I'm not really sure why you'd favour a Sweetroll over a conventional handlebar bag. I see their use more for off road tours when a handlebar bag and mounts just wouldn't take the abuse. In all ways a conventional handlebar bag is preferable for ease of use, packing, taking on and off the bike and hanging maps and lights off. I'd only consider a sweetroll or similar for a rough tour.
Thoughts on a Round Europe Trip
- Thread starter MacB
- Start date
Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
OP
OP
MacB
Lover of things that come in 3's
- Location
- Farnborough, Hampshire
Which handlebar bags can you put a tent in? I also want the ability to offroad possibly using points I like as basecamps. With tent gone the Sweetroll would take my various clothing options for a ride, tools and spares would be in frame bag and water on the forks.
OK, I suppose there's more than one way to do it but the thought of stuffing a wet tent into a relatively small bag and then hanging it's sodden weight off my bars does not appeal to me but I accept it may work better for you and your plans.
No comment
OP
OP
MacB
Lover of things that come in 3's
- Location
- Farnborough, Hampshire
No doubt I'm missing some thing but I don't get it, unless you're just referring to the packed tents location? Otherwise I'd have thought having to stuff a wet tent into a small bag was just part of the packing process. This isn't cast in stone, the bar bag could take sleeping bag and mat and the tent go elsewhere. Or the tent could go elsewhere when wet and bar bag when dry.
Anyway back on tents as I've mocked up some heights etc in the garage and some of my options aren't really going to meet my comfort needs. So I was nosing at this style:-
http://www.backpackinglight.co.uk/shelters-1/WF106.html
lots of other similar options but some of the others have no porch area so it's straight in to main inner. The main lack I can see is the ability to pitch standalone but there's the big upside of being able to sit properly and in a chair.
Bodhbh
Guru
Here's my opinion - the thing about a tent is it's just lumpen weight and it can get lashed anyplace on the bike it'll fit. The handlebars are an option, but why waste such a handy luggage slot on lumpen weight?
A barbag takes your high utility items - maps/camera/guidebooks/penknife/phone/notebook/whatever else, and on the bars it's all immediately to hand. No opening things, dismounting, undoing straps, reaching round, rummaging thru gear - you stop your bike, pop a press-stud open and it's all there in front of you. You want to go for a walk or grab a coffee with your stuff, push a clip and you're gone.
Personally, I've found them pretty robust off-road (ortlieb barbag + ortlieb or klickfix mount). I've never had one fail or bounce out the bracket, although you have to be careful about delicate contents (i.e. scratched glasses, burst drinks cans, liquidised fruit, mashed sarnies). And if you're fully loaded, I'm pretty sure something else will bounce off or fail first.
A barbag takes your high utility items - maps/camera/guidebooks/penknife/phone/notebook/whatever else, and on the bars it's all immediately to hand. No opening things, dismounting, undoing straps, reaching round, rummaging thru gear - you stop your bike, pop a press-stud open and it's all there in front of you. You want to go for a walk or grab a coffee with your stuff, push a clip and you're gone.
Personally, I've found them pretty robust off-road (ortlieb barbag + ortlieb or klickfix mount). I've never had one fail or bounce out the bracket, although you have to be careful about delicate contents (i.e. scratched glasses, burst drinks cans, liquidised fruit, mashed sarnies). And if you're fully loaded, I'm pretty sure something else will bounce off or fail first.
SatNavSaysStraightOn
Changed hemispheres!
- Location
- ɐᴉlɐɹʇsn∀ 'ɐɹɹǝquɐƆ
Same here and my ortlieb barbag is on one of the extenders to hold it out of the way of my rohloff hear cables and I am not known for not cramming as much in their as possible (including boxes of raw eggs) or for staying on tarmac... I don't however take mine off the bike, but keep a cotton bag inside it which I just lift out, saves fighting with that damned lock!
OP
OP
MacB
Lover of things that come in 3's
- Location
- Farnborough, Hampshire
Nothing to argue with there but I had planned on a small bar bag buckled to the top of the Sweetroll. Probably the Ortlieb Hip/Bum bag and that would be my take with me bag when leaving the bike. As far as I can tell the biggest use of the larger handlebar bags is for cameras and I won't have one, well just whatever the phone has inbuilt. It will take wallet, passport, swiss army knife and any other small essentials. The frame bag will have a map pocket on the side able to take a large map.
SatNavSaysStraightOn
Changed hemispheres!
- Location
- ɐᴉlɐɹʇsn∀ 'ɐɹɹǝquɐƆ
We personally never kept our main wallets or passports in the barbags simply for security reasons. Photocopies of the passports yes, but the actual passport was safely and snugly stowed away at the bottom of a waterproof bag inside the zip pocket of the rear panniers which when you have the ortlieb rackpack that clips into the classic rollers makes them pretty secure against any casual attempt at theft during the day.
OP
OP
MacB
Lover of things that come in 3's
- Location
- Farnborough, Hampshire
Interesting, does this meet requirements in countries that expect a passport to be carried liked Spain?
SatNavSaysStraightOn
Changed hemispheres!
- Location
- ɐᴉlɐɹʇsn∀ 'ɐɹɹǝquɐƆ
We were still carrying them and could produce the original eventually, but in most countries that wanted our passports when we checked into a hotel or went into a bank we feigned ignorance and it usually worked. It was only in Belarus and at borders where we knew it would be checked (crossing into Serbia, Belarus, Macedonia, Greece, Turkey, Ireland, onto the Netherlands) that we actually had it to our ready. After those individual days they (on our case) went deep back inside our panniers and we just told people they would have to wait whilst we found them etc. It worked everytime.
GrumpyGregry
Here for rides.
I'm happy with panniers. I'm happy with a bobyak. But here's the thing...
My current touring bike, new this year, Jamis Aurora Elite... lovely bike... ride it unloaded... wind it up downhill to 50kph... hit a rough patch of road surface... instant TERRIFYING speed wobble.
Put panniers on the back (I've only tried this with them lightly loaded as a test)... same road... same rider... same rough surface... no speed wobble.
Physics is a harsh mistress and her laws are merciless, and there are a lot of variables in the rider, luggage, trailer load, speed wobble equation.
threebikesmcginty
Corn Fed Hick...
- Location
- ...on the slake
Has he gone yet?
- Location
- London
SatNavSaysStraightOn
Changed hemispheres!
- Location
- ɐᴉlɐɹʇsn∀ 'ɐɹɹǝquɐƆ
Tis the one thing a photo I'd driving licence is really handy for.. So much easier to replace than a passport
