Bicycle Mechanics - Shop Apron of Your Dreams

My mother-in-law has started a small business and she's making beautiful, tough, fully lined cook's aprons.

breathingin.etsy.com (http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5875587)

At my urging she is developing an apron for bicycle mechanics.

So now's your chance. If you could have the shop apron of your dreams, what would it have? Perhaps equally important, what would it not have?

I await your wisdom, o sage ones.

best

Patrick

Although our vendor seems to always be out of them, I like the concepts of the Fox Shop Apron. (http://www.thepedalwrench.com/prp/shop.php/P-249/Fox_Wrench_Apron.html)

Two beer pockets and an opener. :D

No kitten prints, ponies, bunnies....ok well maybe bunnies. What would be cool is a small magnet for small tools for on the fly attachment.

Not the most practical of aprons, but that's not what matters in this case.

http://www.sexydressup.com/img/cherrypie.jpg

the Finish Line apron is pretty nice.

If you can see on, the PEDRO's Pro Shop Apron is very nice.

It is made out of a pretty heavy Black Canvas/Jean Material with Yellow Nylon 1/2 inch wide piping around the Apron itself. Nylon Web for straps about 1 1/4 inch wide.

Pockets! Doubled up near the bottom which are nice. One up near the top that has a Pen and an Air Guage slot which are really handy.

My OLD GT Apron is similar, but my shop doesn't sell GT so it's a no go.

Chris

+1 on using etsy.

I have nothing useful to add to this thread.

except LOTS of pockets and cordura(probably not).

cordura is certainly a possibility, but would you prefer it over heavy cotton duck (ie carhartt)?

I like my long Park apron. Hm, only thing I think would be nice is another pocket intended for small parts (small screws, caps, etc). I put them in the big bottom pocket right now and sometimes they're hard to find in there

Now that I think about it, I also sometimes have my tools fall out of the apron when bending over, that can be annoying. A taller pocket for holding screwdrivers, hex drivers, etc would be nice

In our shop we have to wrench and wait on customers, so I don't like wearing an apron. Plus all the aprons are pretty big for my liking anyway

cordure is nice for its durability with the inevitable snags that are bound to happen, but I think the heavy canvas type cotton is likely fine and would feel a bit better as cordura feels somewhat coarse(?)

also, the taller pockets are a good idea

since the apron is fully lined, we might consider a cordura outside and a cotton lining. or maybe focus on a ripstop fabric, of whatever type, for the outer fabric....

thanks everyone! keep 'em coming! this is great and I appreciate it.

Cordura melts. That's probably not a bike shop problem most of the time, but as a shop apron, that's bad news if you're soldering or grinding.

I'm all for:

Dark colors that look the same greasy. Black is a good way to go.
Being able to pull it up to your neck for when spraying or whatever
Pockets
High adjustability
Ties in the front
Loops for screwdrivers, hex wrenches, stuff like that.
I really like the magnets idea, except you'll stick to a lot of bikes.
Etsy, as a matter of principle.

http://archives.cnn.com/2000/LAW/10/30/skeletons.story/story.coroner.apron.jpg

Maybe i'll walk over there and pick one up today. :D

Make it relatively cheap and make it the color of grease, and I am in.

jim

How about an apron that says, "Kiss the cook!"

A zip-on or velcro fitting towel panel near the bottom corner at the front with a couple of spare patches to wipe the worst grease off your hands/ parts etc. I'm always unconsciously doing this with my apron then leaving mucky marks everywhere! Also supply a MM/AF wrench conversion list in the decoration!

I am all for a pocket for small parts. I wear slacks to work every day and just recently bought a new brand that have a tiny "change" pocket that is sown inside the main pocket. It really makes it nice to put small things in and not have them loose inside the main pocket.
If that were on an apron it would provide a contained place to put really small stuff but also have it inside a larger pocket just in case it gets loose. It would still be in the outer pocket instead of on the floor.

My mother-in-law has started a small business and she's making beautiful, tough, fully lined cook's aprons.

breathingin.etsy.com (http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5875587)

At my urging she is developing an apron for bicycle mechanics.

So now's your chance. If you could have the shop apron of your dreams, what would it have? Perhaps equally important, what would it not have?

I await your wisdom, o sage ones.

best

Patrick

Line the apron with magnets so if you drop parts, they will stick to the apron.

My ex suggests a long apron - about knee length - split at crotch level so that it forms chaps. Farriers use something similar. Protects the legs and should be cooler than a full apron.

http://ww2.harborfreight.com/cpi/photos/93500-93599/93597.gif (http://ww2.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=93597)

My ex suggests a long apron - about knee length - split at crotch level so that it forms chaps. Farriers use something similar. Protects the legs and should be cooler than a full apron.



that reminds me of a question-- is keeping cool an issue? how much? i've noticed the commercially available bike shop aprons are thinner than our current stock. Cooks aprons need to be thicker/lined in case of spills, spattering grease, boiling liquids, etc, but that's not so much of an issue in the bicycle workshop, so perhaps a lighter fabric for cooler working conditions will prevail. what's your experience?

Keepin' it cool is always an issue : )

Ice cold!