Classic & Vintage - Fanny pack > saddle bag

I've had this c/v Eagle Creek fanny pack kicking around for a while, and came up with a pretty simple re-purposing as a saddle bag. It's a good size for my needs - I could easily add a small camera in addition to the pile of stuff shown, and I left the straps long enough to cinch a wind shell.

The process was pretty simple: a) I stitched on 2 leather patches to retain the straps and a third for a blinky; b) I cut off the belt strap and stitched up the edges so they wouldn't unravel; c) I replaced the zipper pulls with cord to keep things quiet. The straps are MKS toe straps.

If I find that it bounces around too much for my liking, I can easily put a loop of shock cord around the seatpost, but it doesn't seem like it will be necessary.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4125/5187476692_ecf9fd4f6e_z.jpghttp://farm5.static.flickr.com/4090/5187477536_aac93a83c0_z.jpghttp://farm2.static.flickr.com/1044/5186879005_6cd84e2d62_z.jpg

Here's what the bag looks like unfolded.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4154/5186876749_a8c1d22108_z.jpg

Very nice, and it looks Vintage:thumb:

Looks convincing !

I just wear a fanny pack. Why hang it from the bike at all?

I just wear a fanny pack. Why hang it from the bike at all?

Whatever works for you. That does have certain advantages, like only needing one bag or not having to move the bag between bikes. Otoh, I don't like things around my waist when I'm riding.

thats genius! esp considering prices on classy C&V-ish saddlebags...

EDIT :: anyone else got ideas for how to repurpose old stuff into C&V type accessories like this? I'm thinking maybe old army surplus canvas bags -> panniers, etc...

I just wear a fanny pack. Why hang it from the bike at all?

that's not a bad idea, but i'd be really worried someone might see me wearing a fanny pack.

that's not a bad idea, but i'd be really worried someone might see me wearing a fanny pack.

I think I'd be more worried that someone would see me in lycra.

that's not a bad idea, but i'd be really worried someone might see me wearing a fanny pack.

If you worry about such things, you need to buy a manly-man's fanny pack, not the murse shown in the pic, above. Furthermore, I would suggest the problem stems from your own insecurities, not from the fanny pack.


I think I'd be more worried that someone would see me in lycra.

LOL! Ibid

I don't like things around my waist when I'm riding.

With a good quality fanny pack, you'll never even know it's there. The belt and straps are the key features. You want a wide belt, not a nylon strap. You want quick-release compression straps, too, either built-in (best) or added on. These keep the load secure, no matter how full or empty the pack is. All good fanny packs have them.

http://www.rei.com/product/778452

Let me not forget to say that I think what you did really looks very nice. I like it, especially the leather straps and bits which you added. I'm just exploring the concept a bit.


For example, your pack looks so nice, if you leave it attached to a lock bike, will it still be there when you want to leave (theft is the issue)? Loose bits (pumps, water bottles, lights,...) tend to disappear when you leave them unattended. With a fanny pack, it comes with you when you leave the bike locked up.

My BF, who is quite manly with his mountain climbing and deadlifts and prolonged silences and drinking of beer, uses one of those REI waistpacks. He loves it. I think it looks silly. Fortunately for both of us, he's secure enough to not care when I think something look silly. He says all the mountain-climbing-deadlifting-silent-beer-drinking types he knows wear them.

I still think it looks better strapped to a bike.

my bf, who is quite manly with his mountain climbing and deadlifts and prolonged silences and drinking of beer, uses one of those rei waistpacks. He loves it. I think it looks silly. Fortunately for both of us, he's secure enough to not care when i think something look silly. He says all the mountain-climbing-deadlifting-silent-beer-drinking types he knows wear them.


lol!

Please review my post directly above yours (post #12).

Maybe you can add some leaather straps to the REI pack to make it look less "silly". :)

For example, your pack looks so nice, if you leave it attached to a lock bike, will it still be there when you want to leave (theft is the issue)? Loose bits (pumps, water bottles, lights,...) tend to disappear when you leave them unattended. With a fanny pack, it comes with you when you leave the bike locked up.

True, but at least if you lose a fanny pack, it's maybe a few hours of time and $10, as opposed to a $80 Carradice.

True, but at least if you lose a fanny pack, it's maybe a few hours of time and $10, as opposed to a $80 Carradice.

Ah, but if you take the fanny pack ("waist pack")with you, you won't lose it in the first place.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4090/5187477536_aac93a83c0_z.jpg

That looks great! I think the sewn-on leather patches really make it look sharp, the all-black bag was probably pretty bland looking before. It looks like, with the toe clip straps, it would be quick enough to remove and put back on later if you had to.


If you worry about such things, you need to buy a manly-man's fanny pack, not the murse shown in the pic, above.

Without a picture there, it's hard to tell what a manly-man's fanny pack would look like, but I imagine it would be something like this:

http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/741/hulkhoganfannypack2.jpg

:D

I don't really care for fanny packs, but I do wear camelbaks pretty often so I'm not afraid of looking goofy.

Any Britt's want to weigh in on this issue...

I'll side with Mike, I prefer to just wear a small Jansport "waist-pack".

If you worry about such things, you need to buy a manly-man's fanny pack, not the murse shown in the pic, above. Furthermore, I would suggest the problem stems from your own insecurities, not from the fanny pack.


No you're right. I certainly don't want to add to my own insecurities by adding a fanny pack. I'd wear a fanny pack that had "One Bad MFer" embossed on it though. That conversely, would boost my security level.

With a good quality fanny pack, you'll never even know it's there. The belt and straps are the key features. You want a wide belt, not a nylon strap. You want quick-release compression straps, too, either built-in (best) or added on. These keep the load secure, no matter how full or empty the pack is. All good fanny packs have them.

http://www.rei.com/product/778452

I actually have a couple like what you picture. One's a North Face and the other's a Lowe Alpine. They're both quality packs and have compression straps, and I do use them, just not on a bike. And, just for the record, I would so know it's there.

As far as theft goes, I'm using this on a bike that I take for rides. It's not an errand bike, and I don't even carry a lock. Just for good measure I ride it with road pedals and cleats so I won't be tempted to walk away from it.

If you worry about such things, you need to buy a manly-man's fanny pack, not the murse shown in the pic, above. Furthermore, I would suggest the problem stems from your own insecurities, not from the fanny pack.


Do you really think someone worried about insecurities would go around the net posting pictures such as these? Let alone twice in two days, let alone on a C&V Forum? What say you now?

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v360/61/103/1468446487/n1468446487_30094697_2870.jpg

All it's missing is a pink fanny pack.

If you let the pistol grip hang out of the bag a bit, no one questions how manly it is.
I joke, I joke.

I love the look you've achieved with the fanny pack, but I'm with holiday76 --

I wouldn't wear a fanny pack for fear that I'd be hit by a car, and thus be caught dead wearing a fanny pack.

I think fanny packs, when worn as a fanny pack, were banned in the Geneva Convention weren't they?

Fanny packs used to be cool in the 80's when we were using them cross country skiing in Wisconsin.............then tourists, baby sitters, mall walkers...everyone! discovered them......:p:rolleyes:
So my old red Cannondale branded fanny pack haven't been used much since I left the midwest for CA in 1990 and I recenly dug it up in my junk drawers. In it still are my snug fitting white leather X/C gloves, wool cap and my little cans of Swix wax forever waiting to get back on the snowy trails again.........:(

Chombi

Any Britt's want to weigh in on this issue...

I'll side with Mike, I prefer to just wear a small Jansport "waist-pack".

When I lived in England back in grad school, which was after the heyday of the fanny pack "craze," the Brits called it a "bum bag," which made me laugh almost as hard as "fanny pack" made them laugh.

I once made the mistake of agreeing to ride the train down to London with a fellow American student named Craig. I knew it was going to be a long journey when he arrived at the station wearing his former college's bright purple sweatshirt, acid washed mom jeans, white tennis shoes and a fanny pack. He was also cracking his gum so loudly that it made everyone around him wince. He spoke in ALL CAPS, ALL THE TIME. This was about 1994. No one in England would have been caught dead in a single item on his body. Later he told me that he wouldn't sleep with me even if I begged him, because I was so snotty. This was after I told him that the river wasn't pronounced TH-ames. We had been in England about a year at that point :). Whenever I hear the expression "ugly American," I think of Craig and that dang fanny pack and his gum. Hence my hatred of those poor little bags.

This thread has been hilarious. Due ruote, that bag of yours is most excellent. Everyone here is just jealous of it, that's why they are giving you such a hard time. That, ... and all their insecurities.

Do you suppose any TSA agent would have the nerve to pat down Hulk Hogan and check his bag of junk,... err,... I mean the junk in his bag, err,... I mean,... his fanny pack, no,no, that didn't come out right,... I mean his "waist pack"? :)

This thread has been hilarious. Due ruote, that bag of yours is most excellent. Everyone here is just jealous of it, that's why they are giving you such a hard time. That, ... and all their insecurities.



Actually I think you're the one getting grief. Mine's a bum bag (yeah, I like that) no more.

lol!

There is a reason the English call them "bum bags." "Fanny" has an entirely different meaning in the UK. One not discussed in polite conversation.

There is a reason the English call them "bum bags." "Fanny" has an entirely different meaning in the UK. One not discussed in polite conversation.


I like "man purse" myself..:p

There is a reason the English call them "bum bags." "Fanny" has an entirely different meaning in the UK. One not discussed in polite conversation.

Well what the heck, this thread seems to be in a death spiral anyway, so here's (http://www.bikereader.com/contributors/Chippendale/usuk.html) a link that I found pursuant to your cryptic post. Par. 7 is germane - I swear.

Love the fanny pack repurposed into a saddle bag!

Love this thread.

As for the fanny pack wearers – I admire your courage. I am not one of you.

Peace! :thumb:

Well what the heck, this thread seems to be in a death spiral anyway, so here's (http://www.bikereader.com/contributors/Chippendale/usuk.html) a link that I found pursuant to your cryptic post. Par. 7 is germane - I swear.

That entire article is hilarious. Thanks for posting that.