Best budget fork Cage drybag

[redefined_cycles]

Got the podsacs 5L bags. Bit heavy at 250g each but well made.

Hence am thinking I can get an Alpkit Airlok which has the holes in and will tie into the BlackBurn cage. Already tried my 8L one which although a bit wide does work well. Weight of these is 95g(claimed) to 99g (actual measured) for the 8L version...

Or, I could get the 5L versions ehich means they would sit icer in the cage and only 85g...

Or I could go all out and get the standard Alpkit Airlok (standard not the xtra) which is made from sinylon and only wieght is around 28 to 35g... Does that seem a bit light to you good lot or will it be strong enough being sinylon (doesnt have the extra welded harness mounts the the Xtra has)...

Looking at buying things only once you see as want to get all kit as light as poss and maybe this year (ending Feb2020) might be my first BAM acheivememt

[lune ranger]

I prefer something burly on the fork legs if it's for off road. Lighter fabric bags are too exposed and vulnerable in that position imo.
I got some 5L generic PVC fold top bags for that use. They were only a few quid (less than a tenner anyway) on eBay, don't know how much they weigh but they are very robust and reliably waterproof.

[Bearbonesnorm]

Firstly, I'd consider what you're hoping to put in them? Do you already have items in mind or are you doing that thing where people buy luggage ...... then wonder what to put in it? If you already know what's going in, then doesn't that dictate the size of bag to a degree?

Cages are also at the mercy of brambles and things, so a more robust bag is likely to be a safer option ... which leads me back on to the point above, what are you going to put in them because something like a sleeping mat or down jacket would require (in my mind) more protection than a Ti mug.

[redefined_cycles]

Good thinking batmen...

So far and how I've set thigs currently (using the heavy podsacs on one side and the 8l Airlok xtra on other).

Cooking kit and bivi bag (currently a heavy goretex army type thing) on one side... sleeping mat and sleeping bag in the other...

[Ray Young]

I have 5l Alpkit airlock extras for my gorilla fork cages and I think they're a great size and fit and not expensive. I have some of the lighter silnylon ones too but only ever use one inside another dry bag for my down sleeping bag if there's likely to be prolonged rain. Call me paranoids.

[redefined_cycles]

Thanks Ray... in cricket they would call you the Man of the Match... dont know bout the doubling up of sleeping bag though ( ) as my 8L airlock xtra been going (although not been used in anger) for almost 5 years now and you can normally tell if the proofing is compromised whilst the comprwssion/air removal process.

Is that 2 times 5litres bags on each fork and also a barbag (am thinking bar bag would have to go as its too front end heavy otherwise...

[middleagedmadness]

I've got 2 of the podsacs and while you mention the weight that is easily overcome by the fact that they are bombproof , would rather have a couple hundred extra grams on the fork legs ( where it has no effect on the bikes handling) than have my sleeping kit ripped to shreds and have nothing to sleep in and have to shell out another few hundred to replace it light weight stuff has its place but in my opinion it's not on your fork legs where your guaranteed to catch it on twigs brambles rocks ect

[whitestone]

Good thinking batmen...

So far and how I've set thigs currently (using the heavy podsacs on one side and the 8l Airlok xtra on other).

Cooking kit and bivi bag (currently a heavy goretex army type thing) on one side... sleeping mat and sleeping bag in the other...

That's a fair amount of kit out front. You don't say how much it all weighs but it seems likely to be somewhere around 2kg for everything - kit, bags and mounts/harnesses. Also are they on suspension forks? In which case you are increasing the unsprung mass which tends to be something to avoid.

[redefined_cycles]

Nope... no suspension forks Bob... Travis Prongs which I bought initially with this sort of thing in mind with advice from the professionals on here...

Currently sitting at almost 3.5kg or a smidge more if you include cage and bags which is why am trying to reduce the weight of the bags as much as poss...

Eventually when money allows I will be grabbing some gorilla cages or whateevr else which is lighter...

So. If I just use bags on the forks (and leave the barbag off which is seeming a bit heavy) as 5L each side and then the framebag being around 7L and use my Osprey mobile https://www.wiggle.co.uk/osprey-ultrali ... gwQAvD_BwE which allows 18L

The Osprey allows me to collapse it into a little apple sized thingy... Would that be way too less space for multi days. Obviously am in the testing phases and the weekend ride will infomr me better on handling etc

[ScotRoutes]

Is there a reason you aren't using a seatpack (rear suspension travel, wee legs so no space between saddle and tyre)?

[whitestone]

OK, just asking

Do you have nothing out back? Seat harness/bag or similar? Useful in that it helps balance the bike up.

[Andybev]

Have a look at Lomo I have dealt with them a couple of times and they are great to deal with
http://www.lomo.co.uk/acatalog/Dry-Bags.html

[Ray Young]

Is that 2 times 5litres bags on each fork and also a barbag (am thinking bar bag would have to go as its too front end heavy otherwise...

No, one bag per side plus 8l or 13l barbag. I don't like too much weight on the front in case of bikehike involving lots of front end lifting.

[redefined_cycles]

OK, just asking

Do you have nothing out back? Seat harness/bag or similar? Useful in that it helps balance the bike up.

You are one of the pro' that I talk of

No seat harness as I love the dropper and being fully rigid and managing some red and black trail centre sections is too lovely (I know theres the canadian firm that does the dropper compatible harness but thats heavy and can't afford)...

So 10L (divided carefully with lightweight gear) up front and 7L inside the frame and maybe a backpack...

Is that not enough cargo capacity ?? Hmmm. I guess the weekends PBW will be informative for balacing of bike

NB. Front end as it is with that setup just feels like a front end with standard Fox Talas 140mm setup so hopefully wont be too bad

[whitestone]

Ah, shucks

I think we've all been on the journey from "How the **** do I fit all this lot on a bike?" to "Ooh! I can take something nice here". Unless you are lucky then it does cost - there's no point in buying a decent sleeping bag for example until you know you want to head out multiple times. I started with lots of 1980s "lightweight" mountaineering kit. I think by today's standards it would be regarded as "heavy duty"!

What I take will depend on time of year and current/forecast weather. Typically for summer I'll have somewhere in the 10-15 litre range. That'll be either 3 or 8 litres handlebar bag, two stem cells, something like an Alpkit top tube bag and about 5 litres on the seat bag.

Have you looked at the Alpkit dropper compatible bag? My wife's short and uses one to give her clearance on 29er bikes.

[thenorthwind]

I use a pair of the Lomo 5L ones (http://www.lomo.co.uk/acatalog/dry-bags ... ml#SID=117) in my fork cages. They're nice and thick, which as others has said is beneficial for this application, but probably heavy - doesn't bother me. They're a bit fatter than they need to be, so there's some wasted material, but it's an odd shape - hence the expensive fork-cage-specific dry bags I guess. For the money, I'll live with it.