All,
Shameless semi-commercial plug, I'm running a big sale on fork clamp mounts for a couple of months - get them off my shelf!
I'm making very little on these at this rate. Enjoy.
https://cleavelandmountaineering.com/product/fork-clamp-mount/
https://cleavelandmountaineering.com/product/2-hole-fork-clamp-mount/



Thanks,
Jeremy

On sale now through the end of the month, $15 down from $20.

CNC machined in Grand Junction, CO, standard 3 hole spacing to fit almost any 2 hole or 3 hole accessory out there. 2.5" hole spacing for M5x0.8 bolts. Very strong and durable.

https://cleavelandmountaineering.com/product/fork-clamp-mount/

MikeC - If your concern is the mass of the cargo - there ain't no way around that - but you already knew that. If your idea is to improve the handling of the mass by reducing its lever arm (less net torque on the fork by the cargo during bumps and steering), then you may be onto something. Maybe a thinwall titanium or stainless tube, capped at each end, with a screw on top, or even a valved bottom - similar to your Snoots fork legs that hold fuel, but for us pawns that can't get a hold of such things. This idea is pretty neat, I'll have to think on it, but would obviously restrict what you could store to water, fuel, or snacks. Attaching this would be simple enough I think.

Vermont - I'm not quite sure what you mean. Wolftooth already has a bottle holding system with threaded holes and slot cuts that's pretty slick, but there's only provisions for zip ties - a cool enough product but not what I needed.

Having a good innovative product is welcome in any market. Having the ability to take that product to market and become competitive is a whole different challenge. You'll have to think these things through for yourself and see if it is worth it. You will have to refine your product design and manufacturing process so you can make your idea in a time efficient manner. You will have to develop and maintain an online presence with some type of marketing, build a reputation, and so on.

I own Cleaveland Mountaineering, home of the "Everything Bag" for 6 years, and a new machined clamp/mount that works with carbon forks! www.cleavelandmountaineering.com
In fact, two bikes in the Iditarod 1000 this year are using my mount, on carbon snow bike forks. I haven't sold millions, by the way!
This has always been a side business for me - intentionally. My day job is in mechanical engineering. I used to make "low to medium quality" seat bags, bar bags, and top tube bags, but I moved on from this as better options became available in the industry. This allowed me to focus on the things I could do well (custom frame bags and Everything Bags), without having to invest in product development of bags that others were already doing a good job with.

Good luck!

Nice concept, I've never tried brazing either.

As for mounts, I've tried a lot of things over the years:
- P clamps are OK but are diameter specific and offset the bag, plus they're a bit floppy.
- For a while I made a hose clamp mount from a thin strip of aluminum with three M5 holes in it, and it worked great, but took some fabrication time.
- Then I tried the SKS Anywhere Mount, it worked much better than I expected, but still rotated and slipped a little after a while.
- Finally I designed a new improved version of the hose clamp mount, and had a local CNC shop make me a batch. Functionally it is the same as the earlier hose clamp mount, but I added recesses so the hose clamp body could be tucked in, out of the way. The test one on my commuter bike is working great, install and forget it.

At the risk of squishing your DIY spirit, here's a link to the CNC mount (note this is my own side business).
http://cleavelandmountaineering.com/product/fork-clamp-mount/

Or, if you're going DIY on the entire cage, just integrate a hose clamp mount into the cage itself, for a lower profile finished product.

Nice work!

UPDATE

Cleaveland Mountaineering finally has a real website

www.cleavelandmountaineering.com

Check it out!

Also, coupon code on the old blog's top post.
www.cleavelandmountaineering.blogspot.com

UPDATE

Cleaveland Mountaineering will be moving soon to a new website, and will ONLY be making Everything Bags and accessories, no custom work. This way I can better serve my bikepacking customers while having a busy day job and a family.

Check out the new CNC machined hose clamp mount, available now!



Limited stock of black Everything Bags are available now as well.

http://cleavelandmountaineering.blogspot.com/2017/12/new-website-new-mount.html

Yes, you can run the bag with two bolts only, I'd run them in the "low" position if the brakes allow, just try and see, if its too floppy, or there may be a load limit.

Outdated Post, see below for new website information.

I'm looking at Krampus crank options now too.
Current setup is
Krampus
Knard/Rabbit Hole
Some cheap heavy race face crank, 48 mm chainline, 32t single ring
Rear hub is Hope singlespeed, with cogs from a 9 speed cassette. Biggest cog is 34t.
So 32/34 is a pretty high low gear, in western Colorado.
I'd like to go 2x7, and am curious if a 2x Boost crank would work? That's a 52 mm chainline, cheaper than the OD crank too.
I may go manual shifting (no FD that way but still a bailout gear for long climbs), with 30/22 or something......
So the narrower cassette in the back will help the chainline situation too.

UPDATE:
Right after typing the above I discovered the cheap heavy Race Face DH crank has a 4 mm stack of plastic spacers on the left side. These can be moved around to change chainline! So I moved the whole 4 mm to the drive side and presto, now I can run a granny ring.
I had an Actiontec Ti 20t laying around and the crank was already modified for it, so now that's on there, I can run 32 or 20 up front manual shift, with 13-34 in the back. Call it a 1.5 x 7...

Pictures are somewhere.....

Price is negotiable, please make an offer if you could use this great bag - its just taking up room on the shelf.

Custom built by me, Cleaveland Mountaineering, for my personal commuter bike. I rode with this bag for maybe 500 miles, then sold the frame. There's a bit of wear from crank rub.

Ultralight <5 oz frame bag, made from "don't hit me" orange cuben fiber.

Fits a 54 cm Vassago Fisticuff frame, or similar sized frames.
Frame inside triangle dimensions - if yours are close it may fit.
TT - 20.5"
ST - 19"
DT - 25"
HT - 2.5"

The whole bag was designed to minimize weight and maximize visibility. The only features are the reflective tape and logo.... zipper is #8 YKK water resistant - this could have been lighter but zipper failures just aren't worth half an ounce of weight savings. Seams are taped with cuben fiber adhesive seam tape so the bag is almost waterproof. Connects to the frame with thin parachute cord, this might save weight over velcro but I'm not sure.

As Is, Customer's responsibility to verify it will fit their bike.

$50, free shipping to the 48 states, paid shipping beyond that. Paypal only.
Trades could also be considered...
www.cleavelandmountaineering.blogspot.com

Prototype cuben bar bag as well, this is the same orange cuben fabric, double layered for durability. The bar bag is the harness only - no pocket or stuff sack, and is cut narrow to fit inside drop bars. It'll also fit flat bars but may not protect your stuff bag from the brake lever rub.
$35, free shipping to 48 states.

Also Outdoor Wilderness Fabrics (owfinc.com), Seattle Fabrics (seattlefabrics.com), Thru-Hiker (thru-hiker.com)
Rockywoods and Zpacks are also great.

1. wrap fork with duct tape (for grip)
2. attach cage to fork with two hose clamps

This works for normal bottle cages but not the bags I make.

The plan is to sell them I just need to order a big box from SKS and figure out pricing.

I run a side business sewing bikepacking frame bags and fork mounted bottle/stuff sack bags (the "Everything Bag").

(Posted in classifieds due to commercial interest - moderators, we can move this elsewhere if more appropriate).

For years I've experimented with different ways of mounting cages to forks without the threaded bottle mounts, and have finally found an "off the shelf" solution that's mostly perfect. It will work with my Everything Bags or any other bottle cage, Salsa Anything Cage, or similar.

Here's the write up on my blog.

http://cleavelandmountaineering.blogspot.com/2016/11/new-everything-bag-mount-testing.html

Survey complete.

Here's my two cents after lugging my bike up a few hills that weren't meant to be ridden up.

A simple webbing shoulder strap can be rigged across the top tube from head tube to seat tube. Then carry the wheels in your hands. Strapping the bike on the back of a backpack would shift the center of gravity much further back and require you to carry a much heavier, more expensive backpack with a frame and hip belt.

On this route I linked up an old (no longer legal to drive) 4x4 road, to a trail less ridge over 13,000 feet, into the Colorado Trail.
The route up to the ridge, and the ridge itself required extensive carrying, for which I used the shoulder strap method with wheels removed. At one point I had to toss the frame and wheels up a snow wall (old cornice) taller than me, then chop steps in it with a rock, and climb up after. On the ridgeline, I had to go up a steep talus field as well, the kind that moves with every step, while carrying a bike and trying not to drop the wheels!

Have fun with your project. Learn to use a sewing machine.

For sale, $75 shipped.

Fits my 54 cm Fisticuff cyclocross frame, will fit many similar sized cyclocross, road, or touring frames.

Weights less than 5 oz.

Attaches with 1.5 mm cord

#8 YKK water resistant zipper

New this would be $150

Made from super light and tough cuben fiber laminate fabric, in high visibility storm orange.
Seams are taped internally with cuben fiber tape.

There's a tiny wear hole on each side from crank rub, this only occurs when there's a hard sided object in the bag down low.

Approximate frame dimensions it is built for:

TT - 20.5"
ST - 19"
DT - 25"
HT - 2.5"