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

Posted by curtis on March 7th, 2010

My younger brother is in town.  On his very first day in Portland we joined up with Friends of Trees, loaded up the trailer and planted trees around the neighborhood.  Our crew (an all bicycle crew), after getting lost and crossing the freeway a couple times too many, planted six trees around NE Glisan and 73rd, including two in a much needed spot on Burnside.

Overall there was a great turnout for the event, and the weather was brilliant.  We put a total of 230 trees in the ground that day, and I learned that plantings happen every week.

The new trailer made at Rejuiced Bikes worked out great!  That bin fit in well, and the bucket on the back is very useful.  It drew a lot of attention.

Not a bad intro to Portland, I think he’s hooked.

Topics: Events, Friends of Trees, trailer, trees, Trees by Bike, Volunteering

Posted by curtis on March 5th, 2010

I’ve got a new name for the business – NorthSt bags.   For those who don’t know, the name comes from the street I grew up on in Vermont.   I remember long rides up to the top, and my first bike wreck was on that street too.  I was 8 and I took a good sized chunk out of my knee on the way to a parade.

Following the streets-I’ve-lived-on theme,  the bags now have names:

The Woodward – I designed this bag with the Portland winter in mind – It has a roll top closure and waterproof liner.  Named for my home on SE Woodward.

The Avenue B – This is the bag I wish I’d had when I lived in NYC (on the top floor at Ave B and 13th St).  It features a flap & drawstring closure, and now a nylon liner.

The Bowl – My basic grocery pannier made from old banner vinyl.  This one’s named after my favorite grocery in Berkeley where I first used it.

Also – I have some new color selections in.  I’ll get some photos/swatches up on the new site

Cordura – Khaki, Navy, Mint Green (I plan on using this for Hip Pouches)

Vinyl (liner) – Tan, Red

Nylon (liner) – Silver, Tan, Red, Yellow

Nylon (inside pockets) – Charcoal, Red

Webbing (straps) – Kelly Green, Brown

I want my color selection to grow and grow, but it gets a little pricey, so I have to control it.  Plus my tiny basement shop is pretty much at capacity storage wise.

If you’re holding out for your favorite colors, let me know and I can try to get them into the next order.

Topics: Colors, cordura, Design, fabric, nylon, vinyl, webbing

Posted by curtis on March 2nd, 2010

For those who missed it, here’s a little recap from the Bike Swap.  The Sandbox Studio was packed to the gills with vendors selling, trading and talking about bikes, bike parts, bike gear, and crafts.  The NorthSt Bags booth saw constant traffic all day, making sales and talkin’ about bags.  More event coverage is here.

Topics: bike swap, booth, Events, Sales

Posted by curtis on February 28th, 2010

These bags are very simple.  It’s a grocery bag that you can attach to your bicycle.  It’s a bit more durable and weather proof too.  I bring these into the store and get excited comments when I’m cashing out.

The hooks are handmade by Haulin’ Colin up in Seattle.  He makes some sturdy lookin’ trailers.  Check out some photos here.

The hardware is stainless steel.  The pannier setup is simple, but classic.  It works.

The material is vinyl from old banners that I found at Scrap.  I matched accent colors to the images in the banner.

If there are any left after the Bike Swap tomorrow, I’ll be selling these for $25 each  or $45 for a pair.

Send me an email if you want one and what color (Red, Blue, or Black)

curtis [at] northstbags [dot] com

I have plenty more banner material so I’ll be making more (more colors too!)

Topics: grocery, pannier, recycled vinyl

Posted by curtis on February 21st, 2010

Is it cool to call them fanny packs yet? Nifty colors and simplistic functionality, these are great for when you only need a wallet, your keys, maybe a small book.   Made from 1000d Cordura with a vinyl liner for weatherproofing.  These also sport my new woven labels – made special by Custom Couture Label Co in New Hampshire.

I’m selling the basic version for $30.

I’ll also be doing a run with key clips and reflectors, and I can take custom orders as well – choose colors and features. I’ll put up an order form for this soon, but in the meantime, shoot me an email if you want one – let me know what color, and if you want a key clip or reflector

curtis.3bags [at] gmail [dot] com

Topics: Hip Pouch, new, new products

Posted by curtis on January 9th, 2010

I just read this fantastic book, and I wanted to share some thoughts.  The book is Cradle to Cradle by William McDonough & Michael Braungart.  They propose a new industrial system which accounts for the entire life cycle of a product down to the molecule.  Their idea is basically that products should be designed and built from the get-go so that their components and materials can be easily separated and recycled into equally useful materials (vs. the current, system, what they call “downcycling”).  You can read more about it here – I recommend reading the book, which isn’t even made of paper.

The book got me thinking hard about 3bags and how their methods could be applied.  I don’t pretend that the materials I use are recyclable in the Cradle to Cradle way – I don’t think such a material exists yet (if it does, let me know!).  What I do get out of my materials is durability – and lots of it.  Cordura lasts.  It’s strong, abrasion resistant and water resistant.  A raw edge won’t even fray easily.  I’ve designed my bags with long lasting durability in mind.  I want the bag to last and be versatile and functional enough that it remains useful for years and years.  I do still worry about what happens when the bag is no longer useful, and after reading Cradle to Cradle I’ve started working on this problem.  Here are some of my ideas:

• No (Low) waste policy – I’ve been working hard on my patterns to reduce the amount of scraps from cutting.  I’ve even re sized pockets and features to reduce scraps – in most cases down to zero.
  
• Repairs – I can patch tears, fix busted seams and replace broken hardware in order to extend the life of the bag.
• Unwanted bags – if your bag is still perfectly functional, you’re just looking for something new, you can return the old bag and get a discount towards a new one.  I can then sell the old bag at reduced price.
• Bags beyond repair – I’ll even collect bags which are destroyed, and not easily repaired.  Through my design process I’ve taken a lot of bags apart and put them back together again, with no apparent loss of strength.  I’ve rebuilt my original backpack about 5 times now, and it’s still going strong (and that one’s made of 500d Cordura).  I want to run some more tests to see how a seam is affected by being ripped out and stitched over again, but it is possible for me to rebuild bags to make them functional again (I’d sell these at reduced price as well)
• Salvage Materials – Once the seams do die completely, I can still just cut them off and use the salvaged materials to make something new.  Buckles, hooks and webbing can be reused as well.

I haven’t put any of these ideas into practice yet outside of my own prototypes, but I thought I’d share them.  If you have any suggestions or thoughts, I would love to hear them.

-Curtis

Topics: Ideas, Materials, No Waste, Rebuild, Recycling, Repairs, Salvage

Posted by curtis on December 31st, 2009

For the first three weeks of 2010 I will take 20% off all orders!

That’s a savings of up to $40!

All I ask in return is that you agree to fill out a survey providing feedback on the bag after you’ve used it a bit.  It’ll be painless, I promise.  A month or so after I ship out your bag, I’ll send you a form via email with questions about features and the general functionality of the bag.  Basically I’ll want to know what you like and don’t like about the bag.

This discount will last from the 1st through the 21st of January.

Tell your friends, and Happy Oh-Ten!

Topics: Discount, Sale, Sales, Savings, Survey

Posted by curtis on December 30th, 2009

Hot off the press!

I’ve put up a bunch of photos to illustrate the different options.

You can find it here.

It should make ordering a bit easier.  The page isn’t quite as sexy as I would like (there’s some “padding” that didn’t quite work out for me), and the order form itself is still a separate page (using google docs), but all the good stuff is up!  As always, if you have any questions, comments or concerns, I’d be happy to hear them.

Enjoy the last two days of 2009!

Topics: Features, Photos, Website

Posted by curtis on December 17th, 2009

This one took a few tries – it keeps the back and shoulder straps dry and clean, and contains all of the straps with two quick zips.  The flap itself  flips underneath the bag and velcros to the front, out of the way.  Conversion is quick and easy!  Available soon for the Roll Top backpack.

I have a few more orders to fill, then I’ll be heading back home to VT for the holidays.

Cheers!

Topics: back flap, backpack, Design, roll top

Posted by curtis on December 8th, 2009

I’ve been working on some new features:

• a flap to cover the shoulder straps & back of the bag to protect it from the elements when converted to a pannier
• a padded bottom to protect laptops and devices
• a hook to secure the bottom of the bag to the rack
• a single shoulder strap option
• a cell phone pouch for a shoulder strap

I’ve also been refining designs for:

• the drawstring closure
• the roll top closure
• the stiff backing

Order have started coming in, so I’m working hard to finish these features.  If you’re interested in any of these, you may want to wait until they are ready before ordering.  I will also be adding many more photos to illustrate all of the features.

Or, if you simply cant wait for any of that, go ahead and put an order in here.

Topics: Design, New features

Posted by curtis on December 8th, 2009

After spending some time in the sun down in Berkeley for Thanksgiving, I found out about BikePortland’s local craft event called BikeCraft.  I quickly built a couple of new bags and set up my table.  I was pretty swamped all day and didn’t get a chance to take any photos, but here are some taken by BikePortland.org’s Editor in cheif Jonathan Maus, who I had the great pleasure of meeting that day:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bikeportland/4166943728/in/set-72157622817250679/

The event was a big hit, and I was glad to introduce my new bags to the scene.

Topics: BikeCraft, BikeCraft V, Events

Posted by curtis on November 18th, 2009

Here’s the second Roll Top bag. New features include:

• new roll top closure – a 9″ extension and three buckles to keep it closed.
• side reflectors for added visibility
• this image also shows a compression strap being used to stash a U-Lock. The roll-top strap actually keeps the lock in place. On the flap bags, a strap option will be available to acheive the same thing.

I tried something new with the shoulder straps. Instead of flipping over the top of the bag, they’re designed to tighten down against the back of the bag. The adjuster straps will be clipped out of the way and viola! No loose ends to impede the wheel. I’ve found this to be the simplest solution so far – it looks better, it’s a little bit easier to convert the bag, and it’s simpler to make.

Topics: Design, Product, roll top

Posted by curtis on November 11th, 2009

My first Roll Top bag is finished.

It features:

• 8 x 11 inch base – a bigger bag to carry more stuff
• a waterproof liner made with 18oz Vinyl
• bike attachment
• a large box pocket on the front with organizer for my wallet, small notebook and pens (waterproof)
• new shoulder strap design with padding and sternum strap

Being a prototype, this bag is still a little rough around the edges (I still have to nail down the closure itself).  I’ve been testing this bag out for the past few days – hauling around a laptop, binder, jacket, rain gear, some tools and other assorted things.  The bag fits them all with room to pick up dinner on the way home.  All that weight does make the bike perform differently when the bag is attached to it, but it’s nothing an experienced commuter can’t handle.

Other than that, the bag has performed exceptionally well as a pannier with no issues.  The sternum strap serves a double purpose as a way of securing the shoulder straps  when the bag is converted to a pannier.  The shoulder straps flip over the top of the bag, and are clipped together with the sternum strap.  See pics below.

I’ve also had a chance to test this bag boy out in the rain.  Even with it’s current closure problems, my stuff has stayed bone dry.

Topics: backpack, new products, Products, roll top

Posted by curtis on November 6th, 2009

…about a year and a half ago in Berkeley CA. My lifestyle as a bicycle commuter, budding bicycle mechanic, and overall bicycle enthusiast prompted the desire for a new bicycle bag. I was dissatisfied with certain aspects of my current bag (a messenger bag from timbuk2) and wanted something new.

I made the choice to go with a backpack – ultimately to save myself some back troubles down the line. Being fairly picky when it comes to style, (and also unemployed with plenty of free time) I decided to make one myself. At the time I was heavily involved at Waterside Workshops – a non profit organization that included a do-it-yourself bike shop, a community sewing shop and a wooden boat building shop. (It’s an excellent place – if you’re in Berkeley I encourage you to check it out, or check out their website here). I volunteered regularly in their bike shop as well as their sewing shop, and had access to their industrial machines. After many hours of work I came up with this:

This one didn’t quite attach to a bicycle, but it worked very well as a backpack.  I used it everyday.

The bag features:

• flap closure
• easy access pockets on the front for my day planner, pens, ect
• elastic pockets on this sides for bike lights, tool & water bottle
• a loop for a blinky
• well organized interior with useful pockets including a laptop pocket
• compression straps to secure load

I also developed a couple of other ideas for bags:

This one’s a simple pannier which I use as a grocery bag.  I take it right into the store with me.  It’s made from vinyl from a recycled sale banner and anotherwise useless bike tube.  I found a large amount of recycled banners here in PDX and plan to do a big batch of these to sell.

This is a tool wrap idea I had for touring – I was basically going for a tool board on the go.  After a tourI was fed up with digging into the depths of my panniers for tools.

This is a simple saddle bag dubbed the “burrito” bag for the say it conveniently held my leftover burrito that one time.

Topics: backpack, bags, Burrito Bag, Grocery Pannier, Products, sadle bag

Posted by curtis on November 6th, 2009

Introducing 3bags – My new bicycle bag company based (for now) out of my new home in Portland OR.

My shop is set up, as you can see, and it’s been running smoothly so far. The space is well lit for a basement, and surprisingly comfortable. I can’t beat the commute either (my bedroom is just to the left of this photo). I’ve found suppliers, bought a kick-ass industrial sewing machine, pounded out some new designs and am almost ready to start production.

Since I started working on this business about a month ago, my life has become one enormous math problem (think: those portfolio problems we did back in math class… only bigger and for real). I’ve learned a lot about starting a business, and am very excited to see it come to life. It’s kept me quite busy, but all in all I’ve enjoyed the process.

I’m still prototyping at the moment, but I’ll be taking orders very soon!

I look forward to your comments.

Topics: 3bags, Shop