B
Ben Goren
Guest
So, I've had my new-to-me Haluzak Leprechaun since November, and I
absolutely love it.
The kind lady who sold it to me included a Rans pack that
more-or-less attaches to the back of the seat frame. It works
for now, but I'm currently investigating near- and long-term
solutions. And I'd appreciate some advice.
Mostly I need something to carry work clothes and shoes as well as
a U-lock and a cable. The weather's good enough now that I can get
away with wearing work clothes on the bike, but that won't last
long. And the Rans pack doesn't have much more room left in it
with the current load.
First, of course, is the official seat-back pack that Bill himself
sells / recommends. I'd mention which one...but it seems Bill let
his domain name expire a month ago and I don't feel like checking
the Wayback machine right now. If you know the bike, you know
which pack I'm talking about. I /think/ it can be easily detached
and worn as a backpack, which would be absolutely wonderful both
for security (so the bag and its contents don't get stolen while I
park the bike at work, etc.) and for a cycling / hiking day trip
to a park. But is it big enough for me?
It'd be really, really nice to be able to add one of those fancy
water bags with a big straw to the rig, seeing how awkward it is
to get at a water bottle while riding. (This may have more to do
with the fact that I've only put a few hundred miles on the bike
so far, but still....) It looks like I should be able to mount one
of the backpack-style bags between the seat back and the frame,
but I'm not entirely sure.
Which brings me to the Aerotrunk. Pricy, about twice as much as a
Haluzak bag plus a water pack. Much roomier...but I don't think I
really need that much room regularly. More awkward when it comes
to the detach-and-carry bit, but it definitely has the whole cool
factor going for it. If I left it attached to the bike during the
day, would it still be there when I got off work?
There's also the question of racks and panniers. At some point,
I'd like to consider using the bike for grocery shopping. I know
lots of people mount racks under the seat on 'bents. How easy is
it to attach and remove racks just for a shopping trip?
Finally, at some point I'll be looking for a cat to share my life
with. I'd really like to have some sort of safe, secure, and
comfortable way for her to ride along. Perhaps a rear-wheel rack
with a travel cage attached to the top?
I realize that I'm asking for some mutually-incompatible solutions
here, but I don't know enough yet to get a good handle on the
various limitations....which is why I'm asking for advice. In
short, I'll soon need something with the volume of a typical
college bookbag knapsack to carry clothes, shoes, and locks to
work as well as a convenient water supply, all of which shouldn't
be too much of a hassle to take with me. After that, a way to
carry home a week's worth of groceries (and ice packs to keep
things fresh in Arizona weather) would be great, provided it
wasn't too much hassle to set up and tear down. And, finally,
cat-friendly transportation eventually at some point in the
future.
So...suggestions? Thoughts? Comments?
Cheers,
b&
--
EAC Memographer
BAAWA Knight of Blasphemy
``All but God can prove this sentence true.''
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absolutely love it.
The kind lady who sold it to me included a Rans pack that
more-or-less attaches to the back of the seat frame. It works
for now, but I'm currently investigating near- and long-term
solutions. And I'd appreciate some advice.
Mostly I need something to carry work clothes and shoes as well as
a U-lock and a cable. The weather's good enough now that I can get
away with wearing work clothes on the bike, but that won't last
long. And the Rans pack doesn't have much more room left in it
with the current load.
First, of course, is the official seat-back pack that Bill himself
sells / recommends. I'd mention which one...but it seems Bill let
his domain name expire a month ago and I don't feel like checking
the Wayback machine right now. If you know the bike, you know
which pack I'm talking about. I /think/ it can be easily detached
and worn as a backpack, which would be absolutely wonderful both
for security (so the bag and its contents don't get stolen while I
park the bike at work, etc.) and for a cycling / hiking day trip
to a park. But is it big enough for me?
It'd be really, really nice to be able to add one of those fancy
water bags with a big straw to the rig, seeing how awkward it is
to get at a water bottle while riding. (This may have more to do
with the fact that I've only put a few hundred miles on the bike
so far, but still....) It looks like I should be able to mount one
of the backpack-style bags between the seat back and the frame,
but I'm not entirely sure.
Which brings me to the Aerotrunk. Pricy, about twice as much as a
Haluzak bag plus a water pack. Much roomier...but I don't think I
really need that much room regularly. More awkward when it comes
to the detach-and-carry bit, but it definitely has the whole cool
factor going for it. If I left it attached to the bike during the
day, would it still be there when I got off work?
There's also the question of racks and panniers. At some point,
I'd like to consider using the bike for grocery shopping. I know
lots of people mount racks under the seat on 'bents. How easy is
it to attach and remove racks just for a shopping trip?
Finally, at some point I'll be looking for a cat to share my life
with. I'd really like to have some sort of safe, secure, and
comfortable way for her to ride along. Perhaps a rear-wheel rack
with a travel cage attached to the top?
I realize that I'm asking for some mutually-incompatible solutions
here, but I don't know enough yet to get a good handle on the
various limitations....which is why I'm asking for advice. In
short, I'll soon need something with the volume of a typical
college bookbag knapsack to carry clothes, shoes, and locks to
work as well as a convenient water supply, all of which shouldn't
be too much of a hassle to take with me. After that, a way to
carry home a week's worth of groceries (and ice packs to keep
things fresh in Arizona weather) would be great, provided it
wasn't too much hassle to set up and tear down. And, finally,
cat-friendly transportation eventually at some point in the
future.
So...suggestions? Thoughts? Comments?
Cheers,
b&
--
EAC Memographer
BAAWA Knight of Blasphemy
``All but God can prove this sentence true.''
----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Unrestricted-Secure Usenet News==----
http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups
----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =----