I did a test pack for an upcoming trip last night. Having taken my Alpkit 1L Brupot out of its mesh bag to put it in my Stem Cell XL, which fits very snugly, I was thinking I could do with an another stem cell to go on the other side, but I'm too tight to buy one.

Then it occurred to me that the mesh bag is basically a stem cell sized perfectly for the brupot, but without the webbing. So you can probably see where I'm going with this. The mesh material isn't particularly strong but should be able to take the weight of the brupot and a few light bits inside. It's obviously not waterproof, but it doesn't really matter, and the stuff inside the brupot will probably stay pretty dry. Wrap it in a plastic bag if you're worried about mud.

This is the result:








(Not sure why this is displaying sideways here)

Not test-ridden yet, but seems OK. Will probably move the fuel pod to prevent limited steering.

Edit: To start with I sewed a webbing strip on near the top forgetting that the top of the bag is cinched together. I couldn't take it off without destroying the bag so I just left it on and sewed another lower down. Maybe one day it'll come in handy. You can't have too much webbing right?

To start with I sewed a webbing strip on near the top forgetting that the top of the bag is cinched together. I couldn't take it off without destroying the bag so I just left it on and sewed another lower down. Maybe one day it'll come in handy. You can't have too much webbing right?

I did notice what looks very much like a stitch unpicker

Drop bars with a suspension fork - am I seeing things or have you just invented a new niche bike type?

I think you're seeing things It's a rigid carbon fork.

Should've gone to Specsavers...!

Looks like a light way of carrying an extra piss bottle - do you think it would be up to the task?

Probably. I'll try and keep it to light stuff but it would probably be ok. I'd be a bit worried the stitching might tear out on rough ground, but I've used my patented "run the sewing machine backwards and forwards a few times so there's far more thread everywhere than should be necessary" approach.

ZeroDarkBivi wrote:Drop bars with a suspension fork - am I seeing things or have you just invented a new niche bike type?

That's not a new niche....

https://www.evanscycles.com/cannondale- ... e-EV254012

That would be the second best bike for the TDR, after any hardtail 29er with a Lauf fork that won't need servicing every 500 miles!

Update after 7 days riding 400 miles of trail, gravel and road in all conditions...


It worked really well. At times I carried a fair bit of weight (a nearly full 250g gas canister, snacks, and various other bits). There was a bit of rubbage but I got that on my proper gear too.


2016-12-22 08.46.10 by Dave W, on Flickr


2016-12-22 08.45.52 by Dave W, on Flickr


Also, I worked out what the extra webbing is for: drying out wet gloves!

IMGP2722 by Dave W, on Flickr