# Anyone else having problems with the Ortlieb Handlebar-Pack?



## Bong_Crosby (Oct 10, 2006)

I've used Ortlieb panniers for years on my other touring rig and so decided to get the Ortlieb gear when I heard they were coming out with bikepacking bags. The Seat-Pack worked awesome but the Handlebar-Pack, not so much. It's huge and rubbed my front tire, so I had to lock out my front fork. Worst of all, the bag rubbed against my fork crown on both sides and ended up wearing a hole through the bag in about 7 to 10 days. Not too cool for a $140 bag.

So, is anyone else using this bag and having similar issues?

Also, if you do get the Handlebar-Pack, I'd make sure to check for possible wear points or hot spots before heading out and reinforce them beforehand. Because, unfortunately, Ortlieb doesn't warranty abrasion and their instructions don't mention anything about checking for this.


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## mikesee (Aug 25, 2003)

Bong_Crosby said:


> I've used Ortlieb panniers for years on my other touring rig and so decided to get the Ortlieb gear when I heard they were coming out with bikepacking bags. The Seat-Pack worked awesome but the Handlebar-Pack, not so much. It's huge and rubbed my front tire, so I had to lock out my front fork. Worst of all, the bag rubbed against my fork crown on both sides and ended up wearing a hole through the bag in about 7 to 10 days. Not too cool for a $140 bag.
> 
> So, is anyone else using this bag and having similar issues?
> 
> ...


Does no one take personal responsibility for anything anymore? Did you seriously need someone to tell you to be aware of abrasion between something soft and something hard rubbing together, with a guarantee (if used as intended) that there'd be dirt and dust and grit getting between them?


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## Bong_Crosby (Oct 10, 2006)

mikesee said:


> Does no one take personal responsibility for anything anymore? Did you seriously need someone to tell you to be aware of abrasion between something soft and something hard rubbing together, with a guarantee (if used as intended) that there'd be dirt and dust and grit getting between them?


Easy there, tiger. No need to get snippy.

This has nothing to do with personal responsibility. It has to do with me installing a bag as per the instructions and in about a week's time, I had a hole in it.

I've used Ortlieb products for tens of thousands of miles - from Prudhoe Bay to Cabo San Lucas and all over the western US. I've never had any problems with their panniers - they are simple, effective, and durable. I never had to watch for wear points or hot spots and so that's the assumption I brought to using their bikepacking gear. I assumed I could install it and forget it, but I guess bikepacking is a little different - there are no obvious or audible signs of wear, you gotta look for it.

Which brings me to my original post. I wondered if my experience was an anomaly or if others were experiencing the same thing. Also, I thought it might be nice for those new to bikepacking, as are many of us, to have a heads up to watch out for stuff like this. It's a real bummer to find a hole in a piece of equipment for which you just spent $140...I wanted to, ya know, help a bruthah out.

BC


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## Aushiker (Sep 27, 2007)

I don't use the Ortlieb handlebar bags however I have a Revelate Designs harness which I use with my own drybag. I didn't have any problems with the bag dropping down and rubbing on the tyre but I did have issues with it trying to escape. Lesson learnt: get a dry bag with ladder loops.

I also used a Revelate Designs Pocket which I did have problems getting it to stay tight and up and hence it did drop down and rub on the front tyre at times. I didn't put a hole in it as I could hear it rubbing as soon as it happened and I dealt with it.

I am now setting up a lightweight tether to help hold it in place.

I suspect but haven't confirmed that at least in part the problem with the pocket is my choice of drybag. The surface is maybe to slippery to get a good "locking" tension on it and the problem I am experiencing is maybe eliminated or at least reduced with the use of a Revelate Designs bag or bag of similar material.

That said, the first thing I did when I installed my harness and bag was check for possible dropping or other issues which lead to my swapping out my ultralight dry bag as it was even more slippery than the one I used recently. To me this was a given; just as when I ride I stop about every hour for a short break and to check all is tensioned up; particularly in the first hour or two of a day's riding.


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## alias (May 9, 2005)

Bummer that your bag has holes in it after such a short time, but I have to agree with Mikesee. Operator error and a lesson learned.

happy trails.


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## schnee (Oct 15, 2005)

Yeah, **** happens - your bike could be an outlier with sizing or whatever. It's a 1.0 release. 

My Revelate harness doesn't handle load on tough terrain well - the straps loosen relatively quickly. My solution? Two more straps around the whole shebang to cinch it to the bars more securely. 

Not ideal, I wish the thing had worked well without jerry rigging, but bikepacking gear is soft and can't anticipate being able to attach to a predictable surface. I never thought of complaining to Revelate. 

Chalk it up to experience. Waterproof patches are cheap and look cool.


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## bsieb (Aug 23, 2003)

Yup. Sucks. I repaired this tear with some tenacious tape, and it has held up well. Bet you could figure something out too. :thumbsup:


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## bikeny (Feb 26, 2004)

Panniers and Bikepacking bags are complete different animals. Pannier mounting on racks is a pretty standard thing these days without too many opportunities for problems. Bikepacking bags are totally different. Every bike setup is different. You cannot expect to just strap it on your bike and never have an issue. Sorry, but that's just not the way it works. Any soft material (your bag) rubbing against the knobs on a suspension fork is going to be a problem. Looks like you need something smaller in diameter.


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