So I’ve done a fair bit of touring, but mostly on a Trek 1200 2003 with rack and pannier set-up. I’m doing a trip on a rental bike in two months, and the rental place said they don’t have racks, so I should consider a saddlebag. I went out and bought a Topeak Toploader X.
I got the Toploader on my bike and went for a 10k test ride. Things seem good, no bag swinging, hardly noticed it at all. I had to raise my seat a little bit. I usually ride with my seat pretty low. But after 15 minutes, I hardly noticed a difference. The tops of my thighs seems to have to work a little more, and the bike seat seemed a little more wedged into my crotch, but I wasn’t rocking from side to side.
The bag also seems pretty close to the tire, partly because my bike doesn’t have a sloping top tube to accommodate the seat stem coming out more. But also tested out going over some bumps, and it didn’t seem to be an issue. The trip I’m planning will be in the midwest, over mostly flat paths too.
At the same time, it’s a little scary to think if either of those side straps loosens on a fast downhill and the bag drops into the rear wheel, it could be disastrous. What do you guys think? Am I good to go? If not, should I test it in another way? Or return the bag?
hsxcstf on
I run a seatpost bag with a dropper (content of bag are super light before anyone gets on my case lol. Just an ultralight sleeping bag and camp sandals).
I pretty regularly drop my dropper a little too low where it buzzes my tire, then just raise it back up a hair when that happens. No damage to the bag yet beyond some visual scuffing. So no, it touching for just a little bit won’t break it.
That said – you’ll have to be very careful about packing well and compressing the straps all the way. Any mistakes or if any straps work their way loose you’ll have to stop and fix it relatively quickly. If your compression straps loosen themselves as you ride even a little you’ll be stopping all the time.
If I were to run something this close I’d get a voile strap around the seat-bag and saddle rails as an extra point of compression and more insurance. If you tuck the strap thru the hole in the harness right up against the dry bag (where bag is closest to frame) and then run it around the saddle rails it’d be better I think.
Dirtdancefire on
It’s too close. It’s too big. Get a smaller bag or longer legs. Gravity and bumps will drag a hole…
geezer-1958 on
Don’t adjust your seat height to accommodate a bag. There is one height for you, give or take a few millimeters. Anything out of that range is just asking for trouble. Also, how do you know this bag will fit on the rental bike?
NeuseRvrRat on
My thought is just stick with a rack and some light panniers.
5 Comments
So I’ve done a fair bit of touring, but mostly on a Trek 1200 2003 with rack and pannier set-up. I’m doing a trip on a rental bike in two months, and the rental place said they don’t have racks, so I should consider a saddlebag. I went out and bought a Topeak Toploader X.
I got the Toploader on my bike and went for a 10k test ride. Things seem good, no bag swinging, hardly noticed it at all. I had to raise my seat a little bit. I usually ride with my seat pretty low. But after 15 minutes, I hardly noticed a difference. The tops of my thighs seems to have to work a little more, and the bike seat seemed a little more wedged into my crotch, but I wasn’t rocking from side to side.
The bag also seems pretty close to the tire, partly because my bike doesn’t have a sloping top tube to accommodate the seat stem coming out more. But also tested out going over some bumps, and it didn’t seem to be an issue. The trip I’m planning will be in the midwest, over mostly flat paths too.
At the same time, it’s a little scary to think if either of those side straps loosens on a fast downhill and the bag drops into the rear wheel, it could be disastrous. What do you guys think? Am I good to go? If not, should I test it in another way? Or return the bag?
I run a seatpost bag with a dropper (content of bag are super light before anyone gets on my case lol. Just an ultralight sleeping bag and camp sandals).
I pretty regularly drop my dropper a little too low where it buzzes my tire, then just raise it back up a hair when that happens. No damage to the bag yet beyond some visual scuffing. So no, it touching for just a little bit won’t break it.
That said – you’ll have to be very careful about packing well and compressing the straps all the way. Any mistakes or if any straps work their way loose you’ll have to stop and fix it relatively quickly. If your compression straps loosen themselves as you ride even a little you’ll be stopping all the time.
If I were to run something this close I’d get a voile strap around the seat-bag and saddle rails as an extra point of compression and more insurance. If you tuck the strap thru the hole in the harness right up against the dry bag (where bag is closest to frame) and then run it around the saddle rails it’d be better I think.
It’s too close. It’s too big. Get a smaller bag or longer legs. Gravity and bumps will drag a hole…
Don’t adjust your seat height to accommodate a bag. There is one height for you, give or take a few millimeters. Anything out of that range is just asking for trouble. Also, how do you know this bag will fit on the rental bike?
My thought is just stick with a rack and some light panniers.