Luggage on a Cannondale Lefty?

[WyvernRH]

Bit of a cross post with the e-bike group but I reckoned there would be more expertise on hanging luggage off of gravel bikes here.

SO... Cannondale Topstone Neo Lefty 3 e-Gravel (what a mouthful!) has made it to my garage eventually!



First test ride around the crappy local Williams valley roads and a few dirt roads were, to be quite truthful, a bit of an eye-opener.
I can see why people get hooked on e-bikes - I didn't use anything but ECO mode and the hills seemed to melt away! The Bosch system is a bit 'Aggressive' in the way it assists you at times but you soon get used to it. Could be interesting on steep gravel roads maybe....

The bike itself, as a bicycle, is a delight to ride. Very sharp handling, the disc brakes work as advertised and the ride was very comfortable once set up to my requirements. The gravel front and rear suspension did a good job of softening the impact of the linked potholes that comprise the road system around here at the moment and the tyres (somewhat to my surprise) handled the loose surface of the gravel roads very well.

This will be used for light touring, so fitting luggage looks like it might be a challenge. Current thinking is an Ortlieb handlebar bag and my Carradice touring saddlebag for pub based touring. Where I'm going to put a front light once the handlebar bag is fitted is going to be a problem.
Any suggestions on either of the above points appreciated!

Richard

[trailgumby]

Leftys are awesome. I've owned 5 and my current two make up numbers 6 and 7.

For moment I thought you meant to put luggage fittings on the fork itself and I was like "Nooooooooooooo!" Then your bike would get stuck turning left

Be prepared for lots of puzzled looks and inane questions.

I had lots of fun during the last lockdown (before La Nina turned all the trails into World Bog Snorkelling Championship courses) when some of the teenagers would ask in amazement "mate, how come your bike only has one fork leg?" I'd respond by looking surprised and shocked, and then ask "Huh? Crap! There are supposed to be two! It must have come off when I crashed. You haven't seen the other side along the trail anywhere, have you?" or a variation thereof, where I'd broken it and tidied up the fork crown with an angle grinder.

[trailgumby]

Best ever reaction: I once had a riding buddy who thought I'd crashed (in reality I went back to do over an obstacle I'd muffed) and - on noticing the single strut for the first time - exclaimed loudly "Dude! WHaT hApPenED tO yOUr fOrK? "

[baabaa]

I cant keep up with all the new stuff - have frame. seat post and top tube bags which all work on my bikes as kinda all the same size and 27.7 seat posts on steel frames - my only tip is the fit on the frame you have is very important as you do not want any rubbing stops as most frame bags are quite soft - why not ping this lot a message tell them your bike details and size and see what they suggest? - ( good crowd and have bought kit from them before they changed names)
https://www.campfirecycling.com/

[cancan64]

You can run bike packing bags, borrowed this one lefty during the Tour Aoteroa , have since purchased a one
Sorry for the links, can never get photos to upload

https://photos.app.goo.gl/mTTFB1L6jtv9y8tEA

https://photos.app.goo.gl/KFPGE1DiesDEjMh59

[MichaelB]

Leftys are awesome. ....

a variation thereof, where I'd broken it and tidied up the fork crown with an angle grinder.

Love that last one

[trailgumby]

You can run bike packing bags, borrowed this one lefty during the Tour Aoteroa , have since purchased a one
Sorry for the links, can never get photos to upload

https://photos.app.goo.gl/mTTFB1L6jtv9y8tEA

https://photos.app.goo.gl/KFPGE1DiesDEjMh59

Singlespeed bike packing! You must have knees of steel!

[WyvernRH]

So, went with the Ortlieb handlebar bag (with mods to stop it slipping around - see photo) and the trusty Carradice Nelson duck saddlebag (about 15l)
This setup worked well thru all the water and mud that made up the CWT last week and the bike behaved perfectly. I didn't move out of Eco all week and the extra 'ooomph' from the motor got me across a few of the nastier boggy traps.
Tho at times I could have wished for a more aggressive tyre profile in the deep mud, the 650Bx45c Pirelli Cinturao gravel tyres hung on to the slippy gravel roads really well and even acquitted themselves with honor in the many (many...) bog holes encountered. Only one long bog hole crossing failed and that was due to the ineptitude of the rider.




Richard