Cheap handlebar stand-offs

[sean salach]

Cheap, easy solution for keeping a dry bag away from your brake/shift levers. 1" pvc, cut down to 2" stubs, one end filed to snug up to the bar. I put hockey tape on the bar to keep them from sliding, as the bar I'm using has a very slippery finish.

[Racingguy04]

Ingenious! why didn't I think of that?

[sean salach]

I was bragging last night that it only took me 5 years of strapping shit to my bars to think of it...

[roadpacker]

Does it really work? What tape have you got under the bars? Is it your preferred method now? Looks like a freakin' great idea!!!

[sean salach]

Works great! I'm using hockey tape on the bars for no other reason than they're really slippery. The combination of the pvc and the hockey tape cinches down the bight of webbing really well. The bag barely moves and it's not attached to the head tube or fork in any way. 1" webbing fits into the 1" pvc just right to keep the collars from sliding down the webbing with no bag in there.

[roadpacker]

Very cool... I am just now rustling through some dumpsters to get some 1" internal diameter PVC to extend the gripping area of my aerobars, I'll be sure to saw off some portions and give this a try. My old method of sewing webbing right into the bag was a bit finnicky, this looks better.


For those who are curious:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bight_%28knot%29

[roadpacker]

Do you suppose it would be worth putting some kind of a large, chloroplast "washer" (in whatever shape) in between the PVC and the bag, so as to widen the area of pressure? I'm thinking over a long enough the PVC attachment point might dig into the fabric of both the webbing and the bag. May also re-enforce its stabilizing function. Maybe like a 3" or 4" rectangular thing in there? Hell, at that rate you could even decide to make a simple version of Revelate's harness system, just make a half-cylinder of chloroplast attached in there by the webbing to the PVC.

[sean salach]

I don't see it damaging the webbing though, as long as you sand the edges of the stand-off. The PVC barely touches the actual drysack. The webbing keeps it away from it by the thickness of the webbing for the most part. The compression you see in the first photo is mainly the webbing cinching the bag down, not pressure at the pvc contact point. Would you not run into the same potential issue with the edges of the coroplast? You would actually have more edges in contact with the bag. You could tape them though I suppose. Maybe take an old road tube and cut a couple of little sections out of it to sleeve over the webbing where it contacts the pvc.

[roadpacker]

Very good point. With half-way robust webbing and smooth edges it should last forever. I didn't put together in my head that the PVC isn't touching the bag. To whatever degree it might, you could also probably be free to sand away the portions that aren't touching the webbing, although this may affect stability. I still wonder how one might make a half-cylinder harness-type system, although that may be superfluous. I often don't like messing with dangling webbing in the morning, balancing the bag and what-not against my leg, but maybe I'm being a big weenie since it's really only once a day anyway.


Edit:

Here's another post addressing this


http://www.bikepacking.net/forum/index.php/topic,2818.0.html


Images:


http://www.flickr.com/photos/whistle5/sets/72157629157542345/

[sean salach]

Linear polyethylene sleds(the roll up ones) are cheap and could be cut to shape for a semi-circular, semi rigid harness. You could cut slots and thread the webbing, rivet it or even gorilla tape it to the poly to keep it from dangling. It's got tons of other uses as a stiffener as well.


http://www.amazon.com/Paricon-Inc-611-Flying-Carpet/dp/B001Q8SLE2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1391709800&sr=8-1&keywords=roll+up+sled

[bumbler]

Nice. I used an old kraton grip, cut in half. Not too stiff, not too soft. Here's a pic with my DIY sling (the sacrificed grip's sibling is in the foreground). It's a bit of a PITA to thread the straps through the grips, around the bars, and through the sling, but it's only done once before the trip, so it's not a major deal IMHO.

[donnieboy]

Cheap, easy solution for keeping a dry bag away from your brake/shift levers. 1" pvc, cut down to 2" stubs, one end filed to snug up to the bar. I put hockey tape on the bar to keep them from sliding, as the bar I'm using has a very slippery finish.

Simple, effective + cheap = Brilliant!  I'm totally going to run with this idea.  I will apply camo tape to my handlebar and dip the ends of PVC in silicone to protect from long term abrasion OR apply a reinforcement patch to the part of my dry bag that touches the tube.  Cut grips are also brilliant.  Great ideas guys, keep em coming!

[donnieboy]

Linear polyethylene sleds(the roll up ones) are cheap and could be cut to shape for a semi-circular, semi rigid harness. You could cut slots and thread the webbing, rivet it or even gorilla tape it to the poly to keep it from dangling. It's got tons of other uses as a stiffener as well.


http://www.amazon.com/Paricon-Inc-611-Flying-Carpet/dp/B001Q8SLE2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1391709800&sr=8-1&keywords=roll+up+sled

Another great Magiver idea.  It's possible to cut the thin wall of a plastic ice cream tub too.

[bmike-vt]

I wonder it a T fitting sliced through the T part would be a bit better on the bag. More surface area and with some rubber padding it would cut down on abrasion.

Cool idea!

[sean salach]

I originally planned on using a T fitting, but after holding it up to the bike, then holding up the little stub of tubing, it just made more sense for me to use the stub of tubing. The grips are an excellent idea and I would think would be much better on carbon bars than the pvc.

[roadpacker]

What's that thing on top of your stem?

[sean salach]

What's that thing on top of your stem?

Sorry, I missed this question. It's for pushing the bike. Makes it easier to walk upright instead of leaning over the bike to hold both sides of the bar. It's the scrap cut down portion of a carbon fork, attached to a King cage stem cap bottle cage mount.

[Gabriel Amadeus]

Just did this last night, works like a charm. Thanks!

[sean salach]

I used them during the ITI this year, which was exceptionally bumpy and rough in a couple of sections. They seem to increase the holding power of the buckles on webbing straps. I only had to tighten up the straps holding my sleeping bag once, while others were reporting doing it many times, on the bumpiest section. I think it's because they eliminate any sort of dead air gap between the webbing and the drybag, so there's no room for the bag to compress a little and give the buckles a chance to slip.

[DesertDog]

Great, simple solution you've shared.  Thanks!

Been thinking of different bar bag designs, but simply 2 spacers, 2 lashing straps and a dry bag?

That's going to be the setup!