Ortlieb Recumbent bags on a Bacchetta Giro bike
Without bags attached.
With Ortlieb recumbent bags attached, using strap and carabiner-style clip.
It’s easy to do, and works well. In fact, since the bags can be tucked closer together on a narrow rack behind the seat, it’s more aerodynamic.
Plus the top of the rack remains clear, and there is plenty of room for bags on an under-seat rack as well.
You need two items. A good-sized aluminum carabiner-style clip, and a luggage strap.
Just a basic aluminum carabiner-style clip.
A stout luggage strap, of the non-stretchy variety.
If you can’t find these exact items, don’t worry. Cruise around on Amazon and you’ll find lots of similar options.
It's a medium-sized clip.
The luggage strap rolled up for storage.
Clip the carabiner onto the lower rib of your seat where it’s accessible on the back.
Looking down at the carabiner-style clip, through the open top of the mesh seat.
This is roughly how the Ortlieb bag hangs.
Adjust your recumbent bags so that the retention hook grabs onto the seat strut like so:
The bag hook can rest directly on the seat strut, or just hold it, as shown here.
Then put both bags on the rack.
Thread the luggage strap through these.
You’re going to thread the luggage strap through these clips. Squat on one side of the bike and pass the strap through the carabiner, then down through the far clip, then back through the carabiner, then up through the near clip, making a loop. Then thread the strap into the buckle on its other end, and tighten it down a bit.
Tighten the strap to pull the two bags into alignment, transferring their weight onto the clip.
Note how the carabiner lets the strap rest evenly.
If you’re doing this with full bags, you’ll notice that the carabiner takes on a good amount of the weight of both bags, and even provides a little bit of a suspension.
The strap should pass through the carabiner twice, not just once.
I attached six add-on bags to these panniers: Four mesh bags and two pocket bags. The weight hangs nice and low. Then I took this setup on hundreds of miles of bumpy road. No leaks, no breakage.
I’ve got so much volume for carrying that I don’t bother to compress my sleeping bag or pillow each day. I just push them into these panniers and take off.
Well done, Ortlieb!