OK to mix and match front racks/decalers/bags?

[lungimsam]

I need to get a front rack. But I was wondering, since I am going to use it with a front bag, do I need to have everything a matching set?

I have heard someone say it is best to match the components, like either get all VO, or all Berthoud, etc.

I am guessing mixing and matching is fine but didn't know if there is something I am missing.

Thanks for any info. Please feel free to let me know what set up you use and pics are always welcome.

[Andrew Marchant-Shapiro]

Bullcrap.

I do have a VO decaleur ('cause it was cheap) and a VO Rack, but the bag comes from Ostrich, and isn't even made to use a decaleur...

[Ron Mc]

any decaleur will work with any bag.  Decide what design of decaleur you prefer.  I have a Nitto rack with a Bertaud decaleur with an Acorn bag.  I like the way the Bertaud decaleur works, and I like the way it looks when a bag isn't mounted - it's unobtrusive  

here's the decaleur with an Acorn tall rando mounted

  the bag is open to show how the decaleur attaches to the bag

here's a different bag mounted (small trunksack) showing the empty decaleur

My daughter's bike has the VO passhunter with integral decaleur, which we've used to quick-mount a Nantucket basket, but it's not the best decaleur for a big bag, since the rack tombstone is still carrying the whole load and is not sharing the load with the stem or frame, etc. 

[Steve Palincsar]

On 10/18/2014 05:31 PM, Ron Mc wrote:
> any decaleur will work with any bag. Decide what design of decaleur
> you prefer.

Provided it fits, that is. There is but a narrow range of heights that
will work with any particular frame size & handlebar position.
Basically, how tall your head tube is and how high your handlebar is
will pretty much determine the size of bag you need to fill the gap.

Also, your choice of decaleur design is not as free as preference might
suggest. If you have a threaded steerer, your choices are Berthoud or
Nitto/Grand Bois, and if the latter, then you also need the Grand Bois
stem. If you have threadless, your choices are VO or the modified
Berthoud available from Boulder.

But Ron is absolutely correct, you can mix bags & decaleurs. Basically,
they all work the same: you make holes in the back of the bag for the
decaleur section that sits on the bag and bolt it in place.

[Ron Mc]

yes, probably what I have on my tall bike is the only combination that will work - an 11-inch-tall bag.  I mentioned on one of Mark's threads before how I measured to determine which decaleur length, and also showed how I used leather washers on the Bertaud to prevent it from ever coming lose (after I lost an M5 on the first ride)

[Andrew Marchant-Shapiro]

Not entirely true.  VO makes a fitting for threaded setups as well: 

http://store.velo-orange.com/index.php/vo-decaleur-kits.html

>If you have a threaded steerer, your choices are Berthoud or
>Nitto/Grand Bois, and if the latter, then you also need the Grand Bois
>stem.  If you have threadless, your choices are VO or the modified
>Berthoud available from Boulder.

On Saturday, October 18, 2014 3:21:53 PM UTC-4, lungimsam wrote:

[Steve Palincsar]

On 10/19/2014 08:53 AM, Andrew Marchant-Shapiro wrote:
> Not entirely true. VO makes a fitting for threaded setups as well:
>
> http://store.velo-orange.com/index.php/vo-decaleur-kits.html
>

They certainly used to have one for threaded, but that was discontinued
some time ago. On the page you cite I see only the spacer mounts for
threadless, in both 1" and 1 1/8".

[Joe Broach]

​Steve, you must be thinking of the old decaleur they made that hung from the nut on the back of the stem camp. The 1" spacer mount will work on threadless or threaded, as long as there's a spacer to replace.​ How well it works, I'm not sure. In a threadless stack they can rotate if the bag isn't pretty firmly attached to the rack already. There's a lot more compression under a threaded locknut.

Best,

joe broach

portland, or

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com.
Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

[Andrew Marchant-Shapiro]

Answer:

It works pretty damned well.  It's on my bike.

I do wish that it was keyed in back, so that rotation was impossible, but since I keep the lock nut tight, it works quite well.  I've hauled some very large loads in various handlebar bags.

Note that rotation is somewhat less of an issue if the bag is also secured via the front rack's tombstone, as it is in most (but not all) cases.  Some bags are not secured other than by the decaleur, some are strapped under the front rack rather than at the back with the tombstone, so YMMV.  I would also point out that the VO mount is thin--maybe 2mm or so in thickness.  At least this is true for the 1" decaleur, which looks to be the operating parts welded to a washer.  Ergo, you don't really need "spacer" space to install it.  Think washer replacement.

I was initially worried about rotation and fragility.  It's doing fine after two years.

Of course, it's not threaded-specific, which is to say that it will work if you have a 1" headset, threaded or threadless.  Likewise the 1-1/8" version.

On Sunday, October 19, 2014 2:03:02 PM UTC-4, joe b. wrote:

​

On Sun, Oct 19, 2014 at 10:12 AM, Steve Palincsar <pali...@his.com> wrote:

On 10/19/2014 08:53 AM, Andrew Marchant-Shapiro wrote:

Not entirely true.  VO makes a fitting for threaded setups as well:

http://store.velo-orange.com/index.php/vo-decaleur-kits.html

They certainly used to have one for threaded, but that was discontinued some time ago.  On the page you cite I see only the spacer mounts for threadless, in both 1" and 1 1/8".

​Steve, you must be thinking of the old decaleur they made that hung from the nut on the back of the stem camp. The 1" spacer mount will work on threadless or threaded, as long as there's a spacer to replace.​ How well it works, I'm not sure. In a threadless stack they can rotate if the bag isn't pretty firmly attached to the rack already. There's a lot more compression under a threaded locknut.

Best,

joe broach

portland, or

​​

On Sun, Oct 19, 2014 at 10:12 AM, Steve Palincsar <pali...@his.com> wrote:

On 10/19/2014 08:53 AM, Andrew Marchant-Shapiro wrote:

Not entirely true.  VO makes a fitting for threaded setups as well:

http://store.velo-orange.com/index.php/vo-decaleur-kits.html

They certainly used to have one for threaded, but that was discontinued some time ago.  On the page you cite I see only the spacer mounts for threadless, in both 1" and 1 1/8".

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.

To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com.
To post to this group, send email to rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com.

[Neil]

I also use the VO decaleur that mounts in the headset stack, paired with a Nitto Mark's rack and an Acorn rando bag, all on a 55cm Sam. The system works brilliantly, even off pavement. The combination of the decaleur, tombstone loop on the bag, and four under-bag velcro straps is rock solid.

The VO decaleur is an inexpensive part that works perfectly.

[Matthew Williams]

Does anyone know if the Acorn Tall Rando Bag will work with the Nitto 32F "Campee" rack?

The dimensions on the Acorn site look like they'll work with the 32F rack . . . but has anyone tried this setup? What happened? Any recommendations, cautions, or advice?

Nitto Rack:
https://www.rivbike.com/products/nitto-mini-front-rack-32f-20020

Acorn Tall Rando Bag:
https://www.acornbags.com/products/tall-rando-bag?variant=9075503202348

[Eric Marth]

Matthew: I haven't used it myself but I think the 32F would work with Acorn rando bags. 

The 32F has a platform that's about 4-1/4" x 8" (195mm x 110mm). 

Here's a mounting diagram from Acorn.