The handlebar bag/lighting dilemma

[Becky]

I've decided that I must add a handlebar bag to the bike (in order to carry the camera, of course!). However, I use a 38 cm bar, and with a computer and a headlight with stem-mounted battery (e.g. very short cord) mounted, I'm rapidly running out of room up there.

I'm aware of the Minoura Space Grip, but have read several reports online of them failing. I'm not willing to take that chance with my nice headlight. I'll consider similar products that are better-made though.

Does anyone make a handlebar bag with integrated "light mount"? I have this vision of a bag with a piece of aluminum bar riveted to the front somehow....

Anyway, I'm very curious to know what all of you are doing to work around this problem. Many thanks in advance for your thoughts!

[amy]

I don't know if such a thing exists, but if it doesn't, you should totally market that idea!! Good luck.

[Blueberry]

Don't know of a bag that has such mounts, but you might want to look at Peter White's site and see if any of his mounting brackets would work with your light and your bike

CA

[maillotpois]

Space grip = bad news. Mine almost cost me my $500 Moab during a 600k brevet. Fortunately it was only half way in and I wasn't so delirious that I was able to catch it before it hit the ground.

I second snooping around Peter White's site. I ended up getting NOBs from him and mounting my lights on my fork (used hardware store no slip tape like used on stairs to make sure they don't slip). The set up is great.

[Becky]

I intend to experiment with one of our older handlebar bags tonight and maybe a piece of PVC pipe.... We'll see where it gets me. I'm also going to wander around Peter White and Velo Orange a little bit too.

Maillotpois, thanks for validating what I'd heard from others about the Space Grip. So you used the Nob to mount the Moab, or was it to mount some other smaller light?

[maillotpois]

I am using the NOBs with 2 E6s attached to a Schmidt generator hub. For the Moab, I use the helmet mount. (I use the E6s on one bike and the Moab on the other bike, and rarely these days.) That's what I ended up doing on the 600k, halfway through when the stupid space bar broke - putting the Moab on the helmet. If you're doing commute distance, a helmet mount should be fine for a light like that which you may not want to put on the fork.

[maillotpois]

That looks very cool. You'd want to make sure it sits high enough that the bag doesn't get in the way of the beam of the light.

[GLC1968]

I don't have a good in action shot. In this pic, I don't have the bag on...but the mount is still there and the little silver/black bump on my handlebars is my HRM/computer mounted to that bar. You can kind of see how high up it sits. In the case of my bag (the small one), I'm pretty sure that a light would shine over the bag and work just fine. H has the bigger bag and in pictures I've seen of his, I don't see how it would work. I'm pretty sure that's how he uses it though, so I can take a closer look at his set up when I get home tonight.

[Becky]

I see what you mean about the height of that little bar. Combined with the relatively low style of the compact bag, it looks like it might work.

BTW, beautiful pic!

[jennrod12]

Funny, I've used Minoura Space Grips for years on three different bikes and never had a problem. In fact, I can't even imagine what kind of problem one would have! What's the problem with the Minoura Space Grip?

Thanks, Jenn

[Zen]

Could that NOB be used to mount a light designed for handlebar mounting?
I'd like something that lights the road surface and can't afford that dyno hub.

[bikerHen]

I've got that little Topeak bag on my road bike and just love it, love it, love it! Although, I don't use the space bar or a light on that bike anymore. If I need a light I go for the helmet light. Mine doesn't "quick release" very well either. But still a great little bag.

On my other commuting bike I've got a Nigel Smith tube bag that hangs below the handlebars so I can have full use of the bar for lights, Garmin or whatever. I got it from the Rivendell Bikes site. It's made of wool, looks cool, is pretty darn weather tight and can hold lots of important stuff. bikerHen

[maillotpois]

Funny, I've used Minoura Space Grips for years on three different bikes and never had a problem. In fact, I can't even imagine what kind of problem one would have! What's the problem with the Minoura Space Grip?

Thanks, Jenn

The bar breaks off from the mount (the silver part breaks off from the black part).

Peter White has a very appropriate warning on his site about the use of the space bar:

BUT!

Do not use this for mounting battery powered lights, such as the Ixon. It's not strong enough. Use it for dynamo powered headlights only. The weight of four AA batteries is more than this inexpensive mount can handle.

Unfortunately, he didn't have this warning up back in 2006 when I bought my space grip from him. Oh well.

http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/light-mounts.asp

[Becky]

I ordered the Sidetrak Excess Access for Peter White Cycles today, seen here at: http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/light-mounts.asp (page down).

Hopefully this will work solve my light-mounting problems. I'll be sure to post a review once I try it out. Many thanks to all those who provided assistance and input.

[Becky]

I received my Excess Access (EA) earlier this week and did my first ride with it yesterday.

It has solved one problem so far- the housing from my left shifter was obscuring the light's beam. It also allows me to mount the light lower than before, causing fewer shadows. I definitely noticed a difference in the amount of light on the road yesterday morning.

It's reasonably sturdy, and held the MiNewt lamp without budging. Whether or not it's strong enough for the TriNewt lamp remains to be seen. I'll switch to the brighter light in another couple of weeks here, once we're leaving a full hour before sunrise.

I'm not sure if it will solve my handlebar bag issue though. I can mount the bag to my handlebar and below the EA readily enough, but the EA somewhat obscures the bag's zipper. So no pulling out the camera on the fly.

The verdict: It's worth the $20 that I paid for it, even if it doesn't solve all of my problems. I'm still on the lookout for a handlebar bag that allows me to mount the light to the bag somehow, but this will work for now.