05/18/13

New Bikepacking Handlebar Packs

We recently finished up a few custom orders for lightweight bikepacking handlebar packs, including 2 dry-bag style handlebar packs with removable pockets (1 in all black fabric and 1 with a red main bag) and 1 handlebar harness for carrying dry bags, sleeping bags, etc. Two of these are going out for trips on the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route this summer while the other is shipping off to Australia for some adventures in the outback.

The handlebar pack has seen a few crucial updates since the previous version. The bungee system has been moved from the main bag to the front pocket, compression straps have been added to the main bag,  reflective trim has been added to the front pocket, D-rings have been added to the pocket and we’ve included a removable shoulder strap so the pocket can be used on it’s own as a small shoulder bag for off-bike ventures. In addition, foam block spacers help to keep the bag distanced from your handlebars and positioning of the buckles on the front pocket attachment straps has been moved, to keep buckles and the bag away from your hands (which is crucial if using with drop bars).

On the more striped down handlebar harness, we’ve added a more rigid closed cell foam insert sandwiched between two layers of XPAC fabric and incorporated the use of side release buckles with an integrated cam lock. These are a really cool piece of lightweight hardware which we plan to use on a variety of applications in the future.

We’re excited to hear how these bags work out for their new owners!

05/18/13

Another Pair of Winter Bike Pogies

I made these a few months ago but figured I’d post some photos of them. This is another pair of our custom, insulated winter biking pogies made for a customer in Wisconsin. Same setup as the orange ones I made earlier this year but this time around they had black 1000D Cordura nylon on the exterior with red breathable nylon on the inside, quilted synthetic insulation, a velcro attachment system and plenty of reflective trim.

I’ll be making more of these for the coming winter and am experimenting with a few new features – higher loft insulation, a drawstring cinch attachment system (instead of velcro) and an adjustable collar at the opening for added warmth in cold and windy riding conditions. I may even offer a deluxe version with a zippered pocket for snacks and small items. I’ll be focusing on summer bags for the next few months but look for the updated designs in early fall!

02/23/13

Custom Winter Pogies

This is a set of winter cycling pogies I recently made for a customer, Tim, who lives in Nebraska. These insulated, wind and water resistant pogies are designed to be mounted on flat/mtb handlebars, completing covering your handlebar grips, brakes and shifters. This allows you to ride through the winter with thin liner gloves or even bare hands in cold, windy and wet riding conditions.  The bright, highly visible fabric and reflective trim are ideal for increased visibility, when biking in wintry weather or fat biking on roads or trails shared with snow machines.

These are constructed with a Bright Orange 1000 Denier Cordura exterior (water and wind resistant), quilted synthetic Thinsulate insulation (0.6″ loft) and Red breathable ripstop nylon interior (which feels like the inside of a sleeping bag). Finishing touches include high-visibility reflective trim and velcro straps for attachment to your handlebars.

We offer custom pogies in two styles, basic and deluxe. Basic pogies feature Cordura exterior and fleece interior (no insulation) while deluxe pogies feature Cordura exterior, Thinsulate insulation and ripstop nylon interior, as pictured in the set above. We can make them in various colors. See our “Custom Orders” page for prices and ordering information.

Please contact us if you would like to order a pair.

Photos by Derek Gallagher.

02/23/13

Handlebar Bag System for Bikepacking

I recently made this custom handlebar bag system and removable pocket for my friend Kevin who lives back in Virginia. He wanted a waterproof, dry bag style bag for use on his handlebars for storage of a sleeping bag and other compressible soft goods for lightweight bicycle touring and bikepacking adventures. I have made similar bags before in the past for mountain bikes, but this was created with a slightly more compact design so that it could be mounted on drop handlebars and still allow full use of the handlebars.

It was constructed with black XPAC Dimension Polyent fabric. The main bag has dry-bag style, roll-down openings on each end, expandable to up to 20″ wide (if run on flat/mtb bars) or compressed down to 11″ wide (for use with drop bars), using velcro and a buckle system on each end for closure. It mounts to bicycle handlebars (flat/mtb or drop) using a three-point system of velcro attachments and has a large, 500 Denier Cordura abrasion patch for areas of contact with the handlebars, frame and cables. It features a bungee cord system on the front of the main bag for securing small items (such as a jacket) if the bag is used alone. It has a completely removable, zippered front pocket, measuring 11″ wide x 6″ tall x 2.5″ deep, which secures to the front of the main bag with velcro and straps. This small bag can be used to carry easy-access items such as food, wallet, maps, gloves/hat or electronic devices, and can be quickly removed for off-bike ventures (ie second breakfast stops or going into a grocery store) without having to remove the main bag. In my opinion, this is one of the best projects I’ve made to date and I am excited about how well it came out. I hope that it works wonderfully for Kevin’s cycling adventures.

I can make these handlebar bags in a variety of colors and fabrics, including black and red XPAC fabric and a variety of 1000 Denier Cordura colors. The base price for this handlebar bag and pocket system featured above is $110.

Please drop me an email if you would be interested in ordering one for yourself.

Paul

12/16/12

Winter Pogies

We recently made a set of pogies for winter cycling. They feature a 1000D Cordura exterior, Polarfleece interior, and Climashield synthetic insulation and use a velcro attachment system for mounting on MTB/flat handlebars. Completely shielding your hands from wind and weather, they allow for shifting and braking with bare hands or thin liner gloves.

We recently lent them out to our friend Mo to test out on her Thanksgiving week fat bike tour in the Big Hole of western Montana and it sounds like they performed wonderfully. See a full trip report and photos from her trip here. We’ll be making some more pairs of these in early January, so please drop us an email if you’d like a pair for yourself!

 

12/13/12

New Bike Accessories for Winter

It has been a while since our last update. Sorry, we have been busy sewing! We have several new hand-made bicycle accessories for the holidays. including a top tube pad and hip pouch with u-lock holster.

The new top tubes are available in waxed canvas and 1000D Cordura nylon with marine grade polyester thread and colorful trim. These are intended for protecting your frame (and your junk). We’ll be adding these to the store shortly.

We’ve also made a hip pouch with u-lock holster for riding around town when you just need to carry your lock and a few small items. These can be made in waxed canvas and 1000D Cordura nylon. We have a few of these in our Etsy store.

 

06/25/12

Missoula MADE Fair

We had a great time at this Missoula MADE Fair this weekend. Thanks to everyone who stopped by our booth, purchased something or just came by and said hello. It was a great first craft show for us and we had a great response. We gave out many business cards and encourage those folks who asked about custom orders to please get in touch.

Over the next few days, we’ll be taking pictures and posting several new items for sale through our site as well as on Etsy. We’ll have handlebar bags, tool rolls, ipod cases, two sets of panniers and a messenger bag. Please keep your eye on our site and online store for updates.

 

05/31/12

We’ve Been Busy…

We’ve been hard at work over the past few weeks finalizing new designs and sewing our butts off to have stock ready for the summer cycling season. Here are some preview pics of various bags we’ve been working on.

For those in the Missoula area, we’ll have a booth at the Missoula MADEFair, which is Sunday, June 24th at Caras Park in downtown Missoula. We’ll have a ton of stuff for sale – handlebar bags, panniers, messenger bags, roll-top backpacks, tool rolls, recycled bicycle map wallets, iPod cases and a few other odds and ends. For those that live elsewhere, we’ll put up any leftover stock on our online store shortly after.

 

04/25/12

Greetings

Welcome to the new home for Hans Bagworks. We’ll be making some changes over the next few weeks. Please bear with us!

04/25/12

New Mini Bag, Changes

This past weekend I finished up a new design for a small handlebar bag. It’s very simple and functional, measuring about 7″ wide x 4″ tall. This one was made with duck canvas and a vinyl coated polyester liner, which keeps things dry and adds some rigidity to the bag. There’s just enough room in there for your wallet, phone, a multi-tool and a light jacket. It attaches with velcro and can be taken in off in seconds if you need to make a stop. I’ve made a larger version as well which measures in at about 9″ wide x 5″ tall. I’m digging these even more than the zippered rectangular bag offered in the past. Expect to see both sizes in a variety of colors in the coming weeks.

My partner in crime, Jesi, has joined Hans Bagworks, so it’s now a two-person operation. Once her school responsibilities wrap up, you can expect twice the output from here on out. We’re putting final tweaks on some previously prototyped bag designs and will be building a stock of bags for summer touring. We’re hoping to make it out to some local craft fairs this summer as well as offering more stock bags in our store and Etsy site. In addition, I’m working on an improved website presence. Stay tuned.