#freight baggage

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Here are a few shots of the handlebar setup that I used for 12 days of riding/shooting in the Alps. Its such a simple and versatile solution, I can't believe it took me this long to come up with.

Long winded and detailed backstory below...

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The Camera

For years now I have struggled to find the perfect solution for taking photos while riding my bike. I used a Yashica T4 for awhile as it was light, durable, weatherproof, and of course creates amazing images. Eventually I got tired of the tiny viewfinder (pretty useless while riding) and running out of film at just the wrong moment so I looked for a digital replacement. 

I found it in the Ricoh GRIII, a real "photographer's" point n shoot that was designed to be super customizable, compact, and easy to shoot one-handed. Having the LCD on the back was a huge help for composing an image while riding, I never ran out of film, and the thing just took really nice photos. 

Then I met the Ricoh GR, the latest and greatest addition to the GR family. This little camera is everything I had been waiting for and more. An APS-C sensor, a big/bright screen, heaps of customizable/intuitive controls that make one handed operation a joy…all in a body the size of a point n shoot. It is my perfect riding camera.

A New Problem

But there was still an issue: how best to carry said camera? Jersey pocket is really the first and most obvious option, but there was always that issue of moisture from sweat, wrestling the thing out of your pocket to get a shot, then wrestling it back in…not to mention I am "saddle-bag guy" and would really prefer to have my jersey pockets empty whenever possible.

Eventually, I stopped carrying a camera altogether for local rides and just brought my iPhone along. Now, don't get me wrong, I think the iPhone is a great photographic tool, but its not REALLY a camera - not to mention it still shares all the other downsides (jersey pocket, moisture, etc) with the Ricoh. 

I came up with a few complex ideas to solve this issue but ultimately the project got shelved, until recently...

The Trip

So, two weeks ago I landed in Geneva, headed to the French Alps for 2 weeks of riding in one of the most beautiful places on Earth…I knew I had to have the GR with me at all times, and a jersey pocket was not going to cut it. The day before we left, I whipped up a solution so simple it was a wonder I hadn't thought of it sooner: an old Freight Baggage hip pouch secured to my bars via a couple toe straps I had laying around. I guess I had just overlooked the handlebar bag as something that would be too big/heavy/awkward for use on a road bike (and most are) but what I created here was something different, and something that would prove far more versatile that I ever intended.

So there it was, a perfectly sized bag for my perfectly sized camera, in the perfect position on my bike. I could get the camera out, ON, take a photo, then back in the bag within a matter of only a few seconds with minimal effort. The straps held everything securely in place on the bars and the pouch kept the camera safe from the elements. 

If you've ever ridden long days in the mountains, you will know a few things:

1) It gets HOT on LONG climbs in the middle of the summer. Full unzip can be your saving grace, but only if your jersey pockets are emptied of a few things…

2) Food - you can either carry it with you or buy it along the way. If you are unfamiliar with the area/language, sometimes its smartest to carry a sandwich/bars/etc with you, especially if you are out for a long/high day.

3) Emergency supplies - you need a pump, tube, patch kit, multi-tool - this stuff takes up space and weight.

4) A vest/windbreaker - its cold at 6000+ ft, it gets even colder when you are soaked in sweat and descending for miles at a time at 30+ mph. Always bring a vest if you are going up.

You have to carry this stuff somehow and usually that means compromising comfort with stuffed full jersey pockets and/or saddle bag. It didn't take long for me to realize the accidental genius of my using longer-than-needed straps to secure the bag…the whole thing was EXPANDABLE. I could take everything out of my pockets and roll it inside of my vest, creating a neat little bundle that could be strapped underneath the camera bag, below the bars. This opened up my jersey pockets completely for those long/hot days, while still keeping my camera up front and accessible in its own compartment.

In Closing…