seat bags and stability

[Joel]

Hey everyone,  

I'm a newbie here and looking to get some of my first pieces of gear for bikepacking. Just to introduce myself a bit.  I got my first mountain bike in...84.  It was a Ross.  My next bike was a Specialized running deore in 89.  Since then it's been a Brodie Expresso, a Rivendell Atlantis and a 27.5 Giant.  I'm kinda dating myself I guess. I already have gear setup for light weight backingpacking. Though it's not so much the extra 3-5 lbs I'm carrying in the bag that's the problem, it's the extra 10-15 I've got attached to my body that's the real problem.  Hey, no laughing.  I'm in shape...round, is a shape.

Right now I'm waiting for the newer Relevate seatbag to come back into stock.  I'm thinking this will be my first bikepacking bag.

When watching the many videos out there I've noticed that some bags seem to flipping around when the rider is riding out of saddle or rough trails.  Is this just poor packing or poor design? both? It's one of those things that would drive me nuts.  The seatbag I had on my bike is a Rivendell Baggins Bag but that beast is supported and anchored by a nitto rack.

Can anyone give any advice on this? are certain brands that are better than others?

Thanks!

[Smithhammer]

Hey Joel -

I'm running a Revelate Terrapin for both my exploring bikes, and I use a 10L or 15L dry bag in it, as needed. Once it's all tightened up, there is very little, if any movement.



There is a good little recent comparison of 3 different seat packs here, with particular attention paid to designs that offer good stability:

http://www.pedalingnowhere.com/gear/bikepacking-seat-pack-evolution/

[Joel]

Thanks!  I'll check that link out.  Good news on the Terrapin system.  That's what I'm leaning towards.

[RonK]

When watching the many videos out there I've noticed that some bags seem to flipping around when the rider is riding out of saddle or rough trails.  Is this just poor packing or poor design? both? It's one of those things that would drive me nuts.  The seatbag I had on my bike is a Rivendell Baggins Bag but that beast is supported and anchored by a nitto rack.

Can anyone give any advice on this? are certain brands that are better than others?

Some have recognised that this is an issue. That's why Porcelain Rocket Mr Fusion bags incorporate a seatpost stay, and why Bedrock has incorporated the Railwing into the Coconino bag.

[Iowagriz]

I have the Viscacha and found that I had to experiment with packing properly and then tightening properly. Once I figured it out, no swaying. For me it was ensuring that I used the internal strap to push the load towards the seatpost and then strong tightening of the side straps.  Good luck!

[Sparkyga]

At the front of the bag you need to pack them very tightly with soft goods in order to give the bag a good solid base so the straps can tighten properly. Also avoid putting anything heavy at the rear of the bag. Put stuff like that in a frame bag or on the forks.

[Smithhammer]

At the front of the bag you need to pack them very tightly with soft goods in order to give the bag a good solid base so the straps can tighten properly. Also avoid putting anything heavy at the rear of the bag. Put stuff like that in a frame bag or on the forks.

Solid advice. As with most types of packs, how you pack your seat pack can make all the difference. I put heavier items in first, so they are anchored up against the seat post to minimize contributing to any swaying motion, with my lightest items last.

[Joel]

Thanks.  I'm going to get one of the Revelate Designs Terrapin systems.  I think that would fit my needs the best.

[vikb]

When watching the many videos out there I've noticed that some bags seem to flipping around when the rider is riding out of saddle or rough trails.  Is this just poor packing or poor design? both? It's one of those things that would drive me nuts.

If you can reduce the weight on the front and back of your bike you will always be happy you did so. However, at some point you are down to a pretty basic load and it still have to be carried somewhere on your bike or in a pack.



I've got one of the new Porcelain Rocket seatbags with the metal supports. My seabag is now rock solid no matter how gnarly and rough the trail gets. It's a noticeable improvement over the older style seatbags.  

http://www.porcelainrocket.com/introducing-mr-fusion-2/

[Joel]

Thanks for all the thoughts and close up pics.  It's rainy season where I live so I'm trying to gear up for a few trip once all the monsoon rain ends.  Problem is I usually buy it ship it to a family member who ships it to me.  I'll post some pics when the time comes.

I think the PR stuff is really nice but find it a bit challenging to order their stuff.  Maybe it's just me and I'm missing something from their website. 

[cephalopod]

Yeah, their site seems to have issues at the moment. They seem to be in the middle of transitioning from a mostly-custom to mostly-not-custom model.
http://www.porcelainrocket.com/yeah-but/

Try the contact page, I'm sure they can sort you out.
http://www.porcelainrocket.com/contact/

[bmike-vt]

Go the to store and order.

http://www.porcelainrocket.com/store/

[Joel]

If you go to http://www.porcelainrocket.com/product/booster-rocket-seat-pack/  there is no purchase function or cart system.

[joeydurango]

My personal fav is the Bedrock Coconino.  Of course, I am a little biased.    I thought up the RailWing idea while touring down a long, dusty, boring-as-hell stretch of gravel, when for lack of anything better to do, I began pondering how to keep all those swaying seat bags I see in the videos a little more stable.  I also wanted something that I couldn't break if I crashed on it.  In 2011 I made and used a semi-rack system similar to the PR Mr. Fusion, but after the CTR I scrapped it because of the potential crash-breakage factor, although first I did have Ron at King Cage make a super-sweet titanium prototype semi-rack.  From 2012-2014 I used a Revelate Viscacha, and if packed well they work well, although I was always trying to get that last little wiggle out of it.  Finally I got my friend Andrew at Bedrock interested in the RailWing (he named it) idea and we got that system rolling.  It's now one of his most popular bags!  So if you haven't gotten anything yet, and the current 5 week wait list doesn't bother you, call up the shop and we'll get you on the list...

[Joel]

joeydurango, - first of all.  love that town of yours!  have visited there a few times with my family.  Most recently was in summer of 2014.  I was first introduced to them when there and stopped in a bike shop in the downtown area. Upon looking at the website from your tagline it was your shop.  The one thing that keeps me is the "durango" sticker shock.

I've got a family of 5 who I continually need to be outfitted with bikes and gear.  Some they buy, some I buy - usually the bigger ticket items we split.  An extra $20 here and there multiplied by 2, 3 or 4 starts to add up VERY quickly.  I'll take a look at it again (just looked yesterday).  Right now I need a seat bag and roll for the bars for a trip I'm working on for when the rainy season stops.  A few months later I'll need another set for my son (14) who joins me on most rides I do.  Last night I was out with my son (14) and oldest dauther (11) on a group night ride and were caught up in a supercell that came up within 10 minutes.  Great memories as we all walked into our house completely soaked.

We live in China (though we are from Northern Arizona) at the southern most point of the Himalayas so getting things to me requires an additional $60-80 in shipping :-) so that is a factor too.

Thanks for the advice on the Bedrock.  Five weeks out isn't bad since I don't need anything for another 8-10 weeks.

PS - Supper bummer about the Animas.

[Lentamentalisk]

Joel, if you are looking for a cheap bar bag option, you could always try the Revelate Pocket with additional clips, and your own dry bag. I believe this system could easily save you $50 a pop, but you might want to chat with the manufacture to see if they'd recommend any additional straps to hold it all in place.

[joeydurango]

Hey Joel, it is a small world indeed.  Glad to hear we introduced you to bikepacking bags, that's awesome to hear.

I completely understand the budget factor.  I've been there, and in non-bike areas, still am.  All the prices for the gear in our store are the same as anywhere else (there's no Durango upcharge), but yeah, bikepacking gear can be expensive, and the better the gear (as in Bedrock's case), the more expensive, as that generally means more expensive materials and a more labor-intensive build process.  I made my own for years, that's a great way to keep cost down - although you'll spend a lot of time instead and end up with a more basic product.

Basic seat bags are, simply, an oxymoron.  Seat bags are difficult to do well.  The cheapest nice one, in my opinion, is the Revelate Pika.  As for handlebar rolls, they are a little easier to set up on a budget - you can certainly just strap a dry bag to your handlebars.  You'll lose some ease of functionality, but it will work.  The Revelate Harness with a dry bag is a relatively cheap option.  Using either the Revelate or Bedrock pockets, as suggested above, with your own dry bag can work well too.

Let me know next time you're in the States, and if you're passing through Durango, we'll see if we can work out a package deal for a family's worth of bags!    Cheers and enjoy the REALLY big mountains over there!

[Joel]

Thanks!  We'll be back next summer for about 7 weeks touring around visiting family and friends.  We might make it up to the Durango area. If we do we'll make sure we stop by.  It's on my bucket list to ride the train there.  I know, kinda weird and I'm usually highly opposed to the touristy route, but since I was a kid it's been a thing I've wanted to do.

so many bags, so little time. Also looking at the salsa mariachi.  Might pick up one of the lower models while I'm back in the states too.  It's between that and a Brodie Monster.  But this is going off topic. 

Cheers

[JReeves]

Joey have you had any luck in using the Bedrock RailWing on the older Revelate seat bags?  I have the generation with two velcro straps around the seat post, and then the permanently attached saddle rail rubberized straps(bought at VeloRution in 2012).  I know the strap wouldn't run over the Railwing as intended, but I'm wondering if it might suffice.

[Joel]

No this is going to be my first seat bag of this kind.