Bar Harness around Avid Elixir 5 Brake Levers

[KenSmithMT]

I'm setting up a system on a new bike with Avid Elixir 5 hydraulic brakes. I would like to carry my small tent and sleeping pad in a harness on the handlebars.  However, the brake are designed with an angled piston and hose.  The way it all comes together there is not enough room behind the levers for a harness and a harness on the outside of the levers allows the tent and pad to put too much pressure on the brakes and hydraulic lines.  The angle of the lines coming down from the levers also does not allow for a harness to be mounted below the brakes with spacers.  Does anybody have a creative idea for how to mount a harness on this bar setup?

Thanks

[12wheels]

Can you post a sideview picture of the bike showing the stem, hoses, and cable housings.   It would make it easier for us to determine how much space is available up front and whether it's possible.

[dream4est]

Hey Ken I have elixirs and I run my own custom setup. Rear brake and shifter cables run same side and lower dry bag is inserted between them and headtube. Wrapped around that is the stem bag with a center strap (grey stem bag is also velcro strapped to stem- this is my "harness"). My upper dry bag acts as a reverse harness,  with 2 outer straps running around lower dry bag and bars. The cables end up sandwiched between the dry bags and no stress is put on them. I have broken my front shifter  housing at the grommet removing/loading lower dry bag, but the housing was a little short so I added an inch of length and problem solved.

Edit- I was about to make my own traditional harness a few weeks ago using the JerryW thread on MYOG forum, but I too realized the brake setup was going to be sketchy, as the harness would probably bust the cables if run tight enough to stop movement.

[KenSmithMT]

Here are some other views...

I have a harness I used on my old bike.  I tried it in several locations, with 1", 2" and 3" spacers...I've rotated the brake levers as far as practical in each direction.  It seems that the only thing I could do to use a typical harness would be to replace the hydraulic lines with much longer ones (short of replacing the levers as well)  90% of my riding is fast xc singletrack and I don't want long floppy hydraulics....

My fall back is to get some aero bars and and hang a harness from them out in front of the brakes.  I've been thinking about the aero bars anyway.

Thanks

[12wheels]

The sandwich system dream4est uses is probably your best option since you don't have much space to work with behind or below the levers.  If the load is too large in diameter there's a good chance that your front tire will rub against it when the fork compresses if you try fit the whole package under the levers.

[KenSmithMT]

Thanks.  I'll give the sandwich a try. 

[dream4est]

Ken the only way you will get my method to work IMO is to run cables same side AND rotate your brake levers up from where u have them in pic. If that doesnt work for your hands/ergonomics of braking (I have short fingers so running levers "up" is my preferred method. People with long fingers ten to run the levers "down" more. This reduces the space available for the lower dry bag) you would need to make your lower bag small in diameter to fit your confined space. But then you could make the upper dry bag bigger to compensate. In the end my bags look like one bag from the top.

[dream4est]

Ken the only way you will get my method to work IMO is to run cables same side AND rotate your brake levers up from where u have them in pic. If that doesnt work for your hands/ergonomics of braking (I have short fingers so running levers "up" is my preferred method. People with long fingers ten to run the levers "down" more. This reduces the space available for the lower dry bag) you would need to make your lower bag small in diameter to fit your confined space. But then you could make the upper dry bag bigger to compensate. In the end my bags look like one bag from the top.

edit- my upper dry bag is sewed simple style with no round base piece (2 pieces of fabric with a tapered end and one seam continuous looks like a U when done). The straps are sewed into the seams opposite from each other about 6 inches from the ends. I adjust the load in the bag to the middle and turn the extra material at the closed end under the bag and fold up the cam buckle open end. I can add gear to the bag or run it light, but it always sits tight with a centered load. If the bag is empty it still is tight and looks like a reverse harness.

I used a slightly stretchy material for my dry bags. You may find that based on your material bag diameter is crucial or two bags may be needed for structure in the lower bag.

I changed my lower dry bag to a drawcord closure instead of cam buckle. I couldnt get the cam buckle end to stay tight unless my load was perfectly loaded and balanced. The end (part outside the upper bag strap) wanted to flop around a bit and I couldnt add/subtract a clothing item without movement. I added an internal rain flap to the drawcord closure and I like it. If I was using the bag for sleep kit only the cam buckle end would have been fine but I wanted access to it.

The faux harness stem bag is a diamond shaped simple bag (2 pieces no flange) and a zipper facing rider in the seam. It has velcro sewed underneath to attach to stem, and a nylon strap with cam buckle sewed in front of that which holds the lower dry bag in the middle.

I hope that helps. I spent a lot of time getting mine to have zero movement.

[THE LONG RANGER]

I think I have basically the same brake levers. I took some old aero-bar pads off, and wrapped them around my stem, so when the harness is all cinched up, there's a fairly good gap between the handlebars and the harness, as it moves the bag both down and out.  My bars are def. longer than yours, so my brakes are farther out, which also helps.

The cables were between the harness/stuff sack and another bag attached that that all. None of that was, "above" the handlebars, though as there were actually a pair of aerobars on the handlebars as well. My brakes were set a lot more straight than yours, but nothing crazy.

[KenSmithMT]

Ken the only way you will get my method to work IMO is to run cables same side AND rotate your brake levers up from where u have them in pic. If that doesnt work for your hands/ergonomics of braking (I have short fingers so running levers "up" is my preferred method. People with long fingers ten to run the levers "down" more. This reduces the space available for the lower dry bag)

.   
Thanks for the info. I have long fingers...but tend to not use the brakes much. A friend told me I might as well take them off to save weight.
I've tried both options. I guess the rear shifter cable and hydraulics are too short to put anything below them.  That leaves me putting it all on top which stresses the cables/hydraulics too much...
So, I'm thinking I'll be doing aero bars...