BentAero
Well-Known Member
I've been wanting to have the option of adding a largish bag to the V for those occasional rides when you need to store your tights and jacket when you peel them off late-morning during a ride, and room for a rain coat, etc. Until now, I haven't come up with anything I was happy with.
Last week I received a modified Origin8 Hydracage twin water bottle mount. (Special thanks to those special people who made that happen) While giving it the 1000-mile stare, it dawned on me that with a little adaptation it could be used to mount a bag.
The black 'arm' has about a 45 degree angle, so to mount a Bacchetta Brain Box I'd need an arm with a much steeper 17-ish degree angle. Off to the scrap pile where I found a block of aluminum to start carving on.
The new bracket arm:
The Brain Box is made to slip over a Bacchetta seat pan which is quite wide. To simulate the pan, I made a frame from aluminum flat stock 1/8" x 1/2" x 48". (Three, 4' long pieces cost less than $3.00 total at the steel yard.) I started with a piece of Romex electrical wire to figure out the shape, bending and rebending it to get the correct draft. Once the wire fit the bag 'pocket', I started bending the aluminum. The ends are pop-riveted together.
This is one continuous piece about 42" long:
The frame mounted:
The bag slipped over the frame:
It's surprisingly stable with just a little bit of flex. What I like best is that the bag literally just slips on or off the frame, and the frame/bracket attaches to the headrest with only one bolt. Switching it back to the twin water bottle cage only requires that one bolt to be removed, and the arm replaced with the original black one.
After road-testing, I likely won't use it until the week-long Cycle North Carolina at the end of September when you start in the morning cold and end the day in the afternoon heat.
Last week I received a modified Origin8 Hydracage twin water bottle mount. (Special thanks to those special people who made that happen) While giving it the 1000-mile stare, it dawned on me that with a little adaptation it could be used to mount a bag.
The black 'arm' has about a 45 degree angle, so to mount a Bacchetta Brain Box I'd need an arm with a much steeper 17-ish degree angle. Off to the scrap pile where I found a block of aluminum to start carving on.
The new bracket arm:
The Brain Box is made to slip over a Bacchetta seat pan which is quite wide. To simulate the pan, I made a frame from aluminum flat stock 1/8" x 1/2" x 48". (Three, 4' long pieces cost less than $3.00 total at the steel yard.) I started with a piece of Romex electrical wire to figure out the shape, bending and rebending it to get the correct draft. Once the wire fit the bag 'pocket', I started bending the aluminum. The ends are pop-riveted together.
This is one continuous piece about 42" long:
The frame mounted:
The bag slipped over the frame:
It's surprisingly stable with just a little bit of flex. What I like best is that the bag literally just slips on or off the frame, and the frame/bracket attaches to the headrest with only one bolt. Switching it back to the twin water bottle cage only requires that one bolt to be removed, and the arm replaced with the original black one.
After road-testing, I likely won't use it until the week-long Cycle North Carolina at the end of September when you start in the morning cold and end the day in the afternoon heat.
