I just started using one of my bikes today for communiting. It's a blast but I'm worried about my trunk bag contents getting stolen. Even worse...having the entire bag stolen from the rack while I'm in a store or other type of business. I use the same bike for both commuting and day long touring rides. I have cystic fibrosis and carry a lot of stuff like medicines that I'll need during my ride and even a small battery operated air compressor to operate a nebulizer. I also have a large bar mounted bag and am currently looking for some pannier bags. Today I was able to detach the trunk bag and carry it into the store with me but this won't be so easy to do once I add more bags. Can anyone give me some ideas as far as cargo security goes?
Ortlieb panniers can be locked on the rack. Otherwise get creative. Bring the stuff with you inside. Get a backpack panier. Bolt a Pelican case to your rack. My case is a little too big to be practical, but it keeps my 18" gaming laptop safe to/at/from work no matter the weather! I don't bolt it on, but I guess I could. Best part is that it's completely waterproof/shockproof.
I didn`t know that Ortleibs could be locked on. If that`s so, it sounds better than what I was thinking, which is along hte lines of the Pelican case idea.
Or, if you DO like hard boxes, there are trunk cases available at motorcycle and scooter outlets that use a locking mount plate for quick removal. Even the smallest ones are pretty big and heavy (but doable) for a bike though. JC Whitney`s motorcycle section sells some for about as cheap as possible and most people are satisfied with what their Dollar buys with them. Currently, there`s a fancier case on closeout at a well known moto gear outlet for less than the famous JCW cases: http://www.twistedthrottle.com/trade/productview/5119/823/
Thanks for the replies. I'm trying to stick with soft bags if I can. I guess it's mostly because of weight issues. Also, I like the seperate compartments the soft bags offer. I carry a lot of camera equipment with me and I like to keep that stuff away from other items I may have with me. I found this though. It looks perfect but I wonder if their is an insert or some kind of liner that would break the interior into sections. I'm going to keep digging through JCW. Thanks again guys.
For riding around town and running errands, I usually use a messenger bag. Not sure if that's feasible for you. Obviously not a solution for longer rides.
I have the large JCW box and I`ve seen the Med one- no dividers provided, but a couple bucks worth of vlecro of a few screws would fix that problem. The weight won`t be so easy to cure- I just weighd mine for $h1ts and giggles. It came out to 9lb 5oz without the mounting plate . I would definitely think hard about locking Ortleibs for bicycle use.
Since I wanted a smaller box for the back of my motor scooter, I just ordered that closeout Coocase that I linked to above. Roughly the same price and size as the smaller ("Med" size) JCW box and supposedly nicer. It should be here early next week, so I`ll post up how they compare and what the sucker weighs.
Oh, there was a Brazilian guy who posted here a few times a few years ago. He had a bicycle sized hard trunk on his bike- I wonder if they`re available in N.A. Or maybe a p[lastic toolbox or Rubbermaid container with self mounted hinges and hasp would be lighter?
EDIT: No, it wasn`t a "bicycle sized" box- looks just like the smaller motorcycle ones. See how it looks if you want on post 347 of "Post Your Commuter Photos".
[Thanks, going to check it out now. Also, I'm going to stop by the lbs today and discuss this with them as well. Doesn't hurt to get as many opinions as possible.
quote=rodar y rodar]I have the large JCW box and I`ve seen the Med one- no dividers provided, but a couple bucks worth of vlecro of a few screws would fix that problem. The weight won`t be so easy to cure- I just weighd mine for $h1ts and giggles. It came out to 9lb 5oz without the mounting plate . I would definitely think hard about locking Ortleibs for bicycle use.
Since I wanted a smaller box for the back of my motor scooter, I just ordered that closeout Coocase that I linked to above. Roughly the same price and size as the smaller ("Med" size) JCW box and supposedly nicer. It should be here early next week, so I`ll post up how they compare and what the sucker weighs.
Oh, there was a Brazilian guy who posted here a few times a few years ago. He had a bicycle sized hard trunk on his bike- I wonder if they`re available in N.A. Or maybe a p[lastic toolbox or Rubbermaid container with self mounted hinges and hasp would be lighter?
EDIT: No, it wasn`t a "bicycle sized" box- looks just like the smaller motorcycle ones. See how it looks if you want on post 347 of "Post Your Commuter Photos".[/quote]
Just got the smaller box in and opened it immediately (very excited). As expected, it`s considerably higher quality as far as the latches and the baseplate go, and cuts over four pounds compared to the big JCW (half the size, half the weight makes sense). Also, the Coocase can be operated either with or without a key- the JCW can only be latched closed with the key. But then I hauled it out to see how they looked on the rear rack of my commuter bike. BIG! You mights stil want one for your purpose, but it`d be a NoGo for me unless I found one much smaller. Here`s the little box- I didn`t even try the big one since the balance point would have been a few inches behind the back of my rack. As is, the box`s COG is well behind the axle. Ortleibs are sounding even better
EDIT: If the box opens from the rear, as intended on motorcycles, it would need to be a few more inches back in odrer for the lid to clear the saddle. I didn`t think about orienting it with the hinge in back- that would be possible with this little Coocase (simple push-button latch), but not with the JCW boxes (hinged "toolbox" latch).
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