The DeWidget' G FuNk' & Strap Deck handlebar system is a 2-part package from drj0n bagworks that offers a simple, lightweight bikepacking carrying solution. It provides wide flexibility on what you can mount, so long as you keep within the recommended limit of 1.7kg.
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The system is formed from two parts. The first is the Strap Deck, a 3D printed slotted platform that features multiple strapping points that are perfect for Voile straps or similar width Velcro straps. By itself, the Strap Deck weighs just 31g and measures 15cm long for the large version, 5cm wide and just over 1cm deep. The Strap Deck has a standard width two-bolt spacing, which can be mounted directly onto any bottle cage mounts, tucked away beneath the downtube or on the fork leg if you have suitable mounts.
drj0n bagworks also offer a 3cm shorter Medium deck and a 3.2cm longer Triple with a three-bolt "anything cage" style mount. There's also a Double Trouble Triple with more mounts than you can shake a stick at.
While the £25 Strap Deck can be used alone, I've been testing it with the optional £20 G FuNk handlebar mount adaptors to create the entire system on test. The G FuNk is available in 31.8mm or 35mm bar size versions, and both share the same design. The G FuNk clamps weigh in at 32g, taking the total system weight to super light 63g.
The G FuNk clamps are flexible, so they can be stretched over the bar and fit either side of any stem, as long as it's less than 52mm in width. Each clamp has a steel bolt requiring a 3mm Allen key to secure and is very simple to do with very little torque necessary to hold it in place. Once both clamps are positioned, the angle of the Strap Deck can be adjusted depending on your preferences with the Strap Deck spaced away from the stem using the aluminium spacers provided.
How does it work?
What you choose to fix onto the Strap Deck is entirely up to you, providing you stay under the 1.7kg recommended weight limit. However, when bikepacking, there are very few items that you are likely to carry that will exceed this.
When testing, I found it best to secure things that you know you won't need until arriving at your camp or endpoint for the day. When used on a gravel bike with drop handlebars, narrower items that fit between the bars, such as an inflatable sleeping mat was ideal. Wider items could be fitted on a mountain bike, such as a sleeping bag, poles, or a stuffed drybag.
No straps are provided, but the slots' width comfortably accommodates the width of standard Voile straps. It will also work with pretty much any suitable strap, Velcro included, that you might have.
There are enough fixing points that you can attach your kit in a layered setup. I fixed the carbon pole from a Six Moon Designs Gatewood Cape with a short velcro strap and then strapped an inflatable sleeping mat on top of that using Voile straps. The number of options is endless and suits all forms of bikepacking setups.
The 63g total weight is far lower than anything else on the market, even when straps are taken into account. The nearest similar setup might be the Salsa EXP Series Anything Cradle, but that is considerably burlier and more expensive at £130. The £60 Alpkit Kanga harness system that weighs 208g, which I would typically consider light for a handlebar setup, is a closer option. More standard handlebar bags vary, with examples such as the Altura Vortex 2 front roll at 295g and 505g for the Lifeline Adventure handlebar bag.
The system costs £45, which is reasonable considering it is made in small batches in Scotland. If you need to add Voile straps, they're around £6-15 depending on length, with Velcro being much less.
The drj0n bagworks DeWidget' G FuNk' & Strap Deck creates an extremely lightweight, versatile setup that is easy to attach, with enough attachment points on the Strap Deck to fix whatever you find most useful.
4 comments
Okay, those all make sense to me.
This looks pretty perfect actually.. just the kind of think I've been looking for but cheaper and lighter! Super stuff
Used with and without similar setup. I'd go with, spacing the load away from the handlebars makes them more usable for mounting lights, head units, phones etc. Bit easier to load/unload depending on system. Can help reduce compression and eliminated tight bends on the cables and keep gear shifting working nicely.
Neat, but I'm not entirely clear what the advantage is over just strapping something directly to your bars?