Map holders on handlebar bags

[SuperGalactian]

I usually buy a good map that covers the area I'm going to cycle in and then photocopy onto A4 sheets a selection of relevant parts. If there are any off road cycle ways that are not clearly shown, I will pencil or ink them in and then use one A4 map print-off at a time in my mapholder, keeping the rest nice and dry in a plastic cover inside my bar bag along with the master map. (I generally then use any rest breaks to ink in or highlight the route that I have actually taken so far).

I use a Rixen & Kaul Klickfix bar bag that is big enough to keep my valuables, my rain jacket, food and drink, a spare tube and some tools in, along with the map and (folded) spare map sheets.
View attachment 822549
I've had it for a few years now, and like the fact that it is so inter-changeable with my smaller bar bag that I use for most rides from home. After a few years the plastic map cover did start to become a little cloudy, and the velcro used to seal it shut has started to detach, but I don't mind adding a little sellotape to fix that, and I still like the bag and would recommend it. It would be nice if you could buy a replacement map cover, though. There is also a very slight issue with the map cover inflating a bit when speeding downhill, showing that it is not quite air tight .... though I've never had any water ingress. (Just giving you a completely honest review. I would still recommend it).

Thanks for that. I think that’s the same bag that I have had for about 20 years, except mine was badged Altura. The Velcro has come off its map case, and had to be stapled as well as glued back. It will just - only just - take 2 panels of an OS map without the card cover, but changing to the next panel is a pain. I should do as you do and make photocopies that can be shuffled about inside the case.

 

[mikeIow]

Considering a new handlebar bag, & found this thread….
I used a Wahoo Roam (recently died, need new gadget for Christmas…) for main nav, but after a career in data protection, I like a backup, & printed out (& laminated) “strip maps” from https://cycle.travel to slip on my old bag:

What bag did you chose in the end?
I’m leaning toward a Topeak Tourguide DX….not sure if it might be a bit tall 🤷‍♂️

 

[SuperGalactian]

Considering a new handlebar bag, & found this thread….
I used a Wahoo Roam (recently died, need new gadget for Christmas…) for main nav, but after a career in data protection, I like a backup, & printed out (& laminated) “strip maps” from https://cycle.travel to slip on my old bag:
View attachment 822716

What bag did you chose in the end?
I’m leaning toward a Topeak Tourguide DX….not sure if it might be a bit tall 🤷‍♂️

Thanks for making me aware of this. I do use and support cycle.travel, but I hadn't twigged that one could do this.

I'm still making do with my old Altura bag and its somewhat knackered map case. My wife bought an Ortlieb, but it is rather small and doesn't have an adequate map case. So we are still in the market.

 

[mikeIow]

Ha: my knackered old one is the Altura👌
I don’t think they make ‘em anymore.

Ah, we always used Ortlieb cases with our DofE Explorers when they went on expeditions. Decent quality.
They should fit an OSMap perfectly? We did always remove the cardboard ‘cover’ to fold them inside….then stored the maps in the cardboard sleeve afterwards, if the maps survived.

MrsMikeIOW has ordered me the Topeak Tourguide DX (birthday coming up🎉). I’ve used their rear ‘slide on’ bag with mini panniers built in for years, hoping it will work.

 

[yello]

I also used to rip pages out of old road atlases.

#MeToo

 

[SuperGalactian]

I also used to rip pages out of old road atlases.

You have to be careful how old. If it weren't for that, I think 3 miles to the inch might be the perfect scale for cycling.

 

[Lookrider]

Similar to some bodge it DIY types mentioned
I used a folder with clear cover
Photo copy map to the size you want of all route
Put them in this folder and with finger tags sellotaped to alternate corners enabled you to rip out that page once you passed it and put old page in pocket
Very rough n ready but did,work
I cannot recall any issues,with it flapping around in the wind ( few coin weights taped to the folder will help here i guess

 

[yello]

Tbh, I stopped using a map on my barbag as it became a kind of hassle. I can't read it without my glasses anyway! I do carry a map but not for consulting as I ride. I now do as I do on my motorbike, and that is scribble a note of junctions, road numbers or towns and stick that on my barbag (or tankbag on my motorbike)

I find it acts as an 'aide de memoire' rather than a route sheet because to make it, I have had to study the map beforehand and that sorta embeds the route anway.

 

[adiemla]

Funnily enough, it’s exactly like going to our nearest shops and back. But don’t you go touring to explore the places you pass through?

A bit off topic but I couldn't help responding to this. The discipline of observation takes a back seat if one focuses of maximum distance per day. Observing ones surroundings as you cycle along throws up many pleasant surprises. And it is easy to park your bicycle at a scenic location and take in the vista.

 

[yello]

And it is easy to park your bicycle at a scenic location and take in the vista.

You're right, and one has to be mindful of the fact you may need to be back at work on Monday, or have a train to catch at 16:40 or whatever. It's a balancing act, and one I've gotten wrong and consequently spent a couple of hours hanging around on a train platform!

 

[brommieinkorea]

That’s a valid point, thanks. I suppose it depends what sort of mileage one expects to do per day, and how many days. We were thinking of a max 30 miles per day, to allow plenty of time for poking about. Of course it’s the interesting little byroads and place names that are missing from smaller scale maps.

A 1:50000 map is a walking map. Made for the military , who traditionally is on foot. The detail is incredible and they are great for planning. But, the scale is such that a typical map covers a grid square - I can't recall the actual distance , but it is not too far. A bicycle travels 3 to 5 times the speed of a person carrying a pack (2-4 mph) , 30 miles would be more than one map per day. 1:250000 is a better scale for cyclo touring , think Michelin maps.

 

[SuperGalactian]

A 1:50000 map is a walking map. Made for the military , who traditionally is on foot. The detail is incredible and they are great for planning. But, the scale is such that a typical map covers a grid square - I can't recall the actual distance , but it is not too far. A bicycle travels 3 to 5 times the speed of a person carrying a pack (2-4 mph) , 30 miles would be more than one map per day.

If one cycled in a straight line, yes. A 1:50,000 map is 40 km from side to side. However, I'm not interested in the kind of tour that traverses whole counties in one day. I want to weave around and get a feel for each area, and to change my route if I see something more interesting. Distance riding is for other occasions.

See my post #36 above. 3 miles to the inch is 1:190,000 (I think), which is not far off your recommendation of 1:250,000 For navigating a cycle route, that scale seems good to me. But although it has quite a lot of detail, it's not enough for poking about and discovering new things, at least in lowland England. That detail is also extremely difficult to read, and I doubt it can be improved much by modern map design. They'd have to omit detail to make it clearer.

I've accepted that the area of a folded 1:50,000 map visible on a bar-top bag (roughly 10x12 km) does dictate quite frequent map changes even in my style of touring, also that shuffling loose photocopies must be a lot easier than refolding the original map and stuffing it back in. So I think I can probably manage to carry both map scales.

Funny how often people ask if I am lost, when they see me studying a map. I am not lost. I know exactly where I am. I am just deciding where to go next.

 

[presta]

A 1:50000 map is a walking map. Made for the military , who traditionally is on foot. The detail is incredible and they are great for planning. But, the scale is such that a typical map covers a grid square - I can't recall the actual distance , but it is not too far. A bicycle travels 3 to 5 times the speed of a person carrying a pack (2-4 mph) , 30 miles would be more than one map per day. 1:250000 is a better scale for cyclo touring , think Michelin maps.

I totted up that if I weren't using a 1:250,000 road atlas I would have needed 28 Landranger maps for my last tour, and a whole extra pannier just to carry them all.

I've accepted that the area of a folded 1:50,000 map visible on a bar-top bag (roughly 10x12 km) does dictate quite frequent map changes even in my style of touring, also that shuffling loose photocopies must be a lot easier than refolding the original map and stuffing it back in. So I think I can probably manage to carry both map scales.

I never fold my maps any other way than the way the come from the OS, otherwise they fall to bits in no time.

Funny how often people ask if I am lost, when they see me studying a map. I am not lost. I know exactly where I am. I am just deciding where to go next.

This.

I've also learnt not to ask for directions when I am lost either, unless I want to get sent down the same dual carriageway that the motorists use.

 

[SuperGalactian]

I totted up that if I weren't using a 1:250,000 road atlas I would have needed 28 Landranger maps for my last tour, and a whole extra pannier just to carry them all.

You’ll just have to accept that I am not in that league 🙂