RANDO BAGS are AWESOME! 

As I explore rando bags for my front bike rack, I always try to understand how each bag attaches to the rack, because I'm riding off road and I need a robust attachment. Many vendors, like this video, gloss over that crucial feature.

I couldn't agree more, I have a couple of vintage bags that have just about had it, so I am shopping around for a new one. My Carridice saddle bags have also been through hell and high water but show no signs of wearing out, except for the hole I managed to put in one years ago. (Just for the record, they are very polite about repairs at minimal cost) I like that each one is signed by the person that made it!

Hey, great video. I bought one of those bags and racks for my PBP ride this year and it was the best thing I ever did.

I have a rando bag made by Guu Watanabe from Tokyo, and it is just SO USEFUL. I love it. Never worried about space. I'm also impressed with how well the canvas repels water.

The only way to go! Solid. Functional. Organized. No interference with bar real estate. No cable issues. None of the bizarre headtube straps of bike packing bags. I never ride a bike without one.

I had a few vintage Cannondale handlebar bags because I also appreciated the aesthetic and function. They mounted with a bent steel rod that went under the stem and over the handlebars - and then bungee cords connected the bottom of the bag to hooks near the bottom of the fork. It was a good system that didn’t require much hardware (no front rack) but that steel part was designer/bent for older, skinnier stems and didn’t fit with modern stems. I bought a comparable modern equivalent made of plastic that had quick release functionality and it broke after two trips and I gave up on the bags, switching to a roll bag + front pouch. Swift’s Cascade Paloma is a lot like my Cannondale bag.

Rando bags are great, so easy to carry stuff and it is all in front of me while riding! From extra layers to put on or off, food, camera, almost anything.... Back in 2010 I bought a VO Rando bag and still use it today. Looks just like a Berthoud bag, looks great on my VO Rando bike and it has many miles on it. On my VO Campeur I have a medium size Acorn Rando bag and I love it. And on my old Trek 420 (650B conversion) I use a Lone Peak rando bag, great bag too! All of my bags are set up with a decalleur holding them and sitting on a small fwd rando rack. I have ridden over 45,000 km on all of these bags all brevets ranging from 100 to 1500km events. Plus thousands of miles on tours, trail riding and commutes. Rando bags are the way to go!

I use the Ostrich bags and theyre so excellent. Use them on my randonneur as well as my gravel grinder.

Love your videos with tons of inspiration and information. You rock!

My Gilles Berthoud rando bag is more than a decade old and still sees daily use in season. This type of bag pairs well with low trail and wider tires. With the decaleurs and racks I've made, the bag moves from bike to bike in about 20 seconds. The small front rack supports lights and fenders and can be made to be very light weight. I added a carry strap a couple of years ago, but that's the only change I've made.

I have several bags from Road Runner Bags and love them! I've been fortunate enough to meet RRBags owner Brad several times and it feels good to support someone who's so passionate and an all around great dude

Don't have a rando bag, but you made me start thinking.... hmmm. Currently use a Sweetroll, but it's nowhere as accessible as the rando bag you featured. Thanks for this video and your enthusiasm!

I really enjoy your reviews. I would love to see a review/discussion of how a moderately loaded rando bag and front rack actually affect the handling of a high trail modern gravel bike (Walbird, Jamis Renegade, Salsa Journeyman, etc), as opposed to a low trail bike that is designed for such a load.

I have the smaller sized Arkel bag. I like the map carrier. The bag comes with a sturdy aluminum handlebar mount that holds the bag free of bike surfaces that might otherwise be scratched. Also, this mount enables quick install and removal of the bag, so you can take it into a store, restroom or whatever. I treat it like a purse. Arkel sells extra mounts so you can move the bag from one bike to another (this bag is expensive). The main compartment has a waterproof liner that you can zip out for cleaning. On casual rides, I also take a small quick mount pannier if I need to carry something bulky or heavy. I prefer keeping the weight low in the front.

Nice video, Russ. You make a great case for good ol' rando bag. Shopping for groceries or touring on gravel roads, my Ironweed bag just does it all while quietly perched on VO's Integrated decaleur front rack. It's boxy interior just swallows anything from vintage wool sweaters and odd-sized sketch books, to gourmet Virgina peanuts and Portugese canned sardines - and it does it all in timeless style!

I don't have one but that looks like what I'm looking for. Thanks for featuring it.

This is just the type of bag I am looking for. I have a Qualisports Volidor folding bike and I can order a front rack as funds permit. I am a photographer and having super easy access to camera gear at the front of the bike means I don’t have to dismount. August 11th, 2019 is CAReFREE Sunday in Milwaukie, Oregon... we would most welcome the supple life there!

The rando bags are already making a come back, even here in europe they start remaking these!

Rando bags are the best. I have an Acorn and my partner has a Swift. My partner works from home and loves hers for just being so easy to carry everything she needs - she can just throw a jacket in the box and her phone in the map case and go. I use a basket zip tied with reusable zip ties to my rack for my commute, but my Acorn for fast weekend rides. I run reusable zip ties around the bottom of the rack and through the leather belt for the tombstone on the bag and cinch them down and it makes the bag super secure without a decaluer (sp?). I am not sure what other bags have the stiffness to them that the Acorn does, but with the zip ties I have ridden everything from luxury gravel at high speed to baby head laden single track and that bag was definitely not going anywhere at all and I never even worry about it gettin' loose. To be able to eat real food on a long ride is a game changer for adventuring. In my opinion, front loading in general is the way to go (low trail really shines here) and rando bags can't be beat for there convenience, design, and good looks.

Hi, greetings from Finland. You're doin great videos. I'm watching your gravel rides while doing indoor training with my turbo trainer. I have to take more time and watch more of your videos. I like to do long distance rides with vintage road bike, Raleigh Joop Zoetemelk from 1980s. I use Ortlieb seat pack and Blackburn outpost frame pack. Everything else stuff goes into biking shirts pockets. Maybe I'll also get handlebar pack into my road bike. It might be handy... U never know. Keep doing good stuff and have a nice day! Tapio-T, Vintage Velo Randonneur

Been riding with a Berthoud front bag all year. I can’t imagine doing without it now and I have no problem riding fast with it either (I’ve top 10ed for my age and/or weight on Strava segments with the bag mounted). I still keep my other bike around, but it has gone down to being used once a week.

Seems like a decent style to use on an allround/commuting bike or as an extra bag when you have traditional panniers, but not as useful when you're using a backpacking style setup.

Like this idea, and love the bag. I just have to figure out what rack to put on the front of my Salsa Journeyman. I wonder if the Rawland Cycles Radioverks Rando rack will work? If not maybe the Demiporteur rack.

A good discussion of the bag. One thing you left out was that some bikes can't accept those types of bags because the shifting cables run through the space they occupy. The bags require the cables to be rerouted, which can be done but is another complication.

Well this is now almost exactly four years too late lol. But... having used several different handlebar bags over the years, I've come to the conclusion that a front basket which you can swap a variety of bags into according to need is probably the most flexible and convenient solution. Of course you have to like the look of a basket on your bike, which I do. Every bag I've ever had has been limiting in some way - better to have an option which allows you to chose the right bag for the ride you're going on. That's just my thought. I've just ordered a Surly Porteur House bag for shopping and long winter rides, have to see how that works out. And realistically, I'd rather have a bag that's a bit too big than one that just perfectly fits everything and then turns out to be too small to add anything to. I don't mind having a half empty pannier or saddlebag on the bike after all.

Love that bag. Used a similar bag in the 80s biking across Canada and Europe but with rack thingy on handle bars with stabilizing bungees to fork that didn't really stabilize it. Looking for something like this for 2019 Salsa Fargo with carbon fork for on and off road touring. I'm old school and likd the rack and pannier setup but am not averse to considering the new style bikepacking setups or a combination of both. Any suggestions from you or viewers. Love your videos by the way. Find I'm watching them more and more.

More patches and stickers please let me know when they're in

Are used to stop in at bike so good in Georgetown/Seattle, and the owner would send me out on one of his own bikes to explore around every week. I never got a clear fix on how many bikes he actually owned, but he had a Rando bag on each one. I loved those things! I have been waiting for years to find out what they are actually called, asking in at shops periodically, they invariably steer me toward some rackless bike packing options. Thanks Russ, you've solved the mystery… Or the first part of the mystery. The second part will be attaching one of those things to my Open UP.

I think this is exactly what I'm looking for. I'd ratherbuse this setup as oppose to all the different bike packing bags.

Love my custom Swift Industries Paloma bag....a purchase inspired by Path Less Pedaled.

Hey Pathless, I want one. Where can i buy that Rando bag? Ty.😉

Have you tried testing out a Van Dessel A.D.D?

You said "rock".....ok Russ, still hip when it comes to the language. 😉

I just bought a used video camera bag from a thrift store and afixed it to my front handlebars and rack for a lot less money.

What is a good bag for the jone's h-bar?

I really like running one inline small brake lever and so I can't run a rando bag even though I have a rando bike

Great video! What are your thoughts on going decaleur-less with a rando bag? My Swift Ozette seems like it would be pretty snug without one on my Nitto rack, but I haven't yet had the opportunity to really bump it around (thanks, smoke).

Nice bag, too bad I ride a recumbent bike, and even if I did ride a upright bike, I could not afford one.. But I do have a small front rack on my recumbent so you have set me to thinking about adding a bag too it.

I have a Swift Industries Hinterland Ozette rando bag that I've been using off and on for two or three years. I had it set up with a VO rack complete with decaleur. But I just swapped the bag to a Surly LHT which just has a more traditional rack without a decaleur. I braced the top rear of the bag using a toe strap around the handlebars, but the aesthetic is awful and it compromises the accessibility of the bag a little. I'm wondering how critical it actually is to brace the bag that way. Any thoughts?

My bike has flat bars quite high up (Due to my old back), do you think this style of bag will work for me as it will be quite low down from my bars and hence not accessible while riding?

Did you say "Q" at 4:40? Are you one of "them"!? 😜 The blue neoprene(?) dslr cover...self made or bought? It looks interesting so where could I check one out? I have an ancient Blackburn front rack on my tourer for my tripod and other stuff but have not tried a rando bag....something worth considering after your video👍

To what extent are Rando bags water-resistant or water-proof?

I use to tour with a classical randobag supportet by the Specialized Pizzarack. And a classical Carradice saddlebag, too. I did the Tuscany Trail and the Torino-Nice Rally with this setup and had no problems at all. instagram.com/p/BiEYmA_hzke/

Is rando short for something? I feel like I'm missing a reference, but can't figure it out.

What camera sleeve is that? The blue one.

how is the metal brace connected to the bag

What’s your opinion on a rando bag vs a basket?

Do you have a cold?

Had one, stopped using it on my commute as it blocked my headlight which I use on a handlebar accessory holder. I switched to a smaller handlebar bag.

I have a custom TimTas Rek randonneur bag on my Batavus Randonneur GL bike. Excellent bags that can take lots of stuff. Added the Grand Bois rack clamps and the bag is solid but easily removeable. www.bikeforums.net/20414929-post48.html

Stay classy

One word: "Berthoud" (yeah I, know, the other word some people like to use: "Overpriced", but I'm immune to other people's opinion. I have a half dozen Berthoud bags and I love them.) Queue the flame wars...

All these handlebar bags are not in gold, so stop overrated them in terms of price, make them accessible for everyone. 50 bucs for a bag it's a joke.