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DIY Bike Accessories Made During COVID-19 2020 Pandemic--- Post Your Creations!

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DIY Bike Accessories Made During COVID-19 2020 Pandemic--- Post Your Creations!

Old 04-16-20, 03:28 PM
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pastorbobnlnh 
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DIY Bike Accessories Made During COVID-19 2020 Pandemic--- Post Your Creations!

I'm in a unique circumstance for my "Shelter in Place" coronavirus lockdown. Instead of being at home in NH, I left for a 3.5 month sabbatical beginning March 15th. Currently Mrs. PB and I are practicing social distancing on Saint Simons Island, GA. I have my Dahon folder and have logged 400 miles of flat, sometimes windy, riding. I can't participate in the Covid-19 build a bike challenge.

However, I brought my leather crafting tools and a good supply of leather. This is the first project I worked on.


It is said that "imitation is the highest form of flattery" and I have to admit it is copied and based on this saddle bag sold by Brooks.


While not an exact copy, I did use the measurements of the above bag and traced an oval from the side in order to make my bag.

This was the first time I worked with zippers and I was surprised at how easy they were! I should mention I made this saddle bag to complement the handlebar bag I run on my '71 Paramount P-13. I've had this Bridgestone bag since the early '90s and I've never been able to find a saddle bag to match. Only took me nearly 30 years and a pandemic to make one!


A couple more pictures.




Please add your DIY Bicycle Accessories made while sheltering in place during these challenging times.
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Old 04-16-20, 03:50 PM
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Love it! The light brown bit at the end of the zipper path looks like a bit of Keith Haring saying hello.
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Old 04-16-20, 04:09 PM
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Excellent choice, pastorbobnlnh, and nicely executed! Mrs NF's favorite saddle bag. She's been schlepping an Isle of Wight around for a good few years now.

Pic from just a few days ago:

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Old 04-17-20, 07:02 AM
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Originally Posted by noobinsf
Love it! The light brown bit at the end of the zipper path looks like a bit of Keith Haring saying hello.
Of course I had no idea who Keith Haring is or what he did, so I searched and I found he was an artist--- who among other things specialized in murals and graffiti art. I did find a few images and see what you mean.

However, I just needed a practical way to cover up the zipper cloth ends hanging down below the blue leather. Straight across was too boring. I was going more for the look of "a fender mud flap." I was also thinking if I can find an appropriately sized round reflector, that might look nice there as well.

non-fixie thanks for posting the picture of your wife's Isle of Wight bag. I couldn't remember the model name for certain on mine, and didn't want to disperse any "fake information" about saddle bag models.
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Old 04-17-20, 08:01 AM
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I've been doing bar wraps as of late. Three sets


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Old 04-17-20, 08:29 AM
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Sounds like a great way to spend this time PB, nice work on the saddle bag.

Originally Posted by noobinsf
Love it! The light brown bit at the end of the zipper path looks like a bit of Keith Haring saying hello.
Nice catch, now I can't unsee that
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Old 04-17-20, 08:34 AM
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I needed a smaller bag for closer-to-home adventures, my rando bag was just too much. This little mini-loaf bag has a top zipper, 2 small internal pockets, a hooded slip pocket on the drive side and shock cord on the non drive side. All sides, aside from the top, are padded. It’s just big enough for a small sandwich, a camera and, in a pinch, stashing a light layer.



Of course it needed a matching tool roll



I took the mini loaf on a non-C&V forest road ramble the other day. The padding keeps things quiet on rough roads.

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Old 04-17-20, 09:04 AM
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I swapped stems and needed a cable hanger.


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Old 04-17-20, 09:08 AM
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Originally Posted by Mr. 66
I've been doing bar wraps as of late. Three sets


I laced up the 2nd (final) set of the 8+ year old Velo Orange elkhide bar wrap this past weekend. They don't seem to sell it any more. Was curious what you're using, as it looks great.

I despise bar tape, but like the wrap. Go figure.
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Old 04-17-20, 10:55 AM
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super nice..... I expect people will be putting orders in soon say, how about a tubie holder?
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Old 04-17-20, 11:47 AM
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Originally Posted by squirtdad
super nice..... I expect people will be putting orders in soon say, how about a tubie holder?
I've fit a spare tubular in the Brooks Isle of Wight Bag, so I think this one could handle one as well.

I'm dreaming up a module bag. Different layers will snap together depending on the ride's particular needs and I expect it to include a tubular spare sleeve.

Mr. 66 did you make your own leather bar cover? Your work is impeccable! Well done!

I made my first set of bar cover (and hoods) this winter before the pandemic hit the US. I cut the leather just a tad too wide so I needed to pad it slightly so it wouldn't be loose on the bars.


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Old 04-17-20, 12:00 PM
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Originally Posted by USAZorro
I laced up the 2nd (final) set of the 8+ year old Velo Orange elkhide bar wrap this past weekend. They don't seem to sell it any more. Was curious what you're using, as it looks great.

I despise bar tape, but like the wrap. Go figure.
Thanks! The dark leathers came from an abandoned couch skirt it's fairly thick but very soft and full stretching. The redder is a lot more heavy it does not stretch the same manner, it came from an old ottoman that I bought new bitd. I bet my red is more like your V/O.
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Old 04-17-20, 12:10 PM
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Originally Posted by pastorbobnlnh
I've fit a spare tubular in the Brooks Isle of Wight Bag, so I think this one could handle one as well.

I'm dreaming up a module bag. Different layers will snap together depending on the ride's particular needs and I expect it to include a tubular spare sleeve.

Mr. 66 did you make your own leather bar cover? Your work is impeccable! Well done!

I made my first set of bar cover (and hoods) this winter before the pandemic hit the US. I cut the leather just a tad too wide so I needed to pad it slightly so it wouldn't be loose on the bars.


I did all, cut, perf, stitch. I admit/admire you are more man than I on your wrap. You went for the aero levers and hoods. I may try aero cabling bar wrap soon if boredom gets the better of me.
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Old 04-17-20, 12:58 PM
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Originally Posted by Mr. 66
Thanks! The dark leathers came from an abandoned couch skirt it's fairly thick but very soft and full stretching. The redder is a lot more heavy it does not stretch the same manner, it came from an old ottoman that I bought new bitd. I bet my red is more like your V/O.
The colors match up quite closely with the honey and black that I have. It is actually rather thin though.

A couple years back, I tried my own, but the leather I had was not pliable, and is rather hard on the hands. Coloration courtesy of leather paint.


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Old 04-17-20, 03:11 PM
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Originally Posted by Mr. 66
I did all, cut, perf, stitch. I admit/admire you are more man than I on your wrap. You went for the aero levers and hoods. I may try aero cabling bar wrap soon if boredom gets the better of me.
Fantastic work! Well done!

In my case, the aero levers are vintage Dura Ace AX, Shimano's first aero levers. I started out just making hoods since original ones sell for north of 100 bucks. After perfecting the hoods I felt as if the same lever would make a nice bar cover. I wish the bars had come with a grove for the cables. I believe it would make for a neater appearance.
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Old 04-17-20, 03:48 PM
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My home office is in the basement, where I decorated with my bike stuff. I was looking at a picture of Cino Cinelli from 1939. He is with his teammate Olimpio Bizzi in Rome after a Giro stage. Bizzi is wearing a Unis Sport tee shirt.

Joel Metz posted a 1938 Unis Sport catalog - https://archivalblog.com/shopping-fr...sport-catalog/ They made athletic wear back in the day.

I recreated the logo, made a silk screen and printed a shirt for myself.


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Old 05-03-20, 11:00 PM
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I recently decided to make some saddle bags and other cycling accessories, since I'm currently finishing up my last big leather commission for a reenactor client and am really not part of that scene any more... This is the first (almost) finished one but it still needs to be coated in wax balm.

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Old 05-03-20, 11:06 PM
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Old 05-04-20, 03:41 AM
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Originally Posted by Kilroy1988
I recently decided to make some saddle bags and other cycling accessories, since I'm currently finishing up my last big leather commission for a reenactor client and am really not part of that scene any more... This is the first (almost) finished one but it still needs to be coated in wax balm.

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That is a masterpiece!

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Old 05-04-20, 07:53 AM
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Kilroy1988 I share Drillium Dude's sentiments as well! Fantastic work! I'm guessing you made your bag from thick cow hide? I've not tried to work with any yet but hope to in the future.

At the moment Mrs. PB has me making her a purse from the same blue goatskin used on my saddle bag above. This is a first. In the past I've re-purposed used leather purses into bike bags. At least this time I'm not re-purposing a bike bag into a purse!

Darth Lefty nice job on the ramp for the kiddos! Better be careful, they might want a half-pipe next!
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Old 05-04-20, 08:36 AM
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Originally Posted by pastorbobnlnh
Kilroy1988 I share Drillium Dude's sentiments as well! Fantastic work! I'm guessing you made your bag from thick cow hide? I've not tried to work with any yet but hope to in the future.
Thank you sir, and thank you Drillium Dude

I wouldn't call the carved leather on this bag "thick" because it's only 3-4 oz, or about 2mm. It's raw vegetable tanned leather, which allows me to do what I will with the surface. I've been making reproductions of ancient & medieval leather goods for almost fifteen years now, and for much of that time have accepted commissions for relatively time-consuming projects, often involving lots of ornate tooling or paint work. Without spamming the thread, you can see most of the stuff I've done that seemed worth sharing in these Flickr albums:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/90721376@N07/albums

As mentioned, I'm almost done with what will be my last commission for the foreseeable future, and would like to play around with making some cycling goods, such as saddle bags, saddles, toe straps, brake hoods, etc... I'm surprised to say that this is the FIRST cycling item I've made, despite years of doing both leather work and restoring vintage bikes simultaneously!

-Gregory
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Old 05-05-20, 04:16 PM
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These were finished as the 'stay at home' was getting started. I'd been thinking alternatives and designing over the winter but the fab and finish completed in early April. My thoughts for my rehab Fuji Touring Series III was light tourer - no rear rack, front rack and mid size saddle bag. I decided on the Banjo Brothers Minnehaha small bag. So

As I wanted the bag to secure tight to the back of the saddle and not swing into the brake cable or brake bridge I conjured a parcel shelf, just enough to secure the bag and take some of the weight if needed. Rummaged in my piles of "junk too small to throw away" to find the stainless steel and grabbed a piece of nice red cedar that actually used to be a tree on our property. Too nice to throw away. Fabricated it all then bent two stainless steel spokes to serve as stops and to wrap the bags lower strap through. It has worked real well so far. I've not loaded it much though. Only short rides these days, Tools only, no lunches nor rain gear.




As for the front rack, I did not have a proper front rack but had the low trail geometry. Located a single stay rear rack and decided to modify it. If I liked it then OK, If not then no great loss. I bent and bobbed, filed and fit and finished. Took another piece of that same cedar tree and created the stop bar to go in front of the front brake cable. Also an artistic tie in to the rear shelf. Bit of sanding and silver paint and bolted it on. Again, no heavy loads yet but I like the look. Actually only an inch or so longer than a "proper" front rack. We'll see how it goes.




I think I'll really like having a front bag that does not hang from the handlebars as my other ones do. I like the randonneur look too.
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Old 05-06-20, 06:45 AM
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Well done Mr. Prowler !

Now show these off with bags mounted.
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Old 05-16-20, 05:34 PM
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Stem bag for my SO's bike. Fits a 32oz Nalgene. The body is also padded with closed cell foam, so it works well for a mirrorless camera too.

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Old 05-16-20, 05:39 PM
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wow that’s way better than painting rocks like I do on vacation
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