Category: Luggage

I’ve seen Rickshaw Bagworks’s sweet little Pipsqueak handlebar bag at bike expos, and on their website, but features that others love weren’t going to work for me (or for Basil, my Brompton bicycle).

The Pipsqueak is infinitely variable, colorwise, if one emails the company and requests other hues, and it has other great features, too.  Unfortunately, the straps aren’t optimized for a Brompton bicycle* (shocking, I know); the bag’s too small for my humongous phone or its even more humongous case; I wanted buckles instead of snaps on the straps; and I wanted a buckle closure instead of hook-and-loop.

So I made my own version.  (This is the curse of getting used to making things oneself:  Really, it’s easier to order online!)

It’s the “frite” bag, because it bears a strong resemblance to the paper carton French fries are often served in.

I hand-drew the pattern to the dimensions I needed, and then cut the bag out of black Cordura, and a lining of yellow ripstop nylon. (My Frite bag is taller than the Pipsqueak, and quite a bit thinner, front to back.)  Then I added a Cordura pocket on the inside for Basil’s cards.

Here it is, partially assembled.  That’s the card pocket on the inside; you can see the buckle closure at the right.  The edges are bound in polyester twill tape.

The Pipsqueak can be worn as a belt bag, using the handlebar straps.  I almost never wear belts but I did need a loop to grab when the bag isn’t on Basil, so I added one to the top, incorporating it into the straps.

In theory, my bag could be worn on a belt, too, but those buckles wouldn’t be nearly as comfortable as Rickshaw’s snap loops.

Here’s another view of the bag, with the handlebar straps, grab loop, an embroidered patch, and the front buckle attached.

I made several mistakes:  I wish the patch were about a quarter inch lower, and I probably should have made sure that the buckles opened the opposite way.  Then there’s this:  I haven’t road-tested it yet, so that list may grow.  But, all in all, not bad for a couple hours of evening amusement.

For those with better things to do, the Pipsqueak looks like a great value, and involves much less fussing.

*Due to the cabling on Basil’s M (Brompton) handlebars, one attachment strap on this bag is longer than the other; using the buckles made it adjustable.  Snap closures would be trickier in this instance.  Cables are, of course, a very different matter on a folding bicycle like a Brompton than they are on other two-wheeled creatures.

When I made Basil’s “M” bag, I made the flap removable so that Basil could wear whatever sort of ornamentation struck his fancy.; naturally, he was going to need an Events Bag to mark his formal cycling adventures.  He’s been sporting this new bit of luggage for a few rides now, and it’s worked out very well.

For this iteration of the M bag, I made a new flap, and added a few modifications to the original bag, based on how I’ve used it.

These front flaps are basically shaped like chubby letters “U”.  The tabs at the top have soft hook-and-loop closures on the reverse side, which connect with the bristly hook-and-loop sections sewn to the back of the bag.

When assembled, the front flap wraps around the Brompton frame, and the flap sides are secured around the frame’s handle.  (The frame is a cut-down Brompton S frame.)

Here’s how the new flap looks attached to the bag.  (Those two “ears” on each side are open pockets, just large enough for snacks, dog repellent, and the like.)

The original M bag flap was  asymmetrical with a buckle underneath; the inner bag was completely open.  The new one attaches around the handle with the same hook-and-loop fasteners , but there’s no buckle in the front.

Magnets are now sewn to the underside of both flaps to hold them in place when Basil flies down the road.  This particular bag is designed to collapse at the top when it’s not full, so I modified the bag body with two rows of magnets on the front of the bag, corresponding to the larger and smaller positions.

The bottom row of magnets is visible when the bag is fully open, but that’s not a concern:  Function before form!

I’ve been using the M bag in its original configuration with no problems, but decided that I’d like to have some way to close it completely under the flap, to make sure that small goods didn’t go flying, and to allow over-loading it when I might be tempted to do so.

This go-round, then, I added a nylon ripstop cuff, with a drawstring,  When it’s not needed, this extension tucks into the bag around the inside edges, leaving the opening quite accessible.

All in all, this version is a lot more functional than the earlier iteration.  I’ve become a big fan of magnets as closures — they connect automatically and stay put, whereas the chunky buckle I had used previously was sometimes a pain to close, and always a bit of a bother, due to being hidden under the flap.

About Those Patches

Finding embroidered patches isn’t always as easy as you’d think — the 5 Boro doesn’t sell them, for example, so I had to get creative to snag these.

At the 2013 5 Boro Tour I spied an embroidered luggage tag, and snapped it up.  In 2014, I bought a baseball cap (!) (at a clearance price, go figure) from which I cut that lovely embroidered shield.

MG supplies great patches for her Coffeeneuring and Erranddonnee events; those were much more easily acquired.

I somehow always get patches slightly lopsided when I sew them on, but have decided it’s a feature, not a bug.  It’s the human touch!  Patches always seem kind of rambunctious anyway, don’t you think?

That Victory patch?  Oops. I’d sewn it on before I remembered that we’ve failed to make Victory’s PASA event every year so far.  (It usually occurs when I’m out of town.)  I bought the patch reflexively when we saw them in the Victory store.

I don’t actually drink beer, so I’m declaring that the “event” for this badge is the run Basil and I make to pick up Victory Brewing Company’s Hopped Up Devil ice cream.

Trust me, there is no better ice cream (cayenne! coffee beans! chocolate!); acquiring and consuming it is an event-worthy experience, and a much more worthwhile activity than wrestling with removing a bunch of tiny stitches that hold an admittedly slightly illegitimate patch on Basil’s new flap.

In fact, I think I’ll just find my way to the freezer right now; Basil and I can pick up more on our next  trip nearby.  It’ll be an event!

I’m still grounded, so I haven’t used it yet, but Basil now has a Mini O bag as part of his burgeoning luggage collection.  (This is not as insane as it seems: I do a variety of different kinds of bicycling, and what’s suitable for one type is often all wrong for another. )

At any rate, what I haven’t had was a bag that was truly waterproof.  This Ortlieb bag claims to be, within reason. (Don’t dip it into a stream!)  It’s also small enough that using it for long rides is probably feasible; the largest Brompton bags are like wind sails, and not really suitable for 30 mile/48.2 km trips, unless you’re touring and have no choice.  The Mini O  has a much smaller profile.

The Mini O’s mounting plate is integrated into the bag.  It’s big (and relatively heavy), but also supports the bag well, and I can report that it clips on and off the Brompton block quite easily, just as you’d expect.

There’s a Brompton logo at the upper corner, which is a nice touch — and a useful identification tool, as I think Ortlieb also makes a similar bag with a different attachment device. (The logo is  on the right, above, next to the peak of the mounting plate.)

Here’s the back view, and the side facing the cyclist.  This is also the side of the front flap that opens:  Those little tabs to the right and left sides are what you grab to pop the snaps.  (You can just barely make out the round snap caps behind the tabs.)

The flap falls back toward the front of bag and bike, and this is what the rider sees.  There’s a zipper pouch attached to the inside front, and a key fob (to the left, attached to the pouch) inside, and a surprising amount of room inside.

I was dubious about those snaps, but I needn’t have been: The upper edge of the frame is completely rigid, and getting the snaps to connect and close is not a problem. Nor does the frame flex when closing the flap. The snaps are sturdy metal, not molded plastic.

The inside bottom of the bag is supported by thin plastic sheeting, rather cleverly slotted into place.  This seems quite sufficient, especially as the rest of the bag is so well -crafted.

Off the bicycle, the bag is supported on two sturdy feet and the back plate.  It stands on its own, and is so well-balanced that it does not tend to tip even when the top flap is open.

On each side, there is a button to which the shoulder strap attaches.  The top flap is designed to rest on this button, rather than to cover it.  That’s a bit counter-intuitive, but probably adds to the waterproof aspect of the bag. I find that I automatically want to pull the flap over the button when closing the bag, but expect that this inclination will diminish over time.

A shoulder strap (supplied) clips — with a satisfying click — onto these buttons.  Once clipped in place, the strap will rotate, but not disconnect.  I find that I like this connection better than a snap hook, probably because, although the buttons stand out from the side of the bag quite a bit, the clip itself is flat and less obtrusive than a snap hook.

Its other virtues aside, this bag feels a bit odd when worn; that may not matter, as it will primarily be attached directly to my Brompton.  I must remember to wear it with the front next to my body:  The back plate is not a nice thing when pressed against a human waist!  The unyielding nature of the bag — an advantage on the bike — is no such thing on a human.

Too, the bag is a bit awkward to use on a counter, rather than on a bicycle, as it is light weight and opens the “wrong” way.  There’s no ballast to hold the bag in place once it’s off the bike, so pulling a wallet or whatever out of it in other circumstances can be clumsy.

There’s one last feature:  The Brompton logo, and the trim on the handle, are reflective, which is always a nice touch.

I usually buy my Brompton gear from NYCeWheels in New York city, who give great service, but they were sold out of this black-on-black Mini O. I found mine at Portapedal Bike in Tempe, Arizona.  I phoned to confirm that the bag really was there, and Al sent it out to me immediately:  I had it by the end of the week.  (Hint: want an out-of-stock waterproof bag?  Go to the desert!)

That’s all I know so far. I took this new Mini O (and Basil) to the doctor’s office when I got  my stitches removed, thinking, all-too-optimistically, that I’d be able to ride immediately, which let me report on what wearing it is like.  Soon, I hope, I’ll be able to report on what it’s like to use it on Basil.

It’s a hit!

Basil’s M bag is the perfect size for longer runs with a short stop, or for light errands that don’t involve grocery-hauling.

There’s only one thing I wish were different.

As you can see, there’s an embroidered iguana on the flap of the underseat bag; it’s a commercial embroidered patch I picked up years ago.   I used it because the flap looked a little bare, and, after all, the iguana color coordinates well.  I’d kind of like to have one on the M bag’s front flap, too

Sadly, I haven’t been able to find another similar patch on the Internet (or anywhere else), so the flap on the new M bag remains unembellished for the moment.  We’ll see if anything else turns up. Or maybe it’s just fine plain.

In the meantime, I’m really enjoying the convenience of a front bag that is neither too big nor too small, and is kitted out for times when I want to haul stuff, but not too much.   This is my everyday Goldilocks bag:  It’s just right!