The Red Heron is now sporting a Berthoud front bag with a Berthoud quick release top mount!
Bill Laine provided some pictures and information about the top mount for the front bag that is offered by Berthoud. The bracket is an elegant and clever item. There's a bracket that mounts to the stem binder bolt with a forward extension which has a little tube across the front. Two more little tubes bolt on the bag. When placing the bag on the bike, you align these three little tubes and slide a solid skewer shaft through them. A paper clip (provided) or a tiny hitch pin holds the skewer in place.
The part that stays on the bike is the tube in the middle, with the bag sections on either side. The bag sections are fastened to the bag with four tiny bolts with reinforcing washers on either side of the bag material. You remove the original handlebar straps from the bag, and punch 4 little holes for the bag sections of the mount and bolt them on.
The stem portion of the bracket is bolted to the back of the handlebar binder with modified hardware: I reamed the threads out that nice proprietary nut on the backside of the Technomic Deluxe stem and replaced the Nitto binder bolt with a longer 8mm x 1.25 bolt. This new bolt goes through the proprietary Nitto nut (it's a bushing now) and threads into the Berthoud stem mount boss. I also had to re-tap the threaded portion of the Berthoud stem mount boss from 7mm to 8mm x 1.25. It probably sounds confusing, but it's simple really. It looks great and is quite solid, I assure you.
Every bike and setup are different, so the length of the bracket and the size and height of the bag will vary, and I wouldn't suggest that anyone who isn't handy and doesn't have the right tools try it, but when it all comes together it's really nice. There are no straps, brackets or bag flaps on the handlebar itself, and the bag rides fairly low. A slightly shorter extension on the bracket might have pulled the bag in a little closer, but it's quite okay.
And BTW, I took my time and spent the better part of the day installing just this top mount.
I'll try to get some pics for those of you who are interested.
Ed.
> I like the looks of this bike, but what really caught my eye is that upper
> bag attachment hanging down from the handlebar stem. I like the placement
of
> the bag; it's below the handlebar and doesn't interfere with the upper
hand
> positions.
>
> I sent Bill Laine a message asking about it, and he said he'd try to put
up
> an image showing this piece in detail. He also said that this part could
be
> available.
>
> Which got me thinking further about how to make something simple for
myself.
> Making a bracket on the backside of the bag would be easy enough; some
flat
> anodized bar stock with a couple of stainless bolts. No sweat there, but
the
> stem bracket is a little more complicated. Perhaps something could be
> attached to the back side of the binder bolt on a Nitto Pearl or Tech Dlx
> stem... Well, it's probably going to be easier to buy it.
>
> Ed.
>
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Scott Goldsmith" <sg8357@getcoactive.com>
> To: <internet-bob@bikelist.org>
> Cc: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, April 08, 2003 9:50 AM
> Subject: [BOB] French bike porn
>
>
> > The estimable Bill Laines new ride......
> > Full dress Rando, tres chic.
> > Does Gilles Berthoud count as a keeper of the flame ?
> >
> > http://www.wallbike.com/
> >
> > Needs a baguette in the front bag to look right.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > --------
> > Scott Goldsmith
> > Milford, Ohio
> > USA.
> > National Anvil Association
> > Dedicated to preserving the lore of the American Anvil
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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