expandable seat pack?

[thejen12]

Can anyone recommend an expandable seat pack? Nashbar has one on sale now that expands from 90 cu. in. to 135 cu. in. That sounds about like the right size, as I'm carrying about 90 cu. in. now. I'd like a place to stash unneeded knee warmers, light jacket or vest, etc. My pockets are rather small, because I wear size small, and they're full of food and wallet and bee sting kit, plus I hate the feeling of over-stuffed pockets. But the Nashbar pack looks like it might hit the back of my legs... I don't know, it just doesn't inspire me. :confused:

Any ideas?

Thanks, Jenn

[Steve Hampsten]

Moots Tailgator, perhaps?

An inelegant solution in a long line of inelegant solutions, but stuff's gotta go somewhere. Handlebar bags are nice for those bikes that can take them.

[dave thompson]

I second the TailGator. It's light, stays out of the way and can carry quite a bit of stuff.

[thejen12]

Moots Tailgator, perhaps?

An inelegant solution in a long line of inelegant solutions, but stuff's gotta go somewhere. Handlebar bags are nice for those bikes that can take them.
Thanks, but that's waaay overkill. I'm looking for something to hang under my seat that starts out under 100 cu. in. and expands to less than 200 cu. in. The tailgator holds 400 cu. in. and includes it's own rack!

Jenn

[LesMiner]

I have an Avenir bag that is expandable. Its narrow and some what long. Fits under the seat and should not interfere with your leg as you pedal. Sorry I do not have item number of picture. I picked it up at my LBS a few years ago.

[Steve Hampsten]

You have a point there.

I guess if I can't fit it in my pockets on in my cut-off water bottle it doesn't get carried - or it goes in the sag vehicle.

Preparedness is over-rated, in my book. Cold, wet, hungry, dark, lost - these all build character.

[dauwhe]

...and I think over-preparedness is underrated! Anyway, when randonneuring, wet, cold, dark, hungry, and lost are more-or-less guaranteed. So Steve built me a lovely bike with a handlebar bag!

Dave

[thejen12]

Yes, well, now that my work hours have changed, I know that I will be commuting in the morning, when it's cold, and I know that I would like to do an extended ride after work when it's warm, and I might get cold again by the end of the ride when it's almost dark.... Just looking for the right tools to do the job.

Jenn

[72gmc]

Merino wool baselayer and arm warmers. But, if you want a saddlebag, you might look at the Detours saddlebags. REI carries 'em at their usual msrp-plus-even-more pricing. According to my Web browser they make one that attaches to the seatpost by a Klickfix-type arrangement and expands up to 200 ci.

[superunleaded]

The large Topeak wedge is a good one.
http://www.amazon.com/Topeak-Aero-Wedge-Fixer-Large/dp/B000FIE47C/ref=acc_glance_sg_ai_1_title/102-8981412-0363326

-gas

[mwos]

Jandd

http://www.jandd.com/detail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=FMWEX

This is the one I use. Carries all my gear, inhaler, energy bar, tubes, and if I need to I can stuff a jacket inside.

BTW, it's not so large that it hits my legs and, I agree with you, pockets in small jerseys just aren't large enough. Occasionally, I put my cleat covers in them.

Once I stuffed my armwarmers in my jersey pocket and lost one. So no longer do I put things in my jersey pocket. That's what bags are for!

Kathi

[rpm]

The large Topeak wedge is a good one.
http://www.amazon.com/Topeak-Aero-Wedge-Fixer-Large/dp/B000FIE47C/ref=acc_glance_sg_ai_1_title/102-8981412-0363326

-gas

+1 on this one. They have medium and small sizes, too, all using the same click-on attachment. You can switch sizes, depending on your ride. Their advantage is that they don't move at all. Bags that don't click will flop around when you're out of the saddle. And don't forget the cut-off water bottle for extra clothes storage. My lightweight Castelli jacket fits in one perfectly.

[Ken Robb]

I've got all kinds of bags from micro to the Rivendell Hoss (huge) including the Jandd and Performance expandables. I just bought another Performance on sale for $8 and have had good service from one that I've had for several years. For a real touch of class check out the Bertout saddle bags that go for about $100. One of those will tote all you mention and add six levels of "class" to your ride. :)

[thejen12]

I think I found the perfect sized bag, the Trek 150. Normal size is 80 cu in., expanded size is 150 cu in. It doesn't have that bulbous shape of the Jandd, and doesn't look quite as large when not expanded.

That said, I'll have to see how it works out. The strap that it came with (and on the other models at the shop) isn't long enough to go around the fully expanded bag! :confused: Fortunately, I was able to substitute a strap from another old bag I had. I sent an email about it to Trek, but haven't heard back yet. Also, the bag doesn't have a loop to hang a blinky light - maybe I'll have to sew one on, or something. Furthermore, it only comes in black, oh well.

The nice thing about an expanding bag like this one is that you can expand it to put your extra stuff in, then "unexpand" it as much as possible to keep things small, and the strap kind of acts like a compression strap. I expanded it and put my jacket in and was able to zip closed the expanded section so the bag was still normal sized.

If you don't like straps, it also comes in a "Kwik Cleat" model so you can just clip it in and out of a very small "cleat" attached under your saddle. However, for the expanding bag, you'd have to have at least 6 inches of seatpost showing in order to keep the bottom of bag from hitting your tire when fully expanded.

If this bag falls apart or something, I'd probably try the topeak as my second choice.

Thanks for all the suggestions!

Jenn