Harness V Cradle help

[GirlBikeVan]

I've been looking to ugrade my bikepacking gear. Have the Alpkit harness at the minute and it's been great but also a right faff with straps!

Done loads of research on The salsa Anything cradle and the Blackburn outpost harness and can't decide. Has anyone tried both? The Salsa Anything reviews talk of strap faffery but one solution is to use Voile straps.

I actually can't see anything wrong with the Blackburn Cradle. It's much cheaper, lighter, less straps and you can take the whole harness off to carefully take gear out on the floor. But not sure how big a drybag it'll take? 13L?

I love the fact that both sit away from the handlebars which is what i'm looking for.

I'm an occasional bike packer but do plan on some remote trips in the next few years. Maybe the Cairngorms loop.

Help me decide :)

[Asposium]

I have the salsa anything cradle

Initially for use on a drop bar gravel bike, and now for a hardtail mountain bike

Brilliant
Though not cheap, and likely heavier than a harness.

[GirlBikeVan]

Nearly double the weight and price!

[techno]

The revelate harness is rock solid. Look out for a 2nd hand one of those to keep the cost down?
https://www.revelatedesigns.com/index.c ... roductID=4

[GirlBikeVan]

The revelate harness is rock solid. Look out for a 2nd hand one of those to keep the cost down?
https://www.revelatedesigns.com/index.c ... roductID=4

Cool thanks. This one is on my list too :)

[johnnystorm]

Doesn't rub your headtube and fits low enough that lights and computer don't get blocked.

https://advntr.cc/straight-cut-design-h ... r-harness/

[dnrc]

i've used an anything cradle for a few years now where previously i had harnesses

the anything cradle has never given me any concern at any point, it just does it's job

strap faffery? they are a bit of a pain to put on but you only have to do that once when you first buy it, after that you just clip them together

[voodoo_simon]

Doesn't rub your headtube and fits low enough that lights and computer don't get blocked.

https://advntr.cc/straight-cut-design-h ... r-harness/

I’ve got the original* of that and it works very well

*Wildcat

[FLV]

I have a wildcat harness, very good, very stable. Its done many many miles and never let me down.

I also have a Straightcut one, as i needed longer straps for my current bike, not used yet but front street test is positive.

I also have the acepac bar bag that stu sells in the shop here. Great value, works really well. Rode the tuscany trail with it and it never caused a single issue over 5 days.
Not a harness type though. There would be nothing to stop you using a seperate drybag inside the outer bag and just cinching it down though.

[Lazarus]

do you have the roo pack for the alpkit?

once installed on the bike - 5 mins or less at home, then out on the trail you just release the strap on that to slide the bag out [ even with a 20 litre dry bag] and just slide it back in when finished and retighten.

Its not much different to straping up my apidura tbh - used for drop bars mainly

I have seen the blackburn one in a shop and it looks good and have the rear seat pack which i like and really rate

[techno]

One thing I notice about the Blackburn harness is that it places the roll out Infront of the bars. This is the worst place from a handling perspective and will also cast maximum shadow from your front light. The good thing about most harnesses is the pull the load in towards the head tube reducing the pendulum effect and minimising the shadow cast.

[GirlBikeVan]

One thing I notice about the Blackburn harness is that it places the roll out Infront of the bars. This is the worst place from a handling perspective and will also cast maximum shadow from your front light. The good thing about most harnesses is the pull the load in towards the head tube reducing the pendulum effect and minimising the shadow cast.

That's what I wanted to protect the cables. I have some great but funny shaped handlebars. Good advice though.

[GirlBikeVan]

do you have the roo pack for the alpkit?

once installed on the bike - 5 mins or less at home, then out on the trail you just release the strap on that to slide the bag out [ even with a 20 litre dry bag] and just slide it back in when finished and retighten.

Its not much different to straping up my apidura tbh - used for drop bars mainly

I have seen the blackburn one in a shop and it looks good and have the rear seat pack which i like and really rate

I'll have a look at that, thanks

[techno]

One thing I notice about the Blackburn harness is that it places the roll out Infront of the bars. This is the worst place from a handling perspective and will also cast maximum shadow from your front light. The good thing about most harnesses is the pull the load in towards the head tube reducing the pendulum effect and minimising the shadow cast.

That's what I wanted to protect the cables. I have some great but funny shaped handlebars. Good advice though.

i have oddly shaped handlebars too (ritchey kyote) and the spacers on the revelate harness provide enough space for routing the cables without kinking them even on full steering lock. EG:


the harness stu sells here has similar spacers: https://bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk/shop ... t=bar-roll
as do others:
https://restrap.com/collections/bar-bag ... -dry-bag-1
https://backcountry.scot/product/ortlie ... lebar-bag/
https://backcountry.scot/product/revela ... weet-roll/
https://backcountry.scot/product/revela ... pronghorn/
https://rockgeist.com/product/barjam/
https://www.lordgunbicycles.co.uk/speci ... rrency=GBP
https://www.mantel.com/uk/topeak-frontloader-8l

also, spacers are available to achieve the same result: https://backcountry.scot/product/drjon- ... ed-blocks/

[Lazarus]

I'll have a look at that, thanks

I can post it to you if you want to borrow the roo puch and see what I mean - i have the bigger one that actually holds stuff though I dont really put much in it - I seem to recall its pricey though so might be not much saving on a harness
If you can sew it should be easy enought to make one yourself as its basically a square with a strap on eahch corner

[GirlBikeVan]

I'll have a look at that, thanks

I can post it to you if you want to borrow the roo puch and see what I mean - i have the bigger one that actually holds stuff though I dont really put much in it - I seem to recall its pricey though so might be not much saving on a harness
If you can sew it should be easy enought to make one yourself as its basically a square with a strap on eahch corner

That's nice thanks. I think i'm going to go with the Salsa. It'll last forever...Hopefully

[faustus]

Worth checking this, it's just been made available from Wildcat...

https://wildcat.cc/collections/accessor ... rks-g-funk

Those clamps plus a strapdeck (same site), and you have the same/very similar as a salsa EXP but cheaper

[stevenshand]

Worth checking this, it's just been made available from Wildcat...

https://wildcat.cc/collections/accessor ... rks-g-funk

Those clamps plus a strapdeck (same site), and you have the same/very similar as a salsa EXP but cheaper

I was just about to post this, so good job. I was thinking about putting together a package deal with the GFunk clamps, Strapdeck and straps for an additional saving.

[techno]

Worth checking this, it's just been made available from Wildcat...

https://wildcat.cc/collections/accessor ... rks-g-funk

Those clamps plus a strapdeck (same site), and you have the same/very similar as a salsa EXP but cheaper

I was just about to post this, so good job. I was thinking about putting together a package deal with the GFunk clamps, Strapdeck and straps for an additional saving.

Great idea, as I just held off from ordering exactly that bundle

[GirlBikeVan]

Worth checking this, it's just been made available from Wildcat...

https://wildcat.cc/collections/accessor ... rks-g-funk

Those clamps plus a strapdeck (same site), and you have the same/very similar as a salsa EXP but cheaper

The pack looks too low to me. And not as far away from the bars as the clamps on the Salsa allow which is the feature I like. Perhaps because of inexperience i'm splitting hairs A bit?

[GirlBikeVan]

Worth checking this, it's just been made available from Wildcat...

https://wildcat.cc/collections/accessor ... rks-g-funk

Those clamps plus a strapdeck (same site), and you have the same/very similar as a salsa EXP but cheaper

I was just about to post this, so good job. I was thinking about putting together a package deal with the GFunk clamps, Strapdeck and straps for an additional saving.

Great idea, as I just held off from ordering exactly that bundle

Guessing you're the wildcat man? I'll hold off until you have a bundle deal too :)

[faustus]

I guess it's personal choice really, but my thoughts are it can be rotated around the bar a bit to suit tyre/cable clearance needs. It looks like cables get more room than a harness with fork straps might? Also, weight closer to the bar might feel better, but I wouldn't know as i've not used something like this...just the cleanliness and secure fixing appeals to me.

Think i'll probably order one and a strap deck, as i have a few straps!

[stevenshand]

The pack looks too low to me. And not as far away from the bars as the clamps on the Salsa allow which is the feature I like. Perhaps because of inexperience i'm splitting hairs A bit?

Maybe, note that the whole thing can be rotated as much as you want so it would be perfectly possible to have it straight out the front. You could also use a bigger spacer (and longer bolt) to move it further away but I'm not sure what the motivation would be for that. For stability, I'd like it in closer to the bars, not further away (assuming clearance was ok).

[GirlBikeVan]

The pack looks too low to me. And not as far away from the bars as the clamps on the Salsa allow which is the feature I like. Perhaps because of inexperience i'm splitting hairs A bit?

Maybe, note that the whole thing can be rotated as much as you want so it would be perfectly possible to have it straight out the front. You could also use a bigger spacer (and longer bolt) to move it further away but I'm not sure what the motivation would be for that. For stability, I'd like it in closer to the bars, not further away (assuming clearance was ok).

I've sent you an email asking about rotation on your website :)

My bars are a funny shape and i'm slightly worried there won't be enough clearance. I could get new bars tho. the ones I have only cost a tenner

[restlessshawn]

My bars are a funny shape

Think that's most of us on here too

That drjon thing could be just the job on my CX maybe...would have to shim up from 25.4 I guess