Handlebar roll placement question

[vermont]

This could go in either this forum or the DIY but I'm hoping to get people who might not DIY...
Blackburn makes their handlebar roll sit higher on the handlebar where most designs sit under the handlebar.  https://www.blackburndesign.com/bags/outpost-bag-collection/outpost-handlebar-roll-dry-bag.html
Thanks to some aero extensions from the 1990's that fit my handlebar next to the stem, I can jack the roll up higher too.  Can anyone think of a reason why higher would be worse?  With the extra attachment points, I can see the higher would actually be more secure and I could more readily use a pocket.  It would have less tire spray too.  The center of gravity would be higher though.
Any thoughts?  The harness is going to be DIY BTW.

[black_labb]

Sitting higher and forward is probably to avoid fouling on cables and getting complaints from people having trouble fitting them. Holding it forward is more difficult to do successfully as the weight wants to rotate to sit in the typical hanging position. I suspect the blackburn design is more to make it compatible with as many bikes as possible and less about ideal positioning of weight.

Even on the road I don't like typical touring handlebar bags that sit forward. They are convenient but they disrupt handling quite a bit sticking the weight out forward from the rotation of the steer tube and being so high up.  If you want to unweight the front of the bike or even lift it on an MTB having it sticking forward is going to make it more difficult. If you don't have enough space under the bars then you are probably having it on the heavier side so I would try and keep the weight as low and as close to the centre of the bike as practical. Maybe put some stuff under the bars/stem and some above? The stem coukd be used quite well to support stuff.

[Adam Alphabet]

With all the bar bags I've made (all sizes, diameters and weights of material) and 1 harness, I like to get them as close to the bike as possible using a daisy chain to loop a strap around the head tube. I find attaching to the bars and then to the head tube creates a very stable, jostle free load and personally looks better/tighter (yes I care about looks

For aero bars you have your handlebars to attach the roll to and then the aero extensions as an additional attachment point which could help stabilize the load. I've never done this but have rode with with aero bars with risers and a second stem. Again I prefer the bag tighter and closer to the bike and attached to the head tube to minimize flopping.

Be interesting to hear others findings as to the stability of the load especially with the bar roll less full and potentially floppy.  

[Lentamentalisk]

Avoiding crunching the cables is the biggest reason for putting it out front. With drop bars and cable stops on the head tube, this is a particularly big challenge for me. On long rides I tend to use aero bars like you describe, and bungie a stuff sack to the underside. This holds the stuff sack far enough out to avoid crunching the cables.

I have yet to figure out a light weight solution if I don't want the aero bars. Most harnesses weigh upwards of 0.75-1 lbs, and my aero bars weigh 1lb, so I've just put them on. I'd like to find something a lot lighter though, because a pound of metal to carry 2 pounds of sleeping bag is a little silly.