# C bag on S bars?



## doginabag (14 Feb 2017)

I seem to have come across a £150 voucher for brompton junction for use on luggage. I have been wanting an S bag for a while but not really had the funds, no this comes along and they are out of stock!

I could get the roll top messenger bag, but at 9 litres capacity I'm not convinced it will be much use. 
Daily I need to carry a pair of trousers and shirt, wallet, phone, headphones. Occasionally I will also want to add a 12 " laptop to that.

Under the premise that bigger is always better, I have read some passing comments that a C bag will fit but just rubs on the brake cable.

Has anyone here used a C bag on S bars and is it possible. If so does it add any hassle to day to day use, ie is there any extra faff when you put it on/take it off the bike?


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## 12boy (14 Feb 2017)

I have an S bar and I bought a Brompton Bag when I got the bike. When it is holding stuff the outside handle is away from the bars and the brake levers and is not much of a problem. To get the brakes to clear when empty I have to rotate them to be parallel with the ground instead of hanging down which I prefer. I will say the bag holds a lot of stuff and when I run a cord from one handle to the other not much will jump out even when I hit a bump. The bag really is noticeable in a head wind though, and so ! made a couple of smaller bags with some cheap bags which were smaller and more aero. Ugly but sturdy and work well. I also made a bag from an Army Navy store into a seat bag, stiffening it with some plastic from a gallon jug.This I attached to the back of the saddle and is large enough to hold my tool roll, a 5x3 cylinder, wallet sunglasses and a sweater and/or gloves. This bag, being in the slipstream, has no aero drag I can feel. I should have gotten a bare bag frame instead of making laminated plywood ones and just devised some way to switch bags out easily. My point here is it is very useful to have a choice of bag size and a largish saddle bag can be very useful. The drag from a large bag headed into the wind is definitely noticeable, so if you don't need that much capacity a smaller or a seat bag have their uses, too.


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## doginabag (14 Feb 2017)

Thanks for the thoughts. 
I only commute on this bike so one correctly sized bag should do me, which would ideally be the S bag.

I'm certainly not aerodynamic so not sure if the added wind resistance will be as noticeable.

I think maybe the best thing to do right now is to get the C bag and see if it will work for me, if not I can always sell it on to fund an S bag.


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## oldwheels (14 Feb 2017)

There is a utube video somewhere showing someone fitting a C or mebbe T bag to an S bar. Basically you cut off the handle from the frame and replace with a bit of cord. This avoids cable interference but the bag cannot be loaded to its full height. For the capacity I think an S Bag is not significantly smaller.


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## Fab Foodie (14 Feb 2017)

oldwheels said:


> There is a utube video somewhere showing someone fitting a C or mebbe T bag to an S bar. Basically you cut off the handle from the frame and replace with a bit of cord. This avoids cable interference but the bag cannot be loaded to its full height. For the capacity I think an S Bag is not significantly smaller.


I use a T bag on S-bars without any issue unless it's brim full....and that's a lot of stuff!*
Not had to cut the handle off either. Will dig out a photo if I can find one...



*18kg of shopping once!!


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## doginabag (15 Feb 2017)

Thanks guys. C bag has been ordered as that is all they had in stock anyway. Will give it a try when it arrives and see what if any modifications are needed to get it to work. If it turns out to be too much of a bodge for my liking, or the bag is just bigger than I need anyway I'll sell it on and get an S bag.

Either way, free bag.


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## oldwheels (15 Feb 2017)

Would have got a T bag if I had not been put of by the instruction not to use it on S bars. Now I have an S bag I am stuck with it as they are pretty expensive and cannot be bothered with the hassle of selling it.


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## Fab Foodie (15 Feb 2017)

Fab Foodie said:


> I use a T bag on S-bars without any issue unless it's brim full....and that's a lot of stuff!*
> Not had to cut the handle off either. Will dig out a photo if I can find one...
> 
> 
> ...


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## John the Monkey (15 Feb 2017)

C Bag is fine on my 2009 S model.




Brompton S6-L, C-Bag by Jacques LeSinge, on Flickr




Snow Brompton by Jacques LeSinge, on Flickr




Brompton S6-L, C-Bag by Jacques LeSinge, on Flickr

The handle rubs the cables a little, but that hasn't caused me any issues. I'm sure someone of this parish has put a C bag on the cage for the S bag to eliminate that problem.


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## oldwheels (17 Feb 2017)

I may just bite the bullet and get the bigger and bag for my S bars. Better for my projected tours this summer. I had thought of doing a fab foodie and using my old (about 60 years) carradice and putting the tent on top.


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## oldwheels (17 Feb 2017)

Has anyone tried fitting a T bag with S bar frame? Should work so long as width is the same.


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## reppans (18 Feb 2017)

oldwheels said:


> Has anyone tried fitting a T bag with S bar frame? Should work so long as width is the same.



Post #8 above is just that.... you just won't be able to fully extend the roll-top.


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## oldwheels (19 Feb 2017)

Not being able to extend the roll top loses a bit of volume so given the only 10lt difference which would reduce to probably at most 5lt not really worth the bother and expense.Got some other ideas in mind using the existing S bag.


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## doginabag (19 Feb 2017)

The bag turned up yesterday and today I got round to test fitting it. 

This shows the issue with using a larger bag with the S bars. The brake cables rub and almost snag the bag handle when you turn. 




It seems that this rubbing can be completely eliminated with a single cable tie, pulling the cables up and back out the way of the handle so there is no running at all. 









And finally with all my gubbins back on the bars. Yes that excess cable is a mess, I have been meaning to shorten them just as soon as I find a suitable waterproof connector. 








When fitting and removing the bag the handle does clash with the brake levers so the handle bars need to be turned 90 degrees, but that is no hardship.

Looking forward to tomorrow's commute to see how I get on without my usual rucksack.


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## Fab Foodie (19 Feb 2017)

doginabag said:


> The bag turned up yesterday and today I got round to test fitting it.
> 
> This shows the issue with using a larger bag with the S bars. The brake cables rub and almost snag the bag handle when you turn.
> View attachment 338635
> ...


Good stuff!

As mentioned, having the brake levers rotated downwards reduced the snagging ad the plastic handle can be cut off and replaced with a strap instead.

Full test report required!!!!


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## Kell (20 Feb 2017)

Good luck with it.

I didn't really get on with my front-mounted bag. I found it far more hassle than a rucksack for commuting by train and car. Plus I didn't like not being able to see where my front wheel was.

I'm keeping it for those occasions when I need to carry more 'stuff' back and forwards from work, but I won't be using mine as a regular bag.


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## 12boy (20 Feb 2017)

The front bag is great for a lot of weight or things too bulky for a back pack or with corners that would dig in. Packs are ok but if you are riding to work in warmer temps you wind up with a sweaty back which isn't that great.


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## Kell (20 Feb 2017)

Horses for courses. I have a shower once I get to work and I have a long enough ride to mean I got sweaty anyway.

I can see them being useful for all the reasons you list above. In fact most of those reasons are what prompted me to get one, but in practice, it just didn't work for me.


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## doginabag (27 Feb 2017)

Well I have had it about a week now so long enough to decide whether it's for me or not....................and, i have decided to keep it.

It's a little less convenient, you don't have quite the same grab and go ability as you do with a backpack, however with how busy the trains are I have to wait until the carriage completely empties before I can get my bike and get off so it doesn't make much odds to me.

My biggest concern was the extra wind resistance. It has turned out to not be too bad, generally I have found it isn't really noticeable, with the exception of Thursday when I had Doris blowing in my face!

The S bag would definitely have been enough for me day to day, but I have already found having some spare capacity useful. In fact I am off to Paris for two days at the end of the week and I am seriously considering taking the bike rather than relying on their public transport.

I have also solved the issue of needing to turn the bars 90 degrees to get the bag on and off. I had the brake levers pointing down at a position that was most comfortable, but it only needed them turning a smidgen more and now the bag handle clears with no issue.


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## User10571 (6 Mar 2017)

Fitted a C bag to my S bars last week, having taken a hacksaw to the handle.
At the weekend I took £339.00-worth of small change (I had no idea I'd accumulated _that _much) to the Coinstar machine in the stupormarket and returned with a bag full of (significantly lighter) groceries.
Bag and bike performed both tasks well - Although I think that there comes a point with bag loading that it starts to affect handling adversely.
My next task is to apply a liberal coat of Scotchgard to the bag, as the shower-cap which comes with it hurts my eyes, and is unlikely to ever be deployed.


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