luggage

[ElyDave]

Anyone used a Radical tailbag on a S40, or other S?

If you take a look at the pic, it droops, enough to catch the rear mudguard and cause it to rub on the rear tyre. The bag fits over the seat back and fits perpendicular to it with a shaped cloth sleeve. It seems that the seat is just a bit too narrow, so the bag sits too low, there's also a bit of a rigidity problem which I have a solution in mind for.

Interested in how anyone else has solved this. I will also be fitting a rack and have a Carradice rack pack to use.

 

[Mathew Fy]

I've only seen these bags attached to the headrest, high enough to keep the bag off the wheel.
Here's a great place to start. I like Elliot Marshalls post.

BTW, I wish he was still active here. He's the first interviewed Cruzbiker on "Find Your Joy."

 

[tiltmaniac]

When I use such a bag on my S30, I am using an aftermarket carbon seat. I may also invert the headrest rails.

This is for the s30s, so it may not work as well for the S40.

 

[snilard]

This is my setup using Radical Solo Aero self supprted bag. I have Thor seat not original.

 

[Nino Coutinho]

ElyDave, your bag appears to be the Solo Classic. You need the Solo Aero, like the one from Matěj on the pic above. Yours is designed for a more upright seating position - the S40 is indeed quite upright, but the cruzbike seat doesn't have the same curved design as other shell seats, like the Thor, OceanCycle, M5, etc, so it doesn't get so vertical on the upper back.

If you don't want to change your bag, the solution would be with the headrest, but I wouldn't advice to put too much weight on that bag, in this way. It would be very high and behind the rear axle.

 

[ElyDave]

Thanks Nino - that explains it,

The bag came with my first 'bent, an ICE B2 which I no longer have - that had a much wider seat back at the top. Looks like I'll be sticking with the rack and carradice on this, which is no real issue, still pretty decent from an aero perspective and a place to hang my panniers when I tour in the summer.

I need to look at shortening the boom on my M5 and changing the seat angle on that, which may allow me to use the radical bag there.

 

[Kenneth Jessett]

ElyDave, what are your touring plans?

Ken.

 

[ElyDave]

Heading up to the Scottish Isles.

Ferries from the mainland across the Mull of Kintyre and Arran to Islay.
A day on Islay and Jura touring, visiting distilleries and generally bumbling around.
Sunday 5th August - The Ride of the Falling Rain, 100 miles around Islay http://www.rideofthefallingrain.net/
Next day early ferries back to the mainland, then about 400km back down to my parents house in Cumbria where I'll pick up my car

Plan is 3 days from Ardrossan back to my parents house.
Routes all planned to follow the NCN network and I'm now starting on planning the contents of my panniers.

 

[tiltmaniac]

Also note that Matěj is also using an aftermarket (carbon) seat.
I suspect it is a Thor Sport L or XL.
These bags fit on the back of those seats without any problem, where the stock Cruzbike seat is less wide, and the bag will slip down.

(Ha, he even says it is the Thor seat. )

 

[tiltmaniac]

See how it fits on the Thor seat (this is the S30v2, but it doesn't really matter, since this depends more on the seat):

Tiltmaniac's S30v2 build.

 

[ElyDave]

Thanks guys, I may play around with it a bit, but I'm almost certainly going to fit the rack - that anti flop device though - I'm stealing that idea 100%

 

[ElyDave]

So, rack fitted, which was going to happen anyway for reasons of dynamo lighting - rear rack mounted tail light. Fitted remarkably well - I had thought I would need to cut a piece out of the rail at the front end of the rack, but in the end it was nudging up against the frame so I just wrapped a bit of old inner tube around it to prevent rubbing.

Rack bag fits fine, and can even be expanded - that's all I need for audaxing. I still have the space for panniers for touring and my small bananananananananana bags.

only issue was getting round the rear brake - just fits

should be no danger of being missed from behind

 

[Kenneth Jessett]

Dave, that looks like a very sturdy contraption. I envy you with the Q (?) versus my Vendetta, your bike is clearly better suited for touring.

I will be riding up through Fort William in the middle of September (on a standard bike) on the way to John o' Groats. From memory, that area can be very wet along side the lochs, since you are familiar with the area, any thoughts on possible conditions in September?

Ken.

 

[ElyDave]

Ken,

my original plan was train from Carlisle to Inverness, ride down through Fort William to Oban and then ferry to Islay from there, but the Oban-Islay ferries are pretty infrequent. I don't know much about the west coast there to be honest - I spend a lot of time in Aberdeen as I work in the Oil and Gas sector. The east is generally drier as the prevailing wind is from SW When I moved to Ely my water bill doubled from Derby.

In short - west of Scotland in late summer/early autumn - pack a waterproof, and put your gear in plastic bags.

That's a new S40 above by the way, rack came off my Giant donor bike.

Cheers, Dave

 

[Kenneth Jessett]

With the extraordinary long learning curve with the V and the safety restrictions on riding it on the open road, I would have been much better off buying the S40 in the first place.

I had originally purchased the V to ride long distance Rando rides such as the LEL - and even registered for that - since I found I was getting slower on the standard bikes, but wishing to ride (if wishes were horses beggars would ride) and actually feeling confident on the road with traffic is something different. I can readily see with the more upright riding position of the S40 it would be superior over either my standard bikes and safer and more comfortable than the V for touring.

 

[Gary123]

If you haven't already you might try the Thor or similar seat. Getting shoulders more upright was a huge improvement for me. Original seat and headrest were awful for me.

 

[snilard]

Also note that Matěj is also using an aftermarket (carbon) seat.
I suspect it is a Thor Sport L or XL.
These bags fit on the back of those seats without any problem, where the stock Cruzbike seat is less wide, and the bag will slip down.

(Ha, he even says it is the Thor seat. )

Thor sport M