Ideas for very unobtrusive and very QR saddlebag mounting system for non-Brooks saddles

[Patrick Moore]

With my grocery bike currently away from home, I've been using my stripped down gofast with Camper Longflap strapped directly to saddle rails. This is not a heart-rending or earth shaking need, but it would be nice to have some sort of -- I guess -- saddle-mounted or seatpost-mounted QR with which I could swap quickly back and forth between a Camper or say a large Saddlesack, and a small, Banana Bag-sized kit carrier -- or, for that matter, the Ruthworks wedge I now have.

I do not want a large clamp like the SQR bracket (I have several of those) or even the Nitto QR mount, nor do I want something to clutter up a wedge, though I certainly don't mind somewhat bulky hardware attached to a large saddlebag.

And I do have a stash of the VO saddle bag loops.

I know that Carradice makes this: https://www.carradice.co.uk/products/saddle-fixing-systems/carradice-classic-saddlebag-rack, and I daresay one could rig it up with the VO loops, but they claim a 13 lb limit and I'd like at least 20 lbs' capacity.

Oh, and my bar is too narrow for full Camper or medium Sackville fitment.

And I don't want to use a huge courier bag or backpack.

Ideas?

Thanks.

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Patrick Moore

Alburquerque, Nuevo Mexico, Etats Unis d'Amerique, Orbis Terrarum

[Mike Godwin]

Photos of current setup would help figure out a solution.

Mike "rain again" SLO CA

[Takashi]

Roberta posted about $1.00 quick release a while ago:

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!msg/rbw-owners-bunch/fTABxnajUJ4/QKRJIOFiCAAJ

Also, there is Frost and Sekers QR, which is a bit more pricey.

https://frostandsekers.com/

Takashi

[Patrick Moore]

Thanks, all. Really, my inquiry supposes that I want a "light, strong, cheap -- choose all" solution. But I think one could rig up something that (1) leaves little or nothing attached to saddle or seatpost or frame, (2) holds 20 lb securely in a saddlebag, and (3) goes on and off with very little fiddling. So far, Roberta's is the best (in this connection) idea, tho' I don't have saddle loops on my Flite. But some sort of dowel-like device to "hook" into the saddle rails and hold the bag straps is what I had in mind. I can see a "dowel" shaped to fit the rails tightly, with the bag's straps fitting onto it outside of the rails; the "dowel" also shaped on the ends to "catch" the straps so that, when cinched tight, they can't slide off. Loosen on strap, slip off "dowel," hook through rails, re-attach strap and cinch tight. You'd need some sort of standoff or stiffener in the bag so that the "dowel" does not slide toward the seatpost.

But when all is said and done, hopefully I won't have to worry about this shortly, once I get back a bike with racks for panniers. Meanwhile, I think the quick solution is to replace the OEM Camper straps either with toe straps or else with the long straps I bought a few years ago, and run these outside instead of inside the bag.

[masmojo]

Carradice Bagman Maybe?

Well, I guess you've considered that; yes it is sort of limited weight wise.

Would this be any help? https://www.hobopieces.com/product/the-restuvus

I have one of those on (surprisingly) a Brooks saddle, because the bag I was mounting has much wider straps than the Brook could comfortably take. The strap holes on these are generous.

I have it on my Bombora with a Nitto R-14(?) rack for support.

Like the Bagman a 55+ dollar solution to what should be a 15 dollar problem.

[Patrick Moore]

Thanks. I've used the Bagman version, both with and without supports. I was hoping to find a quick on/off system that didn't require a permanent attachment to the saddle or seatpost; probably a forlorn hope indeed, tho' Roberta's solution (and someone's refinement of it) come pretty close to what I want.

I think I'll just procrastinate until my new bike (with racks) is ready, then forget about the problem.

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[David B]

I wonder if a double-ended snap hook would do the trick. I've seen setups where that piece was mounted onto the saddle, but I wager you could mount it onto the bag and then attach to the saddle rails.

I suppose you could figure out to use 2 of these (https://www.rivbike.com/products/no-discontinued-nitto-saddlebag-grip-r50-hardware-r50-nut-bolt-ea-20027?_pos=24&_sid=7dade3af7&_ss=r) and use a wing nut on the inside of the bag to secure/loosen - problem with those is those washers with concave grips would be loose, so you'd to figure out a way to store those while the bag is off the bike.

On Tuesday, April 14, 2020 at 1:03:14 PM UTC-5, Patrick Moore wrote:

Thanks. I've used the Bagman version, both with and without supports. I was hoping to find a quick on/off system that didn't require a permanent attachment to the saddle or seatpost; probably a forlorn hope indeed, tho' Roberta's solution (and someone's refinement of it) come pretty close to what I want.

I think I'll just procrastinate until my new bike (with racks) is ready, then forget about the problem.

On Tue, Apr 14, 2020 at 11:43 AM masmojo <mas...@sbcglobal.net> wrote:

Carradice Bagman Maybe?

Well, I guess you've considered that; yes it is sort of limited weight wise.

Would this be any help? https://www.hobopieces.com/product/the-restuvus

I have one of those on (surprisingly) a Brooks saddle, because the bag I was mounting has much wider straps than the Brook could comfortably take. The strap holes on these are generous.

I have it on my Bombora with a Nitto R-14(?) rack for support.

Like the Bagman a 55+ dollar solution to what should be a 15 dollar problem.

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[David B]

To be clear in my previous post, I was suggesting 2 separate options.

[David B]

And now you've got me thinking!

Another idea - use the dowel idea but mount the dowel piece directly and tightly to bag. To mount, have the bag twisted sideways, fit dowel parallel (and between saddle rails) then twist to fit the dowel on the inside of the rail area (with bag fitting outside the rail area). Then with a strap tightly around the seatpost the bag wouldn't be able to twist sideways to release.

[Patrick Moore]

Thanks, David; 2 suggestions worth investigating. 

Now that you mention it, I do recall someone, on some list, some years ago, describing QR saddlebag attachment with snap hooks and I may just have a couple in one of my boxes ...

"To be clear in my previous post, I was suggesting 2 separate options." Yes, I understood that; twice the value! Thanks again.

[Patrick Moore]

One more! Will think about this one also. Thanks.

But given that this sort of big-bag use on this particular (1999 Joe Starck stripped-down fixie gofast lightweight) will be very sporadic and occasional, and given that I still hope Chauncey won't take 6 months on the new "Riv-Road-like errand bike*" frame, I am thinking that, after all, the solution that may be simplest, most secure, and sufficiently fast might be simply to replace the OEM straps on the Camper with longer ones, or even toe straps, and insert these with both ends on the outside of the flap so that it will be much easier to strap them to and unstrap them from the Flite's saddle rails. But I'm going to try the dowel suggestion above first. I expect that one would need to strap the dowel to the frame rails as well as strap the bag to the seatpost, to keep the dowel sliding forward; but I'll give this one a hands-on try, and report if successful.

*Just for the record, this is a project that Riv would probably not touch with a 50 ft pole, even tho' it is to be based on my 2003 road custom, because it is designed around a hub gear with all sorts of related and complementary, and all very weird, custom braze-ones and internal routing features, not to mention custom racks. So I'm not taking bread or money from Riv's mouths or hands.

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[Patrick Moore]

I took a closer look, and with the narrow rails and curved saddle end, you can't slip a dowel between the rails as you might do on a Brooks.

As for snap hooks: No go either, since the bag has to be snugged up against the underside of the saddle, which requires using the straps.

But I mitigated the on/off problem by replacing the too short (for this purpose) OEM straps on the Camper with much longer ones with top quality buckles; straps long enough to (relatively) easily poke through holes and wrap around rails, with good buckles, make installation, if not instant, at least faster and much easier.

Thanks again.

On Tue, Apr 14, 2020 at 12:38 PM David B <daba...@gmail.com> wrote:

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[Max S]

https://www.cyclingabout.com/complete-list-of-bikepacking-bag-manufacturers/

[Patrick Moore]

After far too much thinking about this very minor and evanescent question, it occurred to me on this afternoon's ride that one possible system for very QR saddlebag on/off that does not require more than a couple of oz attached to saddle or seapost might be this:

Drill the dowel on your Carradice transverse saddlebag to take small eye bolts threaded for installation with nuts, and installed so that the eyes are butted up against the top of the dowel -- ie, they don't extend far above the dowel.

Clamp short hooks to your saddle rails. Install the saddlebag by hooking the eye bolts onto the hooks.

This of course raises the question (it does not "beg" it; begging the question is the logical fallacy of assuming what you want to prove; IOW, arguing in a circle): what sort of hooks, and how attach them securely to the rearward part of the saddle rails?

And this last question is what stumps me. Ideas?

But I just thought of this: Instead of eye bolts, bolt J hooks to the dowel, and hook over saddle rails themselves. Thoughts? Must really stop procrastinating my trip to True Value.