Hi, I bought a new Tailfin top tube bag and I would love to screw it into my frame. The thing is, the mounts on the bag are really far backwards so the bag is pressed into the stem (holding it with one hand for demonstration, haven’t screwed it in). Is that okay, or should I use straps? You can’t really see it in the pic, but it’s pressed in quite a bit.
by kitesmerfer
14 Comments
My tt bag is similar, don’t have issues with it.
There are two different hole positions 19mm apart, make sure you are using the right one
That will eventually scratch your stem, but it will be years and years until that becomes a problem. I personally don’t like the feeling of things rubbing in my bike, so I bought one of these: https://us.ortlieb.com/products/offset-plate-64mm
I made another hole in my decathlon top tube bag to mount it with the screws, hold for 2,5 years now
What if you turned it the other way? More aero and might fit better 😉
I have the same tailfin bag on my lauf. The bolts on my stem were actually rubbing so much on the bag that I was getting concerned it would rub through the bag over time. I bought this bike bottle cage adapter on amazon, which allowed me to adjust it where I want: [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CJ266KF1](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CJ266KF1)
Can you just poke some new holes where you want them? Tape up the old ones.
There’s nothing abnormal about the way the bag sits in your pic. I really doubt you will notice or hear the stem against the front of the bag while riding. Realistically, the stem doesn’t move as much as you think – typically, maybe up to 20° either way, on any given ride?
Also, keep in mind that Tailfin bag is one of the outliers in the top tube bag category, where it actually is designed without any additional support strap that would go around the stem – which obviously creates a lot of contact.
I use a Topeak Fastfuel bag ( [https://www.topeak.com/global/en/product/1551-FASTFUEL-BAG-bolt-on](https://www.topeak.com/global/en/product/1551-FASTFUEL-BAG-bolt-on) ), which does have said strap, and the front of the bag and the strap looping around the steerer and under the stem obvioulsy creates contact.
It’s not an issue at all. What do you think will happen there? It would be thousands and thousands of kilometers, with the bag always there, for it to start to rub the black finish off on the back of the stem.
I had an Apidura bag mounted right up against the stem like that for quite a few years. It did eventually wear through the fabric. No wear on the stem itself, but it was a titanium stem.
If you plan on running cable in and out of the bag, then that might be a problem.
I have the same bag, the closest bolt hole is 10cm to the headtube giving me space with no rubbing. There are few options for holes inside. What distance do you have from the bolt hole to the headtube?
That’s normal. The bags are designed to fit as far forward as possible so they don’t interfere with your ability to stand over the frame when you’re dismounted. Most bags also have a strap on the front to wrap around the steerer tube under the stem to help keep them upright when they are loaded up.
Here’s an example of what I mean.
https://www.topeak.com/global/en/product/1551-FASTFUEL-BAG-bolt-on
Use the driller to adjust your bag position, it must fit
Could you use a bottle dropper to offset the bolts?
Honestly, I’ve run both screw-on and strapped top tube bags. I don’t like having a bag permanently mounted, especially when I’m driving with my bike on my hitch rack where it can catch the wind. Also, after a year or so, I removed my screwed on bag (Revelate), and there were some frame scratches.
I now use the same Tailfin bag that you picture, with straps. Allows me to easily remove, and it’s absolutely stable when mounted. Highly recommend straps not bolts.