The project seemed simple enough: resurrect an old Kirtland Tour Pac handlebar bag and its hardware that has been languishing in my closet and put it on a bike I'll be using in a few weeks for some biking and birding. I've stuffed small binoculars into my jersey pocket before, but where do you put a field guide? This Kirtland bag did it all in the past; it could do it all now. Opens from the top, has a built-in plastic map holder and two side pockets. And is sturdy enough to carry a lot of stuff without even sagging (or worse, falling off into the front wheel).
There's a good reason why you don't see this style bag around anymore -- it's just not compatible with threadless stems and STI shifters. Today's stems are too "fat" to accept the mounting hardware, which was designed for yesterday's forged "skinny" stems. And the derailleur cables on Shimano STI levers (yeah, I know -- they buried them with the new Dura Ace) run smack into the space where the bag goes.
Well, heck, since I was putting this on an older Terry that looks a little retro itself, why not go all the way? Build the bike up around the Kirtland. Armed with a can of Lysol to ward off the mold, I buried myself in the basement and returned an hour later with just what I needed: bar end shift levers, standard brake levers and brakes to go with them, and a forged stem. Let the games begin.
In the photo you can see the bag, the still unwrapped bars, and a glimpse of the Shimano 600 short reach brake lever and Shimano bar end shifters. Works like a charm. My only concession to modern day goodies are GORE™ Ride-On® brake and derailleur cables, Schwalbe Stelvio tires and a Terry Firefly saddle. And, yeah, I set the shift levers to friction. In for a dime, in for a dollar.
Tailwinds,
Georgena
talktous@terrybicycles.com
www.terrybicycles.com
