Bikepacking - a viable alternative to racks & panniers

Scott,

Try Stu at Bear Bones Bikepacking, he might be cheaper, and his poles are great.

http://bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk/pages/contact.html

^ +1 Bearbones poles, got a couple of them they're good kit.

chrysalis 4

ha, nah. just badly compressed travelpak 2

wow. thats.. large

I just had a look, but they're actually a few quid more than the six moon, and Stu's 'standard' long size is 4cm shorter than I need, so I'd need to go custom length, which he's showing as needing to be four sections instead of three...and I'm kind of short on time for this upcoming weekender. :)
But thanks for the heads up!

Do frame bags work with cable brakes? Do they not foul the rear brake cable in some way?

Running a full length outer cable would solve problems with rear brakes, maybe not pretty but functional.

So, assuming I don't have a full length outer, will a top tube bag be a silly idea?

Depending on the position of the velcro straps, you should be able to just pass the velcro under the exposed cable. I used to do that on my road bike.

Unless of course your cable is UNDER the top tube?

Yeah both my road bikes have the cable under the top tube. No MTB here, Chop

By top tube bag, you mean one that sits on top of the tube ? yes.

Depends on how thick the velcro fixing tabs are, and where they sit when you attach a bag to where the cable stop/braze on is.
The velcro should sit underneath the brake cable ok, you might get some contact but shouldn't be enough to really affect the brake operation.
You could be creative and use a biro pen outer as a sleeve and just wrap the velcro around that for a small top tube feeder/phone bag.

Ah, I only saw the frame bag bit, not the top tube bit. :)
I thought you were meaning a frame bag that sits inside the main triangle.

I think where talking about both styles of bag :)

or it's late and confusing :)

I ride with a Revelate Designs frame bag on my PX frame (cable under top tube) and never had any issues whatsoever.

I had never actually thought of trying, but the rear strap could go under the cable.

BBD kit ready - being sent over soon for the Anthem. Can't wait!
BBD Frame bag and handlebar bag, fully waterproof, and Oveja Negra Saddle bag and TT bag.

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You'll never get it perfect.

Pack it as tightly as you can. One big strap round through the saddle rails and round the bag, and another going through the loops at the bottom anchored to each seat stay was the best I found. Still sways though.

No I mean a long bag that hangs under the length of the top tube.

The ones that go around the stem are stem bags or bento boxes. Don't listen to what Apidura tell you...

That's exactly what I meant, like one of these:
https://www.apidura.com/product/road-frame-pack-large/

Yeah, that's what I'm thinking of using for PBP, but probably an Apidura one or whatever I can get locally in the UK.

Breaking is overrated.

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That link shows the apidura fitted with an open cable running underneath the tube :)

good to go.

Breaking, yes.
Braking, no.

Yeah, I just wanted to know if anyone had done it without issue. Website promo shots != real world usage.

But yeah, I was asking before I'd looked closely at their page. :)