Get ready. Saddlebags are about to become the next big bike fashion. Think about it. What other bag will fix to a fixed-gear but still keep the clean-lined aesthetic intact? What other style of bag has a retro-appeal, an English Gentleman vibe which fits so perfectly with the Brooks saddle obsession of the hipster? They hook straight to the seat, they look great, and in summer, they won’t give you a sweaty back. In short, the saddlebag is perfect. Or is it?
After some extensive research, it turns out that bike saddlebags are either expensive, ugly, or not available in my hometown. So of course I decided to make one, and it turned out to be surprisingly easy.
First, the seat. You’ll need to either buy or find a saddle with hoops for mounting bags. All Brooks seats have them, and if not you can use some carabiners to rig your own. I have Brooks saddles on both my bikes, so I was ready to go.
Here’s what you’ll need. A suitable bag, some wood (dowel is the preferred choice. I used a chopstick), a craft knife, some toe-straps, available from your local bicycle emporium, and a beer (I chose local favorite Estrella). Here’s the bag:
It cost €5 from the local army surplus store, and at one point in its life it housed a gas mask. The canvas is pretty stiff, and there are lots of pockets both inside and out. Bonus: it has a thin shoulder strap which can be used away from the bike but also easily tucked inside. It’s also important to check that the bag is small enough not to touch the back tire when mounted.
First, measure the distance between the hooks on the saddle. Then use the knife (with a piece of wood underneath to protect the floor or the table) to cut slits the width of the straps. I cut them into the reinforced part of the bag flap for extra strength.
Here it is with the straps threaded. You will need to double them around inside the bag, looping them around the chopstick:
The stick, or dowel, takes the weight of the loaded bag and spreads it over the entire width. It also stops the bag from sagging in the middle. And a chopstick weighs almost nothing. The strap, by the way, cost a few Euros, so the entire cost of this project was less than €10 ($15).
Here are the straps, threaded as if hanging from the seat. Strictly, the buckles should be inside the bag so as to be able to tighten the bag right up against the seat, but I opted for the slightly wobblier outside option as it makes the bag quick release: Just squeeze a clip in each hand and pull.
Next, cut the dowel (or chopstick, or carbon-fiber rod) to length with the knife. I then hooked a couple of cable-ties around to stop the stick from slipping. These could be cut, too, but I just hid the tails inside the handy flap. A spot of superglue should make this perfect. That’s it! Now, outside into the sun for some testing.
There is actually a good clearance between bag and wheel — a couple of inches at least — but the angle of the photo is tricky. There’s also room for my D-lock (the ugly bracket is on the seat-post, and the lock is still there in the picture at the top of the post). I’m going to trim the straps down to stop them flapping so wildly, but otherwise it works great. The toe-straps are perfect, designed to be strong, hold fast and yet quick to adjust and remove. The bag itself is also a good find, both size wise and because it easily fits all the tools (pump, multi-tool, spare tube) you need as well as a snack, another lock, some water or a camera. And if things start to swing around too much, there’s another canvas loop on the back which could hold a strap to wrap around the seat-post.
Get making, hipster bikers! And make sure you post the results in the Gadget Lab Flickr Pool.
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