Nic from Look Mum No Hands got in touch about us making a Leopard frame bag for a new frame that Ryan at Oak Cycles was building for her. And, by the way...
I need it for Bespoked next month...
Some basic details were discussed, such as colour, number of compartments, overall size and width of the bag and so on. Besides all the usual options, this one would be a little different. Nic wanted it to be bolted to the frame along the underside of the top tube, and to the bottle cage bosses on the down tube. After a bit of discussion over how many bolts were needed to hold the bag in place, we concluded that as the main triangle was quite small, those specified would suffice. Ryan wanted to maintain a certain aesthetic for the bike when the bags weren't fitted.
The spine of the bag is stiffened with a 2mm plastic panel secured behind a fabric liner, so the inside of the bag looks like neat. The liner was inserted with hook and loop down one seam, so the plastic stiffener can be removed if necessary. Holes were drilled in precisely the right places on the plastic - based on the dimensions provided on the template - and corresponding holes made and sealed in the outer fabric layers.
All this was completed working off a paper template, and it wasn't until we got to Bespoked we saw how well it had all come together. The Oak Cycles stand generated a lot of interest, both in the bike and the bags that were on it. It provided a good contrast between some of the more traditional touring bikes on show with the progression that has been made toward lightweight off road touring in recent years.
It was a pleasure to have provided the bags that contributed towards Ryan's creation, which won the Bespoked Bristol 2013 Best Touring Bicycle award.