built a mini frame pack

[denver_whitest185]

so, im more looking into lightweight road bike touring, and i would like to keep my waterbottles for now, so i built a mini frame bag. I know my bike isn't really a touring bike, but i figure i can get by with it as long as i keep my load light.

the bag is big enough to carry some quick access gear while touring (wind jacket/pants, warmer gloves, etc), otherwise i can use it to carry wallet, phone, flat repair gear, snacks, etc. for long day rides. im also going to build a tank bag too for long day rides. I think i'll build a full size frame bag for some actual multi-day touring in the fall.

This one is built with 1000 denier cordura, #5 water resistant zipper on the right side with a flap to help keep it dry/clean, and 2" velcro. the bag is a hair over 3 ounces. It ended up being slightly taller in the rear than it should have been, so it's not as tight as i would have liked it to be, but it still works well. since i don't have a sewing machine, i hand stitched this.

I still have enough cordura to make 3-4 more of these, however i think im going to go with some lighter material since it will be easier to stich together and will result in an overall lighter bag.

http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/2320/img20110616104956.jpg

http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/6186/img20110616105011.jpg

http://img850.imageshack.us/img850/9321/img20110616151344.jpg

http://img840.imageshack.us/img840/383/img20110616151242.jpg

[ArisaemaDracontium]

Where did you get the fabric?

[denver_whitest185]

i bought everything through rockywoods.com. they are actually really close to me, so i biked down to loveland to pick up the materials. also, in store they have a bunch of remnant pieces, so the material was only $4 for 1.5 yard piece.

[mmeiser]

nice job, nice simple design, I do lightweight road touring as well in the ohio area. The roads are absolutely superb here. A lot of s24o/s48o stuff. Since I ride with the bike clubs in the area alot I've learned to forgo the main frame bags so I don't have to remove/move water bottle cages.  Instead I use a Jandd top tube bag not dissimilar to yours, a rear seat bag from relevate design bags, and a E-vent waterproof stuff sack.   This makes it very easy to put on/take off my gear to go from touring to riding with the club.

Right now my major gear is one 26oz stripped down golite shangri-la 3 tent, which is a bit bulky, but I've been having fun experimenting with it in various quick pitch tarp modes (amazing tent), then a 45 degree 20oz lafuma (awesome cheap / light summer bag), a bug bvy setup I've been experimenting with (integrated ground cloth sewn to a $35 sea-to-summit bug net), an new 8oz wood burning cook kit (which I'm way to proud of because I'm a huge geek), my first aid kit, tool kit, toiletries kit, a new 4-5oz rain jacket I picked up for $30 from O2 rainwear I absolutely love, and some other misc items.

I think the things I'm going to work on next are getting a 8x8 or 10x10 cuben or sill wing tarp, perfecting/ cutting down the weight on my bug bivy and eventually I need to get a spot and a GPS if I'm going to do the divide late this fall or next fall. Was planning on doing it in October, but some are doing it starting the last week of Aug which excites me tremendously because I thought I'd never get to ride it with anyone since summer is to busy and frankly I'm not a hot weather rider anyway.  I may not be able to move my date up this year, but if the late august date goes well this year many have expressed interest for next year.

Oh, and... the bike... salsa fargo, putting STI shifters on it for dreamy / quicker shifting in the technical stuff. Will probably upgrade to a ti-frame as well, go with tubeless nano's, maybe an aero bar. Other then that I love the stock setup.

As per UL road touring... special items... runing an XT der and 12-34 opposite a 34-50 double up front, awesome for the club rides and touring in the steep short hills of SE ohio.  Aero bar... as mentioned for bivy roll.  Continental Gatorskin tires and soon Gatorskin Hardshells (new this year), bomb proof ultegra hub/ mavic open pro wheel combination (I'm 6'5"/260+ lbs).  I think that's it for specialized gear.

Oh... one other special item.   $30 sea-to-summit keychain stuffable backpack.  Insanely light and stuffable.  Perfect for temporary use for extra water / food / groceries when you don't have a lot of extra space in your frame bags. 

For example I carry two extra platypus 1L water bladders that I fill in the evenings so I don't need water again till mid-morning.

[denver_whitest185]

I was thinking a similar setup for my touring. im making a top tube bag right now, and i will be making a handlebar "harness" of some sort to hold a 13L drysack up front, a pocket to fit on top of that, and a seat bag "harness" if i still need more room after that. I am currently using a BD twilight bivy sack with a 5x8 tarp, but the 5x8 is really just a little too small. really a 8x8 or something like a gatewood cape would be perfect. the entire shelter setup is a little over a pound. I also use a golite 40 degree bag, a neoair, and i put both of those inside one of the thermarest stuff sack pillows so that i have a pillow where ever. I would like to get the shelter/bag/pad combo into the 13L drysack into the handlebar bag because those are the bulkiest items.

My problem is that i need a larger backpack with me for most of my trips because i like backpacking side routes or using my bike as a shuttle for backpacking trips. so i end up carrying my backpack anyways, so im really just looking to get some overall weight/bulk out of my backpack. if i can get everything but my food onto my bike, i'll be extremely happy.

[bmike-vt]

likely not the lightest option, but a do think a gent did the gdmbr using one:





scroll down here:
http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/tout-terrain.asp