Custom, convertible backpack panniers   |   Hand-made in Portland, OR

Posted by curtis on May 5th, 2012

We’re proud to add three more retailers to the map!

Clever Cycles – 900 SE Hawthorne Blvd

Mag Big – 3279 SE Hawthorne Blvd

and

North Portland Bike Works – 3978 N Mississippi Ave

View North St. Bags – Potland Locations in a larger map

Topics: bags, dealers, locations, map, new, retailers

Posted by curtis on April 18th, 2012

After some scheduling changes, our new hours will be:

• Mon   11-6pm
• Tues  11-6pm
• Wed  11-6pm
• Fri  1-6pm
• Sat  11-4pm

We’re usually here sewing, so don’t hesitate to stop by at other times.

Topics: hours

Posted by curtis on March 16th, 2012

Thanks to everyone who came out to our sale last night it was a HUGE SUCCESS!!  Lots of folks walked away with prizes from the prize wheel, and some great deals on bags and bike stuff, and we had some fun to boot.

The final tally on the ball count came to 1,017.  Congrats to Emily D. who had the winning guess of 973.  She will receive a free Route Seven Pannier in the colors of her choice.

I want to give a big thank you to all the folks at A Better Cycle for hosting, especially Rachel DB for organizing it with me.  I look forward to future collaborations.

-Curtis

Topics: a better cycle, bags, collaboration, event, guess, prize, route seven, Sale, wheel

Posted by curtis on March 3rd, 2012

North St. Bags and A Better Cycle is having a sale!

40% off tons of stuff, Games, Prizes (including a custom Route Seven Pannier, a pair of Knog Boomers USB rechargeable lights and more), beer and snacks!

You can try your luck at our prize wheel (prizes: t-shirts, wallets, patches, tool rolls, additional discounts, and some secret super prizes).

You can test your skills at the bouncey-ball challenge.

Have a cup of beer, socialize with us, and buy up the sale stuff so we can bring in even better products for the season!

• Thursday March 15th,  4-8pm
• A Better Cycle (2324 SE Division)

More info

See you there!

-Curtis

Topics: a better cycle, beer, Discount, games, prize, Sale, snacks

Posted by curtis on February 26th, 2012

After months of tweaking and refining our production process,  I am thrilled to announce the launch of North St’s stock production line. We are now offering the popular Woodward Convertitle at the new low price of $215!  We have four stock colors to choose from:

• - copper with bone trim
• - steel grey with orange trim
• - navy blue with orange trim
• - steel grey with black trim

These bags have all the latest & greatest of features including:

• - removable liner
• - laptop sleeve (fits most 15″ laptops)
• - internal velcro stripes for adding & swapping out pockets
• - as always, it’s waterproof!

We’re still offering custom orders, with tons of color options!

Drop us an email to get yours today!

orders [at] northstbags [dot] com

- Curtis

Topics: price, production, Stock, woodward

Posted by curtis on February 10th, 2012

The past several months have seen many changes for North St.  We’ve moved into a brand new location on SE 23rd and Clinton. It’s in a beautiful, light-filled industrial space called Patternworks Studios.  It’s across from local bag mainstay Beckel Canvas, and mere steps from A Better Cycle on Division.  We’ve got more machines, an incredibly talented new seamstress, and some big plans for the future.

First and foremost, our friends at Bike Craft are working on a new website where you will be able to get all the handmade goodness 24/7.

I’ll be set up at Trillium Artisans on Thursday 2/23 from 10:30 to 5:30.  They were offered the chance to keep their pop-up shop location on SW Taylor and 3rd, and have just reopened!  Stop by for local goods made from salvaged materials.

There’s plenty more in the works, but in the meantime,  we’ve got a lot of old stock bags left over from the holidays.  Come on by for some great discounts – everything from hip pouches to convertibles.

We’re open 11 to 6 Tues, Wed and Fri, and 11-4 on Sat (closed Sun & Mon)

cheers!

Curtis

Topics: BikeCraft, discounts, patternworks

Posted by curtis on November 24th, 2011

There are only 3 spots left in the queue before the holiday break, so now’s your chance! We’ll be closed from Dec 19th thru Jan 8th.  I’ll be heading back to VT for the holidays, then catching up on some random projects around the studio before starting up production in the new year.

Get your order in now, the spots are going fast!    Not to worry though, there will be three more chances to get a North St. deal!

Our first ever Holiday Trunk Show – Tues, Nov 29th at the Trillium Artisans Pop-Up Shop 11am to 7pm

Bike Craft is on in full force this year – Dec 3rd and 4th at Sandbox Studio 11am to 6pm

and Crafty Wonderland is bigger than ever at the Convention Center Dec 10th and 11th - 11am to 6pm

Hope to see you at one or all of these wonderful handmade shopping events!

-Curtis

Topics: break, Holiday, order, queue

Posted by curtis on November 22nd, 2011

Come on out to Trillium Artisan’s Pop-Up Shop for our first ever North St. Holiday Trunk Show!

Tuesday, November 29th from 11am to 7pm

I’ll be there all day with some amazing deals on panniers, pouches and more!

318 SW Taylor St

Check out www.trilliumartisans.org/welcome/ for more info.  See you there!

Topics: pop-up, retailer, Sale, trillium, trunk show

Posted by curtis on August 14th, 2011

I’ve been working on a new pannier made for a yoga mat.

features:

• grommet vents (shown in chalk)
• large pocket for water bottle or yoga clothes
• interior pocket for valuables, and key clip
• shoulder strap, positioned so pannier hardware faces away from you

It still needs some refining and testing, but I hope to have them ready for the holiday season.

-Curtis

Topics: new product, pannier, prototype, yoga

Posted by curtis on August 13th, 2011

A small, waterproof velcro pouch for a phone, camera or other small item.   It has a belt loop in the back.

I’m doing a first run deal of $15, and have a variety of colors.

Topics:

Posted by curtis on June 5th, 2011

North St. Bags has been in business for just over a year and a half now, and I’m proud to report the recent sale of our 250th bag!  In case you’re wondering that count is of for-real bags, and doesn’t include pouches, wallets or accessories (the count for all products is closer to 300).  Needless to say, things are looking up, and I couldn’t be happier.

We’ve got over a dozen products available through this website and Etsy.com, as well as over 65 bags at 6 local retailers here in Portland.  I’ve shipped as far away as Hong Kong, Australia and Germany, but remain first and foremost a local maker, here to provide quality products for a simpler lifestyle.

I am pleased and excited to be sharing a studio space with Rachel of Bike Cozy.  After a several long days of moving and reorganizing, we’re now set up in a larger space at Switchyard Studios.  We are currently on the lookout for a larger space with a storefront.

As always, I’ve got several designs on the drawing board as well as dozens more on my wish list.  I’m currently testing out new features for the Woodward Convertible design, which I hope to have ready by the fall.

Whether you’re in the market for a new commuter bag or pannier set, or just want to come down to talk bags,  my door is open.  I am open to new ideas and feedback (positive and negative), and still adore designing, selling and talking about bags.

cheers,

Curtis

Topics: bags, count, studio, update

Posted by curtis on March 31st, 2011

I just did a repair job on one of the first Woodward bags I made over a year ago.  It’s owner, a friend of mine, is an ideal product tester.  He uses the bag all day, every day both as a backpack and a pannier.  He loads it up too heavy to carry on a regular basis, and isn’t gentle on it in the least.  I’m pleased to report that the wear on the bag was pretty minimal.  After two winters of incredible abuse, all the straps, hardware, and seams are still intact and holding strong.  The only real damage was a zipper on the back flap.

There are also the usual scuffs and smudges.  You can see where the fabric is worn down slightly from wearing against bicycle parts.  Aside from the dirt, this is still a great looking bag!

The zipper problem was caused by the fact that the back flap was an older design, in which it flipped around to the front for use as backpack.  That corner was under a lot of stress, being tugged apart with every conversion.  The current design has the back flap simply folding back underneath the backpack straps, greatly reducing the stress on those corners.

Now I have him testing out some new ideas which will hopefully make it into the next redesign.  I’m also getting a lot of great feedback from other convertible owners.

-Curtis

Topics: damage, Design, feedback, repair, woodward, zipper

Posted by curtis on March 16th, 2011

Buy any stock Hip Pouch and get a FREE Beer Cozy in matching colors!

It fits a small Klean Kanteen (or similar water bottle) just as easily, or a 22 oz bottle, if a tallboy just isn’t enough.  This padded cozy collapses when not in use.

This deal is good for St. Patrick’s Day 2011 only, so come on down to the shop to get yours (tallboys included).  One per customer, while supplies last.  I’ll be in from 11am to 5pm.

Topics: beer, cozy, Hip Pouch, special, st patricks day, tallboy

Posted by curtis on February 24th, 2011

It’s a new year, which means a new way of doing things here at North St.  I’ve finished up the (quite long) list of of orders I got over the holidays, and have now shifted my focus to the next phase of growth for the business.  In short I want to make more bags.

I’ve decided to focus on building up a stock of bags.  This is a bit of a change, as up until now I’ve been making bags to order, one at a time.  I’ve been doing some redesign and redrafting of patterns to accommodate this shift (as well as some price adjustments).   The first design to undergo this change is the hip pouch, which is now made in less time and produces less scrap waste than before.  As I complete stock bags and post them to the site, I will also be raising the price of custom orders to reflect the extra time it takes to do them.  I will do my best to keep the stock prices close to what they are now, but I do expect that some prices will be going up over the next few months, so get your orders in now!  These price changes also allow me to get into some more retailers.  I hope to get bags into several more shops by the time summer rolls around.  I’ve also increased my Etsy presence quite a bit, and will be working on my pedalr account as well.

The switch to assembly style production also allows me to delegate more of the work.  Mara is back doing most of the cutting and marking, and I’m pleased to add Jennifer to the North St Team – she’s a talented sewer who will be taking over on some of the sewing.  This frees me up to focus on design.  I’m thrilled to announce the new duffel bag design, with options for bike attachment!  My current project is a much simpler (and cheaper) convertible backpack pannier.  It will be waterproof!  I’ll be posting photos and a better description soon.  After this I’ll be working on some smaller accessories, and then gearing up for a redesign to the Woodward.

Hope the new year is treating you well,

Curtis

Topics: assembly, policy, production, Stock, updates

Posted by curtis on February 20th, 2011

The new Wightman Duffel’s name comes from a street I lived on very briefly in Pittsburgh PA.  I stayed with my older brother Peter for a summer while working as an intern at a theater there.  I worked mostly in the scenery shop, and used a duffel of similar size and design (though, inferior quality)  to carry my tools.  The bag was insanely useful, and I’m thrilled now to bring it back in style.  It comes in two sizes, and has options for bicycle attachment (what kind of bike bag maker would I be if it didn’t?).  Order yours now, as the price will likely go up a bit after the first run.

http://northstbags.com/products/wightman-duffel/

Topics: duffel, new product, whats in a name, wightman

Posted by curtis on January 9th, 2011

These panniers are named after my very first bike tour. With no touring or mechanic experience (I could barely fix a flat) I rode from my apartment in lower Manhattan up to a friend’s house near Burlington, VT.  It was a trip with a goal – to get back to VT for my brother’s high school graduation in June of ’07. It took six days, and the bulk of the route was on VT Route 7 – a gorgeous path up the valley of the Green Mountains.

I was riding my very first commuter bike – an old silver Zebra mixte, which was equipped with a janky rear rack with a pair of small Ortlieb panniers.  Sadly this bike was stolen some months later.  I had left for a couple weeks on a different trip and upon my return, not only was the bike gone, but the sign it was locked to as well as the building it was next to.

These panniers match the functionality of those ortlieb panniers – they are simple, lightweight, and waterproof (and – in my opinion – more attractive).  I don’t have the spring release hook system that they do, and my panniers are a double layer rather than single, but they are a sight cheaper and made by me in your favorite bike friendly town.

I’ve got a few in stock, and would take an order for some custom colors.

http://northstbags.com/products/route-seven-pannier/

Topics: Design, new, pannier, roll top, route seven, simple, waterproof, whats in a name

Posted by curtis on November 24th, 2010

North Street Sale!  In celebration of it being a year since anyone’s ever seen my bags,  I’m putting on a sale for the first two weeks of December!  Here’s the deal:

15% off any bag bought within the first two weeks of December.  That includes stock bags as well as orders put in for custom bags.   That’s at LEAST $32 off the Woodward Convertible!

As a bonus I’m offering 20% off for bags sold (or orders placed) at Bike Craft VI.  So check out the bags online, come on down to Bike Craft on Dec 4th or 5th and put your order in.  That’s  at least $43 off the Woodward!!

Details:

• -Limit one bag per customer, so bring a friend!
• -My queue is currently filled through the 17th of December, but that still leaves time to order a bag for the holidays!  Space is very limited, so get your gift orders in first thing!
• -If your order IS NOT needed by the gift giving day this year, and you can wait until later (after New Years, most likely) for your bag,  PLEASE let me know so I can focus on gift orders this month.  You will still get whichever discount is coming to you!
• -Bags sold and orders placed at Crafty Wonderland will fall under the 15% off discount period.
• -The 20% discount only applies to orders placed at the Bike Craft event.  If you need some time after the event to decide, you’ll have another 9 or 10 days to get the normal 15% off.
• -The discount is applied after all extras are added up, but before any shipping costs.
• -This sale of course applies to bags sold by me, and not any of the retailers that stock my bags.

Hope to see you at the event!

Curtis

Topics: Anniversary, BikeCraft, Crafty Wonderland, Discount, Events, Holiday, Sale

Posted by curtis on November 8th, 2010

Last month was the official one year anniversary for North St Bags!  I’m waiting to celebrate until Bike Craft (my debut event last year) but I thought I’d share some status updates.

I’ve sold:

• 44 Avenue B & Woodward bags
• 8 hip pouches
• 54 grocery panniers
• 2 guitar bags

I’ve made many more than that – 193 bags total.

I currently have 33 bags in 4 different retail shops around Portland.  I post my bags on Etsy and Pedalr, and attend local bike craft events.

Some recent news:  I’ve recently hired Mara, my first production assistant, who comes in to help with cutting and prepping.  I’m trying to step up my production capacity a little bit, and need to start delegating some stuff.  She has been great – very creative and attentive to detail.

Also, my studio has sprung a leak in the recent rainstorms, which has been a fun extra thing to deal with.

I’ve got a peek at another new product which I’ll be introducing at Bike Craft 2010:

Basically I’m going for a step up from the grocery pannier (more durable, waterproof, more secure) but without all the features of the Woodward.  It’s a simple roll-top pannier design,  tapered for style and accessibility.  It features a waterproof ripstop nylon liner, a reflector which wraps around the front and one side, d-rings to add a shoulder strap, and the basic hook & bungee setup.  Useful for extra waterproof cargo space and light touring.  I’ll have two sizes available.  Come be the first to check them out at Bike Craft 2010.

I also have some new colors in stock:

For Fabric:  Charcoal, Burgundy and Midnight Blue

For Straps & Trim:  Burgundy, Teal, and Pink!

Curtis

Topics: BikeCraft, Colors, Events, new product, pannier, shop updates, waterproof

Posted by curtis on October 7th, 2010

I just finished up a prototype for a new product that I’d like to share.  It’s a small, simple  duffel bag – handles, side pockets, and d-rings to attach an adjustable shoulder strap.  Oh, and some simple velcro straps at the bottom to secure it to a rear rack.

What do you think?  Don’t you want one?  I’m also considering offering other attachment options such as an under-the-seat option (for those bicycles that don’t have racks)  or perhaps a handlebar attachment?

Curtis

Topics: bicycle bag, convertible, cordura, duffel, new product, prototype, rack, rack attachment, sneak peek

Posted by curtis on August 24th, 2010

I met a man named Joe Grubb, a NOBO (northbound thruhiker) on the Appaliachian Trail (a 2179 mile long trail from Georgia to Maine, the longest in the country).  He’s hiking the trail to raise awareness and dollars for the Elevate Hope Foundation – a group “dedicated to providing abused and abandoned children an alternative method of therapy through music and the arts”   He’s nearing the end of his hike, and is still plugging for support.  You can read all about it and check out his video blog at his site:

joegrubb.org

After he finishes the hike – he told me he plans to bike from Boston to San Diego in order to continue his mission for the foundation.  I told him about North St and my plans to get some touring bags designs together, and an obvious partnership was sprouted.  I hope to show my support by sending out some bags in exchange for some publicity (not to mention some incredible product testing).  I was already planning on getting the first round of prototypes up for my own touring plans in October, so the timing works well.

In the meantime – good luck Joe!

My own adventures pale in comparison to his, but I sure did have fun.

-Curtis

Topics:

Posted by curtis on July 18th, 2010

I haven’t kept up with the blog now that summer’s here.  I’ve been out enjoying myself quite a bit.

powell butte

Also I’m planning some time off in a few weeks.  The shop will be closed from Aug 5th thru the 30th.  Production will resume when I return.  I’m heading back east to visit family and friends, and I may get some hiking in as well.

Custom orders placed after this week will be made after I get back.  I can ship out stock orders up until the 5th

This is not to say that I’ve been idle.  I have a few new designs that I’m almost ready to announce, and the old favorites are now better than ever.  Here are some highlights:

Hip Pouch:  increased carrying capacity, more secure closure, blinky loop

Woodward & Avenue B:  improved shoulder strap cover,  simple pannier setup w/ bottom hooks, more options & features

A grocery pannier with Mayor Adams??

Josephine Convertible (this is a new one) : recycled fabric & liner, waterproof, convertible, less than $100?  I hope so.  I’m still working out the details:  more will follow.

Laptop Bag (also new): to fit inside any of the convertibles, backpacks or panniers.

I’ll announce these as they become available on the site, so keep an eye out, and enjoy your summer!

Curtis

Topics:

Posted by curtis on June 27th, 2010

I’ve had a chance to test out a new pannier system for my convertible bags, and I want to share my results.  I posted about this a while back here.  I’ll now use a modified hook & bungee system as the standard setup.  The bungee unhooks from one side, and easily tucks into a side strap for use as a backpack.  It does require an extra couple seconds to convert the bag, but the pannier setup is very secure, and ideal for commuting, touring, whatever.

As an upgrade (for $25), I’m still offering the Ortleib hook setup.  The advantage with these is the brilliant spring loaded clip which secures the bag to your rack with no bottom hook needed.  I’ve heard a lot of concern about the wobble factor of this setup (one of the reasons I developed the new system) but it works very well for commuting purposes, and converts very quickly.

Curtis

Topics: avenue b, backpack, convertible, Design, ortlieb, pannier, woodward

Posted by curtis on June 18th, 2010

North St Bags has a NEW LOCATION!   It has been very exciting for me to get out of my basement studio and into a real space.  I have moved into Switchyard Studios on SE Salmon and 2nd Ave.  It’s a community of artists and crafters.  There is actually a vacancy here at the moment, if anyone is looking for such a space – it’s next to mine!

This brings a lot of exciting changes to my business (and to my day) – not the least of which is that you, loyal customers, can now come and see where the bags are made.  If you want help picking one out, need to see color choices in person, or just want to say hi – now you can.  You can now also pick up your orders free of charge.

The address:

109 SE Salmon St,  Portland OR, 97214

I’m generally around 9ish to 6ish on weekdays, but do call or email to make sure.  Also, you will have to call when you get here so I can let you in.  I’ll be posting more regular hours once I’ve settled into more of a routine.

917-922-6507

curtis [at] northstbags [dot] com

Enjoy the sun!

Curtis

Topics:

Posted by curtis on June 5th, 2010

Attention Portland!  Two bags were stolen off of my porch at SE 71st and Division the day before yesterday.  They were in USPS boxes waiting to be picked up by my mail carrier for shipment.  They are ONE OF A KIND – the only bags in these colors – Navy with Royal accents.  If you see them, please let me know ASAP, or better yet -

$100 for their safe return – no questions asked.

curtis [at] northstbags [dot] com

917-922-6507

Thanks,

Curtis

Topics:

Posted by curtis on May 16th, 2010

Things have been picking up for me here at NorthSt.  My bags are being sold at one shop (soon to be two) and I have been talking with several others.  I just sold my 50th bag and my production queue will keep me busy for at least another month.  Plus I have a list of about eight new products I want to put out.

The bags themselves have improved considerably since I started back in October, as you can see in this photo gallery, which I just added to facebook.  It shows most of the bags I’ve made, from the very first bags I made back in Berkeley all the way up to the bag I made yesterday.  This gallery will be added to the site soon to show different color choices.

I’ve learned a lot in the past seven and a half months.  I knew next to nothing about running a business when I started, and still have a lot to learn.  I’ve had moments of frustration, but for the most part I’ve enjoyed my work immensely.  Finishing a bag is an excellent way to end the day.  I’ve had a tremendous amount of support from friends and family, as well as the bicycle community here in Portland, which I am thrilled to be a part of.

Thank you all for your kind words and support, and thanks for reading.

-Curtis

Topics: business, Photos, progress, thoughts

Posted by curtis on May 15th, 2010

A quick announcement:  I will be raising my price on The Bowl bag from $30 to $40 per bag on June 1st.  I will sell pairs at a reduced price of $75 per pair.  Production costs are simply too high for me to keep it at the lower price.

I wanted to let everyone know, to give those who are interested a chance to get the bags at the lower price.  Any orders placed for The Bowl before the first will be for the current price, including orders for colors which aren’t in stock at the moment.  I am waiting on more hardware for these, but I will restock (with some new colors) as soon as I can.

-Curtis

Topics: bowl, grocery, pannier, prices

Posted by curtis on May 14th, 2010

The Woodward Pannier is finally here!  The same solid, waterproof construction as it’s convertible counterpart.  Order a matching companion with the backpack pannier, or buy it on it’s own as reliable commuter pannier.

This bag features:

• waterproof vinyl liner
• roll top closure
• large front pocket with organizer
• handy pockets on the sides
• rings to add a single shoulder strap

Extras include ($5 each):

• a removable, adjustable shoulder strap
• side mesh pouch
• laptop sleeve
• extra internal organizer
• secret pocket
• pump pocket
• mail pocket
• key clip

My introductory offer is this:

single pannier – only $95!

order a set (pannier & convertible) – $295

Available now until June 15th!

-Curtis

Topics: new products, pannier, woodward

Posted by curtis on May 11th, 2010

After a few months of testing I’ve decided to add a back zipper flap to the standard design of The Avenue B backpack pannier.  The flap is similar to the one on The Woodward – two quick zips and the backpack straps are secured.  The main difference is that on this bag, there’s no spot available on the front of the bag to stow the flap when in backpack mode, so I added velcro to the underside of the backpack straps so the flap can secure back underneath the straps when not in use.

I’ll include this new feature with the next three orders at no extra cost while I figure out how to price out this change.

-Curtis

Topics: avenue b, back flap, Design, New features, zipper panel

Posted by curtis on April 29th, 2010

One question I’m asked a lot about my bags is regarding the pannier hooks – Isn’t it a problem that there’s no hook at the bottom?  This is understandable – we’ve all grown used to some sort of attachment at the bottom of the bag.

My answer is that for commuting, it’s been fine.  Myself and a few close friends who have been using my bags as commuter panniers for months (some of them every day) can attest that there is no problem with having hooks only at the top.  The key to this success has been the use of Ortlieb hooks which have spring loaded clips which lock the bag in place.  The hooks are adjustable and come with inserts which you pick out to fit your rack specifically.  This creates a very secure connection between pannier and rack.  The only way the bag can move is to actually swing away from the bike.  I have found, after months of regular commuting, that this simply does not happen.   Granted, Portland isn’t very hilly, and the whole idea gets a lot more iffy when thinking about a convertible bag which you can also tour with.

Shows the spring loaded clips which will lock the bag to the rack.

Another problem with this is that using Ortlieb’s system is not only costly, but also not ideal as a long term solution for my business.  I don’t want to depend on another company’s thing, especially when(if) I expand.

To address these issues, I’ve decided to develop a new system.  I’ve been using the standard hook and bungee setup for my grocery panniers, and I have an idea for modifying this so it would work for a convertible as well – Basically  the bungee would detach from one side of the bag and stow elsewhere for use as a backpack – That way it isn’t poking in to your back.  The advantage to this is a more secure (and cost effective) pannier solution without compromising the backpack feature.  The drawback is that there would be an extra step or two involved in converting the bag.  (There’s always a trade-off).

I’ve already had a request for this on an order, and hope to have a working prototype up within a few weeks when I will share my findings.  In the meantime, I welcome ideas and comments. (If the comment section doesn’t show up on this blog, feel free to use my facebook page – there’s a link at the top of this page and here).

Curtis

Topics: avenue b, conversion, Design, pannier, woodward

Posted by curtis on March 23rd, 2010

I got to go on a little smudge of a bike & hike the other day.  Nothing strenuous, but I found myself on the coast in Mendocino county for a day, and decided to stretch my legs a bit.  At the moment I’m in Berkeley for a few days – crashing with friends and basically living out of my large Woodward (8 x 11 roll-top) bag.  I also have an Avenue B (flap) bag with me.  This trip has been opportunity to use these bags in a couple of new ways, and I have some findings to share.

The Avenue B, though a commuter bag, came in hand as a bike & hike bag.  I spent Sunday morning on a ten mile jaunt through the redwoods wearing the bag on my back.  It was by no means the most comfortable hiking pack I’ve ever worn, but it served well.  I returned to the campsite, snapped the bag back onto my bike and then rode 20 miles down the road to my next camping spot.  Again, it wasn’t ideal, but the whole experience got be thinking a little harder about the ideal bike & hike bag – one designed for this purpose. I look forward to developing one (and testing it!).

My trusty soda can stove performed well, as usual.

Back in the city places, I’ve been using my Woodward, and I have the thing packed to the gills.  It’s a tad heavy on my back (but I’m glad it’s a backpack and not just a shoulder bag), but I’ve had no problems with the weight on my bike, even on one side.

Livin' out of my backpack for a few days. It's packed to capacity

I have a few more design refinements to make given these new perspectives, as always making the bags better and better.

-Curtis

Topics: avenue b, bike & hike, capacity, Design, testing, weight, woodward