I think adding a completely waterproof bag behind the seat is a great upgrade, offering a lot of utility. Because the bag is completely in the slipstream behind the seat, there is no drag penalty. In fact, there's a chance of a very slight drag reduction if the bag helps the airflow stay attached longer. The lightweight coated nylon pack cloth is much lighter than the heavy but indestructible PVC dry bags. At a little over 14 ounces, it's a lot lighter than the 3 pounds added by most panniers. The dry bag has plenty of room for a pile jacket, lunch, and lots of other stuff. So far, I used the bag to carry my new GPS over to a friends house for show and tell. The second trip I carried a lot of Swedish ivy cuttings back to my house for transplantation. Working bikes need storage space. Believe it or not, the bag shown in the picture is large enough for me to carry everything I need for an overnight camping trip, and perhaps even a two day camping trip. I pack light. I use a small Goretex bivy sack that rolls up into a four inch diameter cylinder that's ten inches long. I have a summer weight sleeping bag that stuffs into a six inch diameter cylinder that's also ten inches long. My cook stove weighs 3.5 ounces, less fuel. I'd probably stuff the sleeping bag in the waterproof trunk bag, and roll my Thermorest ground pad and bivy sack into a six inch diameter cylinder that's 24 inches long, and I'd strap that to the back of the trunk bag. It's best to carry weight low on a bike to improve handling and stability, but I've always preferred the bulk to be behind me so it isn't creating drag. I haven't had handling problems with high center of gravity, but I don't carry a lot of weight. |
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