Battery bag for cross bar

[Old Timer]

I`m sure I have seen narrow battery bags intended for suspending under the cross bar rather than on the rear rack. I would just need it now and then on my Evans conversion when going a bit further a field and to carry a second battery. I usually just stick a bag on the rack but that gives two batteries on the rack and the tail can wag the dog a bit.

Anyone got a link to them?

Thanks

 

[garrence]

I don't know the link. I just wondered if a bag on the cross bar would keep swinging into your legs or if it has a way to prevent that.

 

[Old Timer]

I don't know the link. I just wondered if a bag on the cross bar would keep swinging into your legs or if it has a way to prevent that.

Not sure if they come with any retainers but should be quite simple to knock something up.

 

[Old Timer]

Looks like I`m gonna have to invent something

 

[CeeGee]

Do you mean that at the moment you fit the batteries on the rack - if so then use panniers and get the weight a lot lower on the bike and either side of the wheel.
Have you considered a handlebar bag instead. It would make the steering heavier, but would get the battery out of the way.
If you fit it to the crossbar then what is the width of the battery? I was never happy with the width of the Powabyke Euro battery set up and found it seriously compromised my riding style.
Fitting the battery to the down tube or seat tube would be preferable and give a lower centre of gravity.
Lots of velcro straps, cable ties and duck tape should keep the battery pack in place. However, if you have any lugs on the frame for a water bottle or pump you may be able to use them to help fix the battery.

Needless to say, I can't help with a link to a frame bag. The only ones I remember seeing are small ones for fitting your mobile phone and a few other similar items into.

Colin

 

[Old Timer]

Do you mean that at the moment you fit the batteries on the rack - if so then use panniers and get the weight a lot lower on the bike and either side of the wheel.
Have you considered a handlebar bag instead. It would make the steering heavier, but would get the battery out of the way.
If you fit it to the crossbar then what is the width of the battery? I was never happy with the width of the Powabyke Euro battery set up and found it seriously compromised my riding style.
Fitting the battery to the down tube or seat tube would be preferable and give a lower centre of gravity.
Lots of velcro straps, cable ties and duck tape should keep the battery pack in place. However, if you have any lugs on the frame for a water bottle or pump you may be able to use them to help fix the battery.

Needless to say, I can't help with a link to a frame bag. The only ones I remember seeing are small ones for fitting your mobile phone and a few other similar items into.

Colin

Thanks Colin

I wanted to get the weight away from the rear on my Alien converted bike because the original battery is on the supplied rack at the rear just to stop the tail wagging the dog so to speak for when I want to carry an extra battery. After spending time on E bay etc and measuring up properly I will probably just stick to using my rear rack bag for it.

I have used panniers for the spare before but unless the panniers are tied in really tight it can be worse than having the weight on the rack( at least on the rack you can bungie the bag down tight)

On the other hand,on my Aurora, because it has a fairly heavy rear 350Watt hub and the Alien battery on their rack at the rear it really does push the rear weight with a spare so what I did on that bike was to fit a neat lightweight Blackburn front rack Blackburn MF1 MTN fork fitting front rack Silver to put a bit of weight towards the front of the bike (it needs it)
What is very good about the Aurora is that the front forks have many spare fixing points for around the axle area plus it even has a couple half way up the forks so fitting the front pannier rack was a dodle.
I`m just waiting on a couple of chassis kettle plug sockets so that I can fit one in the controller housing box along with a two way switch.

This is the switch I used on the Evans/Alien to switch between batteries, very good quality for your records Toggle Switch on-on 15A-250V 2 Circuits on eBay (end time 22-Aug-10 20:24:13 BST)

Thanks for coming back to me though

Dave

 

[CeeGee]

I have used panniers for the spare before but unless the panniers are tied in really tight it can be worse than having the weight on the rack( at least on the rack you can bungie the bag down tight)

Dave

As long as you have a rack designed to take panniers and you use something like this:
BIKE CYCLE FRONT REAR PANNIER SET 25 LITRES 11550 on eBay (end time 04-Aug-10 21:30:23 BST)
which I use on the Shopper, and have a strap on the back which goes inside the rack to keep them tight to the bike, or these:
ALTURA ARRAN 36 PANNIERS (PAIR) 20% DISCOUNT!!! - £39.14
Which I have on the Wisper, and they have an adjustable bar on the back that slides inside the rack preventing any movement.
The lower down on the bike you have the weight (and evenly balanced either side) - the less the "wagging".
When I went on holiday I had 5kg per pannier on the Wisper with perfect stability at the rear of the bike. If that weight had been on top of the rack then it would have gone all over the place.

Colin

 

[Old Timer]

Sorted

Chatting today with Tony(Onmebike) and he remembered that I had purchased some long velcro straps and why would you actually need a bag!!!

So, I cut several sections from a BBB handlebar foam grip, stuck them under the crossbar and pushing the battery under the crossbar making sure the scolloped side of the battery( the side shaped to go against the seat tube) sat under those foam sections I then stuck a few of the velcro straps around the battery and pulled them tight. Now before road testing I gave some thought to sideways movement and decided to make up a bracket with a hole drilled to locate the batteries actual frame lock. I just fixed it in place using a P clip, locked the pin down and went on a 9 mile road test. No rattles and no movement plus my legs are clearing the battery 100% and the added bonus is that I can just reach down between my legs (as you do and switch the power off when on the flat. So there you have it, a 10amp battery on the rack and a 13amp polymer battery slung under the frame and the bike is now actually slightly more balanced than it was before even though there is an extra 3.5Kg.

You`ll notice in the images that I have converted the Oxygen 13amp battery with a lead from one side terminating in a kettle plug into my small project box which has a twin pole switch that switches between rack and crossbar battery(on the move if required.)

It`s also a 2 minute job to remove the 13amp battery and put it either back where it lives in the powertrek or on the front carrier of the Aurora for extra range

IMG_0161.jpg photo - david chilvers photos at pbase.com
IMG_0167.jpg photo - david chilvers photos at pbase.com

Dave

 

[Old Timer]

Did another 16 miles today and the battery didn`t budge so now maybe remove two of the straps. I reckon three should hold it enough