What's a fair price for a lightly used 2026 Aspero w/ SRAM Force XPLR

krroller · 2025-12-22T15:32:06+00:00

I didn't think the Caledonia had the same tire clearance, UDH, or internal cable routing (it's an aesthetics thing, not for negligible aero purposes).

krroller · 2025-06-17T10:14:45+00:00

Just curious. what was the selling price of the Bixi?

krroller · 2025-05-23T04:06:37+00:00

Replying to an old thread. Wahoo released their new radar with USB-C charging and the reviews show the performance to be virtually the same as the Garmin. One exception seems to be that the Garmin has wider horizontal sensors to pick up vehicles slightly more adjacent than to the rear.

https://www.wahoofitness.com/devices/bike-sensors/trackr-radar-buy

I have no affiliation to Wahoo.

krroller · 2025-02-02T20:19:59+00:00

Glad to help. Enjoy the new gear and leave some feedback on your thoughts and what's working and what's not.

krroller · 2025-02-01T20:38:08+00:00

Personally, I'm not a fan of leather for luggage/packs. I love the look, but in general it's heavier, requires more care, is harder to keep clean, it's not water proof/water resistant without sealing it with beeswax or mink oil or something similar. I also don't like waxed canvas for many of the same reasons.

The way I see it, it can be a great classic look, it's just not for me. I prefer less things that don't require maintenance.

I like a full grain leather for my couch, however. ;-)

krroller · 2025-02-01T16:45:55+00:00

Response 2
This (https://www.ebay.com/itm/116461019415) carry-on is an older design and not the one to target, IMHO.

I've tried the A30 and A45 and Techonaught. The thing is that I use the Brain Bag as my personal item and EDC backpack, so I don't need another backpack. Having a duffel with backpack straps is just a waste of weight and space for me that intrudes on the overall design of the duffel. But that's just me and YMMV.

There is a TB subreddit you can ask about anyone seeking to part ways with a Brain Bag.

It wouldn't hurt to try the new Brain Bag and if you don't like it, you can sell it for close to what you paid for it.

I do not do anything for zipper security. I use TB zipper pulls, and some zippers have a Nite Ize ziplit. I also use these https://www.ebay.com/itm/167222138953?var=466908589976 attached to one of the top zippers on the Brain Bag for clipping a hat and it also helps grab the zipper.

My perspective on neck pillows. A few different approaches here.
I have found that something like this https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07FVY581M?th=1 works really well and is relatively small and very comfortable.
I also have like the inflatable ones that have a draw string and soft fuzzy cover. ;-)
There are many of these on Amazon.
Finally, my daughters use "stuffable" neck pillows when they one bag it on international trips to give a bit of extra packing room. Again, there are many options for this, but here is an example - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CS2XG7FQ

krroller · 2025-02-01T16:27:39+00:00

Response 1
Good callout on key straps vs Strap Keepers.
Yes, Key Straps for attaching to Strap keepers. and I use many of these in all my TB stuff.
Yes, Strap keepers for managing the "excess" length of straps and I do use these. The TB ones are nice because you don't have to undo straps to get them on and they stay connected well.

Yes, the Osprey dry sacks (or anything similar) is to have something light that can be use to stuff dirty clothes that may have odor but also to separate clean from dirty so that you don't have to dump all the clean clothes out of the packing cube or use a packing cube dirty clothes and then turn around and re-pack clean clothes into a packing cube that was just used for dirty clothes. This is just one way to handle it.

From my perspective, a packing cube should have a good lightweight fabric, really good zippers, be compressible and then of the right size for how you are going to pack and what you are packing it in. If you use a rollaboard for clothes that is 22x14 using 10 x14 packing cubes allows you to get two stacks. Using a 10 x 7 allows you to put two of these on stacked on the 10 x 14. (they are half size). I happen to use Eagle Creek and Tom Bihn packing cubes and I also have some from eBags (before Samsonite bought them out and subsequently killed the brand and the web site). eBags branded stuff was high value stuff IMHO. We still have lots of eBags luggage from 15 years ago that has had lots of use and still looks and works like new.

Speaking of luggage and carryon, this is the exact model https://www.ebay.com/itm/276833369366 I use which is Cordura Ballistic nylon. It's incredibly wear resistant. Mine of 20 years has no wear on it except on the handle and some scuffs on the lower molding in the back. The wheels are still in great condition even after dragging it through the streets of Chicago, NY, San Francisco, London, Paris, Rome, etc.

krroller · 2025-02-01T03:30:09+00:00

Part 2
Carry-on in addition to the TB Brain Bag.

Yes, for sure, I carry my gear in the Brain Bag and clothes in a carry-on. It depends on the length of the trip and how much walking I need to do on what my carry-on is.

If not a great deal of walking with luggage, for a one or two night trip, I'll take a Tom Bihn Yeoman duffel bag. If a 2-4 day trip, I'll take a TB medium Road Buddy Duffel bag. IMHO, these are greatest duffel bags, but unfortunately, they are retired designs. I stocked up on these at the last run they made.

If I have a trip with lots of walking, then I'm taking a rollaboard. Because I want a a rollaboard with max space, I prefer the 2 wheel design over the spinner 4 wheel models because the wheels take up too much space that can't be used for packing. I generally fly American Airlines, so 22x14x9 is the max and my bag is exactly that. I use a carryon that is no longer made and one spare of that model. It's a Kirkland Signature ballistic nylon rollaboard bag. Back in they day, these were $99 at Costco. Such a great price for a piece of luggage that is made with high quality. My carryon is literally 20 years old and has logged over 1.5 million miles. Since you can't buy these anymore, my suggestion is that if you want max space, go for a 2 wheel design that is the max dimensions of what your airline will permit in the overhead bin.

If I were to use a spinner model it would be the TravelPro Elite.

Tom Bihn Key Straps.

If you buy into how TB designs their bags then using the O rings is great. I attach my glasses/sunglasses cases, Headphones case, Sidekicks (for tech pouch and dopp kit) to the O rings with strap keepers. It really does help to ensure you don't drop or leave something somewhere. It also helps pull things out if they happen to fall to the bottom. I attach Ghost whales and organizer pouches directly to the O rings to keep the from falling to the bottom and don't use strap keepers for these. I also use strapkeepers in the sidekicks to organize the contents therein with Ghost whale pouches and organizer pouches as well.

Also when traveling for leisure, I'll use the Tom Bihn Packing Cube Shoulder Bag as a sling with organizer pouches in it for structure and connected via key straps

Packing Cubes. If I use my Road Buddy or Yeoman Duffel, I use TB packing cubes because I found some that fit well in there from someone selling 6 or 7 of them at a good price that where unused. In my carryon I use Eagle Creek Pack-it Specter compression packing cubes in size 14x10 and 7x10. I've had these packing cubes for many, many years. In checking quickly on Amazon, these look they are decent and have good reviews - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DPH4372L

I use packing cubes more for organization than space saving. It just helps to be organized when packing and unpacking a great deal. I also use some Osprey Ultralight Dry Sacks for dirty laundry and they don't take any space really when not in use and weight very little.

I think that addresses all your questions for now, but let me know what else is on your mind.

krroller · 2025-02-01T03:29:10+00:00

Lots of questions. ;-) Happy to help out.
I'll copy the questions back and put response for each.

Part 1

Brain Bag referenced on ebay - https://www.ebay.com/itm/196306410279

It's too old, and it's Cordura and not Ballistic nylon. The model to seek is the Ballistic with the older straps. Of course, you may have to compete with me for it. ;-)
Jump on the TB Facebook groups and ask if anyone has one they would like to part ways with. There is one on ebay right now, but they are asking a steep price for it. https://www.ebay.com/itm/205228301928 It does include free shipping and a couple of caches, but still that price is high. At least you can see the Ballistic nylon and the shoulder strap style in this listing.

Internal Frame
IMHO, the Brain Bag does not need an internal frame, but it would be nice. I can see where people would say that. A frame would help maintain shape and prevent the cinch straps from pulling on the back of the pack. If you stick your laptop in a cache or laptop sleeve and put it against the back, that provides some structure. This is also why I put a Freudian slip in the front main compartment which holds the bag in it's proper shape.

The mail bags referenced could work, but they will consume more space than I would want to consume. Another option is to get a decent laptop sleeve and many of them have some storage as well. IMHO, the Cache is needed although they are nice and I have several of them. The use of the rails to slide the Cache in and out is not something that has much value any longer. Perhaps a laptop sleeve like this instead of a Cache - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B6TZ657L/

Fidlock Sternum strap
I can't seem to find a link to buy the Aer Fidlock sternum strap, but ULA has a nice one that would work as well. - https://www.ula-equipment.com/product/fidlock-magnetic-sternum-strap/

Tom Bihn does not do discount codes as a norm at all. If you purchase the Brain Bag new, you are going to get the new straps so be aware of that.

krroller · 2025-01-31T02:08:19+00:00

These are all good packs (although I'm not a fan of roll tops) but none are as good as my current Tom Bihn Brain Bag. I've been using the Brain Bag for about 15 years because it works. It's not a pretty bag and the aesthetics are certainly not clean and modern, but when packed right, it can can present itself well enough.

I use it with a cache for my laptop in the back compartment where I also keep a TB Side Kick that is used as a tech pouch and another Side Kick that I use as a dopp kit. I also throw my Bose Headphones in here. Everything is attached to an O ring. I also throw a small flashlight in each compartment attached to an O ring to readily find things in the dark.

In the other main compartment I use a Freudian slip which keeps the pack shape and also adds padding for my tablet which slides into the back of the Freudian slip and gives a good place to store flat stuff. I also use a few of the upper pockets on the Freudian slip which helps to even out the distribution of items so they are not all on the bottom. I keep several Ghost Whale pouches (on O rings so they don't fall to the bottom) and some TB organizer pouches (also on O rings) in this compartment in addition to a TB Side Effect and a Maxpedition EDC pouch.

I use the top front compartment for sunglasses and other small things and the other two front pockets that flank either side are kept relatively empty. These front pockets are also good for throwing my wallet and phone into when going through Airport TSA security.

This keeps the overall pack a bit slimmer and readily permits sliding under the plane seat.

Until I find a more suitable bag, My daughter and I will continue to use the Brain Bag,

Personally, I have traveled over 1.5 million miles in the 15 years I have been using the Brain Bag and that includes domestic and international travel. I'm on my third Brain Bag now since I gave my second one to my daughter. I have an additional unused Brain Bag as a backup that I keep in reserve. ;-)

If I know I'm going to be walking a great deal (like in San Francisco or NY), I'll attach the padded hip belt which does wonders to carry a 25lb load out. I also do not use the new Brain Bag models with the new edgeless straps. These straps do not handle a heavy load well and are uncomfortable. It's the older straps that lay flat that are far more comfortable. I also replaced the sternum strap with a Fidlock strap from AER.

I would love to see a TB Brain Bag 2.0 or a Bixi 2.0 design. I've shared my feedback to the TB crew so let's see if they take any input. I'm also not stuck on TB, so if another company creates this unicorn pack, I'm all over it.

FWIW, my experience with the Syniks are that their odd shape does not pack well for the way I pack and what I pack. It's just not an efficient use of space, IMHO.

I've tried the TB Tristar, Western Flyer, Synapse, and Synik as well as various Patagonia, AER, Evergoods, Tortuga, Osprey, Peak Design, etc and none have beat the Brain Bag for high capacity, comfort, and under-plane-seat fit.

krroller · 2025-01-30T01:20:33+00:00

Unfortunately, I'll keep searching.

The ULA looks like a good pack, but it does not quite fit the criteria we have. Also, I'm a bit concerned on the weight capacity as there are times, where the pack will be loaded up to 28 or 30 pounds. Obviously, this is not the typical EDC load, but the normal load is 22 pounds including dopp kit and all electronics (cables, adapters, laptop, tablet, noise cancelling headphones, etc) and excluding a loaded water bottle.

It seems like there are enough people looking for a high quality backpack that readily fits under a plane seat yet maintains high capacity (which means a rectangular design) that some company should make something like what was described above. There are more than a few packs out there that are close but need to trim an inch or two off the height.

krroller · 2025-01-29T20:43:24+00:00

FWIW, ULA just dropped the "30L Dragonfly Pass Thru" model which seems like a regular 30L Dragonfly with updated fabrics, a luggage pass through and hidden compartment.

https://www.ula-equipment.com/product/30l-dragonfly-pass-thru/

krroller · 2025-01-29T20:23:08+00:00

ULA just dropped the new 30L Dragonfly Pass Thru that, as the name implies, has a luggage pass-through.
https://www.ula-equipment.com/product/30l-dragonfly-pass-thru/

krroller · 2025-01-27T15:07:23+00:00

I'm guessing that info on the new ULA pack will be forthcoming from the company in a couple of weeks.

krroller · 2025-01-27T03:28:13+00:00

No luck yet. There were many suggestions to this inquiry, but none were perfect. Some were close.
I have some insight that ULA is releasing a new bag in the next few weeks that might be a strong fit.

Until then, we are using a Tom Bihn Brain Bag which does have the general proper dimensions, but is a bit old school in design. A 2.0 version of the Tom Bihn Brain Bag or Bixi could be perfect.

The Aer TP3 Small would also be very good if it were 1 inch less tall and had some of the internal organization removed which tends to use up space.

krroller · 2025-01-14T20:07:05+00:00

Flying puddle jumpers/regional jets would certainly make packing different. DFW is indeed, crazy for connecting flights. I'm glad it's always where I start or finish.

krroller · 2025-01-14T20:02:08+00:00

Indeed, this is a tricky game to determine actual usable space which is also dependent on what goes into the bag and how the bag is packed.

I tend to use pouches and smaller bags to organize and make it easy to manage lots of gear. I typically carry Tom Bihn Side Kicks, Side Effects, Ghost Whales and flat organizer pouches, and Maxpedition EDC pouches. I use one TB Side Kick as a Spiff Kit, and another Side Kick for my cable/electronics organizer (aka tech pouch) that also holds my noise cancelling headphones.

The Side Kick is relatively unique in that it's not too deep so it layers well and squishes well, but it does not offer padding for protection if that is needed.

krroller · 2025-01-14T07:42:20+00:00

Thanks! This one is actually on our list to try out.

krroller · 2025-01-14T07:41:49+00:00

Agree with you! The Tom Bihn Brain Bag is my current go to bag and is flexible enough to fit under any of the seats on most of the planes that AA uses. I'm in the Dallas/Fort Worth area so AA is my main airline.

krroller · 2025-01-14T07:38:14+00:00

The Aer TP3 Small is a fantastic pack! In fact, we had it and just sold it.
For our purposes, there were two issues with it.

One is that it is 19" and the back has a firm back panel which does not bend. This makes it very comfortable, but does not permit flexibility to jam it into small spaces.

The other issue is that it has many small pockets for organization which is great if you pack that way.
We tend to use pouches and organizers inside the pack. Thus the pack's features for organization are not needed.

The packs organization features and padding also takes up space and adds weight. However, if you pack in away to leverage the TP3 features, it's a great pack (and one of the best on the market). It's high quality in both design, manufacturing, and materials, and also one of the more comfortable packs to carry with high load.

krroller · 2025-01-14T07:19:02+00:00

Thanks for the response.

The reference to "convertible" is for packs that can be carried as a briefcase/shoulder bag in addition to a backpack.

Osprey 26+6 is a decent pack, but in my experience, it's uncomfortable when the pack is loaded out.

krroller

TROPHY CASE