinge, on Flickr

4248471329_61a3bd2f63_z.jpg
Snow Brompton
by Jacques LeSinge, on Flickr

4055383590_42fa8eeed3_z.jpg
Brompton S6-L, C-Bag
by Jacques LeSinge, on Flickr

The handle rubs the cables a little, but that hasn't caused me any issues. I'm sure someone of this parish has put a C bag on the cage for the S bag to eliminate that problem.
 

oldwheels

Legendary Member
Location
Isle of Mull
I may just bite the bullet and get the bigger and bag for my S bars. Better for my projected tours this summer. I had thought of doing a fab foodie and using my old (about 60 years) carradice and putting the tent on top.
 

oldwheels

Legendary Member
Location
Isle of Mull
Not being able to extend the roll top loses a bit of volume so given the only 10lt difference which would reduce to probably at most 5lt not really worth the bother and expense.Got some other ideas in mind using the existing S bag.
 
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doginabag

doginabag

Senior Member
The bag turned up yesterday and today I got round to test fitting it.

This shows the issue with using a larger bag with the S bars. The brake cables rub and almost snag the bag handle when you turn.
IMG_20170219_145936.jpg

It seems that this rubbing can be completely eliminated with a single cable tie, pulling the cables up and back out the way of the handle so there is no running at all.
IMG_20170219_151214.jpg

IMG_20170219_151200.jpg


And finally with all my gubbins back on the bars. Yes that excess cable is a mess, I have been meaning to shorten them just as soon as I find a suitable waterproof connector.
IMG_20170219_154022.jpg
IMG_20170219_154046.jpg


When fitting and removing the bag the handle does clash with the brake levers so the handle bars need to be turned 90 degrees, but that is no hardship.

Looking forward to tomorrow's commute to see how I get on without my usual rucksack.
 

Fab Foodie

hanging-on in quiet desperation ...
Location
Kirton, Devon.
The bag turned up yesterday and today I got round to test fitting it.

This shows the issue with using a larger bag with the S bars. The brake cables rub and almost snag the bag handle when you turn.
View attachment 338635
It seems that this rubbing can be completely eliminated with a single cable tie, pulling the cables up and back out the way of the handle so there is no running at all.
View attachment 338640
View attachment 338641

And finally with all my gubbins back on the bars. Yes that excess cable is a mess, I have been meaning to shorten them just as soon as I find a suitable waterproof connector.
View attachment 338643 View attachment 338644

When fitting and removing the bag the handle does clash with the brake levers so the handle bars need to be turned 90 degrees, but that is no hardship.

Looking forward to tomorrow's commute to see how I get on without my usual rucksack.
Good stuff!

As mentioned, having the brake levers rotated downwards reduced the snagging ad the plastic handle can be cut off and replaced with a strap instead.

Full test report required!!!!
 
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