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I work with someone who has started making these in his spare time. He's a proper grown up engineer but he's not really a bike nerd who hangs around on forums.
www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1097879377/ankastack-v2-bikepacking-gadget
He's asked me what I think of them. I think it's a nice idea but I've got no real need to strap things to my bike. I'm exhausted and gone home long before I need a sleeping bag. So it's a solid bit of kit but I'm not sure how it would work in real life.
So, people with experience...Does it look like a good idea or bad idea? Anything you would change? Also if there's something specific you want he could probably make it.
Nice, but quite similar to
https://backcountry.scot/product-category/bikepacking/drj0n-bagworks/
Neat, but is solving a problem that doesnt really exist.
Good idea. Looks nice.
Not good value at £22.
Try the Bear Bones forum. Real bikepacking expertise on there.
APF
Doesn't improve on a simple strap around the stem/bar, in fact it's worse as it brings gear into conflict with knees by the look of it.
Don't fully agree that it's bindun or doesn't solve a problem - I can see a use for that in supporting bar rolls at a second point to stabilise them. Depends on the bar bag design and strap overlap etc and there's always room for different ways to do it. This has advantages for me over the Drjon item as it places the straps 180 opposite each other and it looks more rigid. A one-sided version might work for me and be neater.
Weight? (sorry!)
I'd want it in black ano (sorry)
I thought someone would post a link to something identical given that I'm not very familiar with this kind of kit. So far it looks like all the other options are 3D printed and I'd personally go for metal every time.
I’d want it in black ano (sorry)
I did ask him about this but he makes them at home and anodising is a pretty messy process and can give inconsistent results. I don't blame him for not going that route for small batches of parts.
Thanks everyone for looking though. If it stays polite I might share this thread with him. If it goes full STW I'll keep it to myself!
I’d want it in black ano (sorry)
^ and as a bonus that would be a better match to the 'finish' of my bike in many places.
I don’t blame him for not going that route for small batches of parts.
Agreed, and I'd buy it in silver anyway.
To be fair, it’s not the same thing as the DeWidget. That’s designed to rotate, because it’s intended for top tube bags. This doesn’t rotate because it’s intended for bar bags.
I’m no bike packer but I could certainly use one of these to stabilise a strap-on bar bag.
I’d suggest that, ideally:
1. It only needs one slot, not two, for that purpose. I’m not sure the sideways mounting (which seems to be the only reason you’d want two) looks convincing—surely the luggage just hits the top tube?
2. It could use being a bit less of a big ol’ pancake… ideally near enough flush with the other spacers with just the extension coming forwards.
3. I’d consider making the loop slotted at one end so that it’s possible to use straps with ends that won’t pass through the the slot (eg bungees or QR buckle straps)
4. The price does seem a bit high. But points 1 and 2 might help a bit there…?
Edit: quick sketch
No.
My Revelate bar harness is stable enough not to need additional support.
Anything fitted to the side of the stem with this would (a) wobble and (b) clash with the frame(and probably knees) when the bars are rotated, unless you've a very long stem.
I’d maybe use one of these rotated 90deg as I like to run a couple of stem cells and this would probably give more stability to those and free up my shortish stem.
Edit: only looked at first picture, he has a couple of pics showing how I’d use it.
Still:
Needs pricing £7-10 cheaper for me to give it a go though.
I think it's a great looking product. Saw it on ebay a few weeks ago. I asked him if he'd do a 3 or 4 version but he said he does it in his spare time.
As for the price, it's on such a small scale what do you expect?
Maybe he needs a British flag and made on Britain stamped on it to justify the price?
I've got some stem bags but I've never been happy with the set up of them so never used them. My friend does and his lookn great, same size bike too
I think the drjon ones linked above rotate for when you turn the bars
If it stays polite I might share this thread with him. If it goes full STW I’ll keep it to myself!
He might suspect somethings happened, the link you've put states Lots of interest. Over 20 people looked at this in the last 24 hours.
Also, I'd like to know the weight of it too and the stack height
It’s not explicit but it seems to strongly imply that the stack height is 5mm.
I think the price isn’t a million miles off for a niche product that I’ve not seen elsewhere. Postage seems a bit steep given that it presumably fits in a small Jiffy bag and can go as a large letter. I reckon I’d pay £20 posted for the right thing.
@sharkattack if your friend wants to take some money off me then ask him to combine his idea with one of these
https://www.wiggle.co.uk/k-edge-garmin-adjustable-mtb-stem-mount
These adjustable stem mounts are in two pieces, he just has to re make the bottom part so you replace that bit with his but it has strap mounts on.