Bicycle Bar Bag

I have not yet joined the throng of Canon owners but am hopeful of doing so shortly, if my purchase of a 7D is approved.

My question is simple.

I enjoy riding my (road) bike and when holidaying like to take my camera, presently an Olympus E-510, which I carry in a handlebar mounted bar bag (I wont us a back pack as 5-6 hours in the saddle is just unpleasant).

I am concerned, however, that the inevitable road buzz through the bars will transfer to my camera. Should I be? Will the 7D suffer?

Any comments and advice much appreciated.

I have one of these...

http://reviews.wiggle.​co.uk …r-bag-reviews/reviews.htm

You can purchase an additional DSLR insert which will take your 7D no problem (it fits my 5D + lens). As for vibrations....I wouldn't worry, it's designed in such a way that it's attached to your bars by a extended (but very well made) chunk of plastic, as well as this the Dslr insert is padded, I'm pretty sure all vibrations are absorbed before they get to your camera!

Iv cycled about 500 miles with my camera and no problems

I've travelled with a 5D+24-105 in an Ortlieb bar bag (linked to in the previous post) without any issues. I stay on tarmac though, and don't go off-road, and have a steel-frame bike (absorbs more vibration than aluminum does). Is it great for the mirror mech? Probably not. But it's really no different from dragging your E-510 around...

I'll join the chorus for the Ortlieb Ultimate 5+ bag. Have had it for 2 years and it did a great job protecting my light travel kit (T2i with 18-55 and 55-250 lenses) -- over all kinds of roads (asphalt, gravel, dirt, etc.) as well as through several thunderstorms. Bag kept the camera and lenses dry.

Only drawback IMO is that when off the bike it is a less than satisfactory shoulder bag -- the strap attachment is less secure than I would like, and the domed lid makes the bag a bit unbalanced if you are trying to open and close the bag without taking it off your shoulder.

I use a small lowe-pro camera case with two lens pockets when I'm on the trails. If I'm walking/hiking I have a Think Tank Perspective 20 and usually have 4 or 5 lenses with me (mainly cause the weight is negligible for me).

I think I would be a little nervous with the weight of my riding kit hanging over my front bars. I'd rather get a rear rack and build something a little more permanent that doesn't affect my front end handling...

I kept my 7d and lens in a tank mounted bag on my motorcycle which, in my opinion, should have the same or maybe even more vibrations than a road bicycle and never had a issue. Even after doing some 160+ mph riding in Arizona the camera worked fine.

Thank you for all your replies.

Maybe I'm just a bit paranoid - after all I feel well &truly shaken to bits after 20Km of fast descent on some less than perfect French roads and imagine my camera/lens would be equally battered.

i carry mine in Ortlieb panniers on the front forks, haven't had any issues.

I put my little Domke in a pannier. They make a bag that goes on the front handlbar, but I don't like the weight there.

VSS2011 wrote in post #14388040
Maybe I'm just a bit paranoid - after all I feel well &truly shaken to bits after 20Km of fast descent on some less than perfect French roads and imagine my camera/lens would be equally battered.

Eh. To me, the whole point of 1D/5D/7D and well built L lenses is that they're designed to live and operate in harsh conditions and survive. I know people like to baby their expensive gear, it's instinctive... but one of the reasons why I've bought the gear I have is because of build quality. Everything in my sig should be able to handle those rough conditions, including mud, dirt and rain for the next decade or more, if needed be.

I took my 14mmL out for a bike ride night shoot. Everything went wrong from the beginning, but I said hell with it and still went. My camera ended up slipping and the metal lens hood took a nice scratch. Oh well, it's not brand new anymore and I'll never be able to resell it for top dollar. That's ok, it's got it's first battle wound and now it has some character as well as reminding me to double check every time I go out to make sure I don't forget stuff.


EDIT:
But I guess I should also mention, I've owned a LOT of really expensive gear in my time ..., my binocular collection, firearms and music gear and know that if you use something enough, it'll end up getting a few battle scars and if you're going to freak out if it happens, you probably shouldn't have bought it to start with. Stuff happens. You should be freaking out about the thought of stuff happening before you buy it because after it happens, all the stress in the world won't fix it.

Just a word of advice ... I've tried to carry DSLRs on road bikes and find it to be more hassle than it's worth. The weight and size got in my way no matter where I put it. Handlebar placement has a big impact on steering accuracy if you put it there. Having it on or in a Camelbak or a backpack (which I know you don't favor) just makes it heavy and hard to get to when you want to snap a picture.
So be sure to go for a ride or two with any arrangement you decide upon in advance of your trip.
I have settled on using an S95 with a circular polarizer and carry them in a little bag attached to a Camelbak strap. Once I stop the bike, I can have it out and shooting in about 10 seconds.
I just had to throw this out there, because I have been ...ahem ... down the same road.
Good luck with your trial runs in carrying the gear.
Find the right solution and then have a great time on your trip!

I don't know about bikes, but there was a thread on carrying your gear on a motorcycle a couple of days ago on here and a big number of people said that they've had equipment die well before their time (I think even some L stuff). They believe it was due to the vibrations...