Seat wedge bags? Quick release rear rack?

[Ken M]

I am curious about these. I have a fixed (bolted) rack and a trunk bag
on my bike now, but I find myself using a small portion of the bag. So
it seems that I am hauling around the extra weight for nothing a lot of
the time. I have seen roadies with the seat wedges, how useful are they?
How much stuff can they hold (real world examples would be good)? And
how about those quick release type rear racks? Seems like there are a
bunch of different makers. Can you mount a velcro trunk bag on one?

Ken
--
Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of a bike ride. ~John F. Kennedy

 

[C Wright]

On 12/5/05 5:08 PM, in article [email protected], "Ken M"
<[email protected]> wrote:

> I am curious about these. I have a fixed (bolted) rack and a trunk bag
> on my bike now, but I find myself using a small portion of the bag. So
> it seems that I am hauling around the extra weight for nothing a lot of
> the time. I have seen roadies with the seat wedges, how useful are they?
> How much stuff can they hold (real world examples would be good)? And
> how about those quick release type rear racks? Seems like there are a
> bunch of different makers. Can you mount a velcro trunk bag on one?
>
> Ken
Well I have a medium size seat wedge bag (much larger ones are available)
and, from memory, here is what I have in it:
CO2 pump and a couple of spare cartridges
a selection of first aid supplies
spare tube
patch kit
tire levers
Crank Bros. Multi tool
Mini pliers tool
All in all enough to get me through most common roadside problems.
The present brand of bag that I am using is a Topeak.
Chuck

 

[[email protected]]

C Wright wrote:
> On 12/5/05 5:08 PM, in article [email protected], "Ken M"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > I am curious about these. I have a fixed (bolted) rack and a trunk bag
> > on my bike now, but I find myself using a small portion of the bag. So
> > it seems that I am hauling around the extra weight for nothing a lot of
> > the time. I have seen roadies with the seat wedges, how useful are they?
> > How much stuff can they hold (real world examples would be good)? And
> > how about those quick release type rear racks? Seems like there are a
> > bunch of different makers. Can you mount a velcro trunk bag on one?
> >
> > Ken
> Well I have a medium size seat wedge bag (much larger ones are available)
> and, from memory, here is what I have in it:
> CO2 pump and a couple of spare cartridges
> a selection of first aid supplies
> spare tube
> patch kit
> tire levers
> Crank Bros. Multi tool
> Mini pliers tool
> All in all enough to get me through most common roadside problems.
> The present brand of bag that I am using is a Topeak.
> Chuck

I have a large wedge bag and carry roughly the same things as Chuck
plus I have room for a mini pump, sandwiches, power bar, bannaa and,
in a pinch, a light jacket. Oh yes, remove jacket and with a bit of
determination it will hold a bottle of wine.
John Kane Kingston ON Canada

 

[[email protected]]

Ken M wrote:
> I am curious about these. I have a fixed (bolted) rack and a trunk bag
> on my bike now, but I find myself using a small portion of the bag. So
> it seems that I am hauling around the extra weight for nothing a lot of
> the time. I have seen roadies with the seat wedges, how useful are they?
> How much stuff can they hold (real world examples would be good)? And
> how about those quick release type rear racks? Seems like there are a
> bunch of different makers. Can you mount a velcro trunk bag on one?

I've got what is, I think, a medium size, expanding wedge bag on one
bike, and a small wedge bag on another. The expanding one has a lower
zipper that, when loose, allows the "floor" to drop another three
inches or so.

Personally, I'd never be happy with that bag alone. It carries my
tube, patch kit, tiny oil bottle and mult-tool just fine. It can carry
my rain cape. But either a thin sweater or a
Gore-tex jacket (which is a mult-layer thing) barely cram in there.
The tiny one on the other bike (my commuter) is for carrying only a
rain cape. That's all that fits.

I prefer handlebar bags. Everything is right at hand. In fact, I
frequently take off or put on a windbreaker while riding or while
stopped at a light. It stuffs into the handlebar bag very quickly.
Ditto gloves or hat.

Another alternative, for the retro set, is a larger saddlebag. Some
people love these things, saying the weight is as close to your center
of gravity as possible, so it affects handling the least. See some at,
for instance, http://www.rivendellbicycles.com/webalog/baggage_racks/


> --
> Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of a bike ride. ~John F. Kennedy

??? Not even Marilyn Monroe???


- Frank Krygowski

 

[David L. Johnson]

On Mon, 05 Dec 2005 18:08:00 -0500, Ken M wrote:

> I am curious about these. I have a fixed (bolted) rack and a trunk bag
> on my bike now, but I find myself using a small portion of the bag. So
> it seems that I am hauling around the extra weight for nothing a lot of
> the time. I have seen roadies with the seat wedges, how useful are they?
> How much stuff can they hold (real world examples would be good)? And
> how about those quick release type rear racks? Seems like there are a
> bunch of different makers. Can you mount a velcro trunk bag on one?

I have a nice one (branded as Cannondale) with IMO plenty of room, and an
attachment clamp (plastic) that holds it securely so it doesn't flap
around down there, which I found annoying with other bags.

Currently, I have packed in there; 2 tubes, one folding tire, a
multi-tool, tire levers, clueless patches, a "super link", zip ties. I
sometimes toss in a kevlar spoke, Tums, and a patch kit. This bag holds
all this junk just fine.

I have a (not QR) seat-post attaching rack, but don't like it much. It
weighs as much as a real rack, but you can't put much on it. Having it
bolt on is better than QR (since such things can walk away), but I
haven't found the need for this in some time. For commuting I use a
messenger bag, and for recreational rides the seat bag, along with my
jersey pockets, is plenty.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | Deserves death! I daresay he does. Many that live deserve
_`\(,_ | death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to
(_)/ (_) | them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement.
-- J. R. R. Tolkein

 

[David L. Johnson]

On Mon, 05 Dec 2005 17:30:20 -0800, [email protected] wrote:

> I have a large wedge bag and carry roughly the same things as Chuck
> plus I have room for a mini pump, sandwiches, power bar, bannaa and,
> in a pinch, a light jacket. Oh yes, remove jacket and with a bit of
> determination it will hold a bottle of wine.

Small bottle, or very big bag.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | It is probably that television drama of high caliber and
_`\(,_ | produced by first-rate artists will materially raise the level
(_)/ (_) | of dramatic taste in the nation. -- David Sarnoff, 1939

 

[Gooserider]

"Ken M" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>I am curious about these. I have a fixed (bolted) rack and a trunk bag on
>my bike now, but I find myself using a small portion of the bag. So it
>seems that I am hauling around the extra weight for nothing a lot of the
>time. I have seen roadies with the seat wedges, how useful are they? How
>much stuff can they hold (real world examples would be good)? And how about
>those quick release type rear racks? Seems like there are a bunch of
>different makers. Can you mount a velcro trunk bag on one?
>
> Ken

Ken--

I had a Topeak QR rack with trunk and the problem I found was lateral
movement. The rack tends to rotate under cornering, even if you use the
rubber shim and crank it down. I've seen really large seat wedges, but have
you considered a good old fashioned saddlebag?

http://www.rivbike.com/webalog/baggage_racks/20080.html

Of course, this works better if you have a Brooks or another saddle with
saddlebag loops.

Mike

 

[Ken M]

[email protected] wrote:
> C Wright wrote:
>
>>On 12/5/05 5:08 PM, in article [email protected], "Ken M"
>><[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>
>>>I am curious about these. I have a fixed (bolted) rack and a trunk bag
>>>on my bike now, but I find myself using a small portion of the bag. So
>>>it seems that I am hauling around the extra weight for nothing a lot of
>>>the time. I have seen roadies with the seat wedges, how useful are they?
>>>How much stuff can they hold (real world examples would be good)? And
>>>how about those quick release type rear racks? Seems like there are a
>>>bunch of different makers. Can you mount a velcro trunk bag on one?
>>>
>>>Ken
>>
>>Well I have a medium size seat wedge bag (much larger ones are available)
>>and, from memory, here is what I have in it:
>>CO2 pump and a couple of spare cartridges
>>a selection of first aid supplies
>>spare tube
>>patch kit
>>tire levers
>>Crank Bros. Multi tool
>>Mini pliers tool
>>All in all enough to get me through most common roadside problems.
>>The present brand of bag that I am using is a Topeak.
>>Chuck
>
>
> I have a large wedge bag and carry roughly the same things as Chuck
> plus I have room for a mini pump, sandwiches, power bar, bannaa and,
> in a pinch, a light jacket. Oh yes, remove jacket and with a bit of
> determination it will hold a bottle of wine.
> John Kane Kingston ON Canada
>
Well from the sounds of it, a large wedge WOULD hold all the stuff I
find myself hauling, and I could reduce the weight by removing the rack.
Maybe only a few hundred grams, but weight is weight. Lighter is better.
Thanks for the info. I will be ordering a seat wedge bag.

Ken


--
Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of a bike ride. ~John F. Kennedy

 

[[email protected]]

David L. Johnson wrote:
> On Mon, 05 Dec 2005 17:30:20 -0800, [email protected] wrote:
>
> > I have a large wedge bag and carry roughly the same things as Chuck
> > plus I have room for a mini pump, sandwiches, power bar, bannaa and,
> > in a pinch, a light jacket. Oh yes, remove jacket and with a bit of
> > determination it will hold a bottle of wine.
>
> Small bottle, or very big bag.

Very big bag. Largest wedge bag that I think I've seen. Regular 750ml
wine bottle.
The bag is from Mountain Equipment Co-op several years ago. The wine
bottle was from Societé des alcools du Québec, again several years
ago.

Note for cases of beer one must go to large panniers or a trailor
although I once bungied a 12 pack on to the rack.
John Kane, Kingston ON Canada

 

[mark]

"Ken M" wrote ...
>I am curious about these. I have a fixed (bolted) rack and a trunk bag on
>my bike now, but I find myself using a small portion of the bag. So it
>seems that I am hauling around the extra weight for nothing a lot of the
>time. I have seen roadies with the seat wedges, how useful are they? How
>much stuff can they hold (real world examples would be good)? And how about
>those quick release type rear racks? Seems like there are a bunch of
>different makers. Can you mount a velcro trunk bag on one?
>
> Ken

I find that a seat bag is positioned better than a rack trunk, closer to the
center of the bike like the other posters have said. The Rivendell/Baggins
banana bag is a good size for day rides, no saddle loops required, very nice
looking bag. The bigger Rivendell/Baggins bags are very nicely made, but
they're better for shopping, commuting with a change of clothes, or maybe
short tours (or long tours with the Hoss bag). All the Rivendell bags are a
little pricey, but they're very nicely made and should last a long, long
time.
--
mark

 

[Zoot Katz]

On 6 Dec 2005 09:05:50 -0800, "[email protected]"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Note for cases of beer one must go to large panniers or a trailor
>although I once bungied a 12 pack on to the rack.

I mounted one of those big old newsboy baskets on my "chopper". It
holds three dozen and six. It is a bit of a bear to handle though.
--
zk

 

[SlowRider]

Ken M wrote:
> How much stuff can they hold (real world examples would be good)? And
> how about those quick release type rear racks? Seems like there are a
> bunch of different makers. Can you mount a velcro trunk bag on one?

I've got a small wedge that I bought cheap from Nashbar (~$5 as I
recall). If I had my druthers I'd get something a little bigger, but
the one I've got does pretty well. It can hold a spare tube, a patch
kit, presta/shrader converter, house key, spare change and a small
multi-tool. Despite its small size, I found it works very well for
rides of up to 2.5 hours over the summer.

When the weather is variable, or I have to carry more than 2 water
bottles, or if I'm riding in unfamiliar territory, I trade out the
wedge for my trunk rack.


-JR

 

[Mike Kruger]

"Gooserider" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:kEdlf.12418

> I've seen really large seat wedges, but have you considered a good old
> fashioned saddlebag?
>
> http://www.rivbike.com/webalog/baggage_racks/20080.html
>
> Of course, this works better if you have a Brooks or another saddle with
> saddlebag loops.
>
http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/carradice.asp
has a bunch of Carradice saddlebags. I've got one of the SQR system bags,
which have a bracket on the seatpost and can be quickly removed. You don't
need saddlebag loops. These are pretty large.

 

[Bob]

Zoot Katz wrote:
> On 6 Dec 2005 09:05:50 -0800, "[email protected]"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >Note for cases of beer one must go to large panniers or a trailor
> >although I once bungied a 12 pack on to the rack.
>
> I mounted one of those big old newsboy baskets on my "chopper". It
> holds three dozen and six. It is a bit of a bear to handle though.
> --
> zk

One six pack shy of two cases, eh? Perhaps if you forego draining the
six pack that won't quite fit before heading out, the bike will handle
better. <g>

Regards,
Bob Hunt

 

[Zoot Katz]

On 6 Dec 2005 19:57:25 -0800, "Bob" <[email protected]> wrote:

>Zoot Katz wrote:
>> On 6 Dec 2005 09:05:50 -0800, "[email protected]"
>> <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>> >Note for cases of beer one must go to large panniers or a trailor
>> >although I once bungied a 12 pack on to the rack.
>>
>> I mounted one of those big old newsboy baskets on my "chopper". It
>> holds three dozen and six. It is a bit of a bear to handle though.
>> --
>> zk
>
>One six pack shy of two cases, eh? Perhaps if you forego draining the
>six pack that won't quite fit before heading out, the bike will handle
>better. <g>
>
Some brands are selling beer in weird sized packages. Like, as well as
a "six pack" there's eight. Or you can buy a dozen, or a bonus pack
with fifteen cans or a case of 24 that's really just four 6-packs.
But, mostly they're swill. I've no objection to carrying it on a ride
it for those who like it. It means I don't get dropped.

My home-brewing buddy is experimenting with a chocolate ale that's
turning out to be not too bad. Another 60 litres or so and he should
have it nailed.
--
zk

 

[Matt O'Toole]

On Mon, 05 Dec 2005 18:08:00 -0500, Ken M <[email protected]> wrote:

>I am curious about these. I have a fixed (bolted) rack and a trunk bag
>on my bike now, but I find myself using a small portion of the bag. So
>it seems that I am hauling around the extra weight for nothing a lot of
>the time. I have seen roadies with the seat wedges, how useful are they?
> How much stuff can they hold (real world examples would be good)? And
>how about those quick release type rear racks? Seems like there are a
>bunch of different makers. Can you mount a velcro trunk bag on one?

Smaller wedge bags are designed to carry the minimum spare tube, patch
kit, tools, etc.

I have a larger, expandable one which carries all that plus a jacket,
either a windbreaker or a light Gore-Tex rain jacket. I could put
arm and leg warmers in there too. It's perfect for all-day rides. I
think it's the medium-sized "Trans-it" bag from Performance. I
recommend it.

Matt O.