graywolf

I was in Walmart the other day and picked up what was meant to be a handle bar bag for $10. Mounted on the back of my Brooks B72 it seems to serve well.



I had to trim the velcro straps to go through the holes in the B72, and fasten them kind of crosswise. I had it out for a five mile trip today with a few tools, a patch kit, and a spare tube. It seems to be secure. It could use some kind of strap around the seat post to keep it from boucing, but other than that it seems to work OK. It looks right at home on the elderly Dunelt.

purevl

The walmart here just revamped the bicycle section to include a lot of "vintagesque" accesories. You can now buy seats (not saddles) and seat bags that from 50 yards or so look like they were made in england 40 years ago. It's a testament to the current trendiness of the vintage city bike, but vinyl Made in China faux anything always leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

mstrpete

you've got to simmer it slowly, with lots of garlic. It's pretty good then.

graywolf

Well that Bell handle bar bag is not vinyl, just nylon. It is just a simple cheap bag the right size to hang behind my saddle to carry a few essensials. The big compartment is just about right to stuff a light jacket in. The smaller one a few tools. I knew before I posted about it that someone was going to look down their nose at it, but felt a few of us might find it a useful idea.

purevl

You might try reading my post a bit more carefully, I don't make a habit of looking down my nose at anyone. I was simply mentioning that the Wal-Mart here now stocks more stylistically C&V friendly bags, not at all like the one you have, and while they are meant to look like leather the cheap vinyl and foam construction turns me off. Everyone's looking for a fight lately

ebr898

I saw the Bell "faux" leather bag also. I took a good look @ it and was tempted, mostly on looks-NOT construction.

mparker326

The original bag on my Raleigh Sports is Faux Leather with leather straps. The Faux Leather is still in good shape 40 years later where the leather straps leave something to be desired.

Panthers007

I would be a bit concerned that, when you put anything with weight in it, it may stretch and start riding on the tire. This will result in some interesting sound-effects. Sort of like a dental-drill. And the bag itself slowly disintegrating.

Good luck.

bbattle

What about vinyl made in England or the U.S.A.? I remember plenty of vinyl bags back in the 70's; I had a vinyl Brooks saddle on my Raleigh.

graywolf

Well, my appologies then. May I point out that when you are the only reply to a post and you do not make it clear you are posting an aside, that confusion can occur.

BTW, if you are talking about the cylindrical brown bag they had that one at that store too, I decided it was too much money for too little usable space.

graywolf

Actually it seems to have a plastic stiffener in the bottom. Also most of us three speeders have mudguards over the tyres

rhm

Pictures are indicated.

Amani576

While at work today (Wal-mart) I saw all of this stuff. The bag is kind of expensive for the space it provides, but it's not bad looking, definitely NOT water proof though. There is a matching crusier saddle that doesn't look all that bad.
They also have some pretty nice looking in-mold helmets, one in particular I might get.
And, to my serious surprise, Wal-mart (atleast mine) now SELLS 700c tubes. We only had 700x35/45, and 700x25/35, but it's a start. They've also got some decent lube and cleaning tools. I guess this whole "bikes are finally cool" thing is starting to hit satans superstore. We've got 28 feet of modular space dedicated to all of it, some of it was actually a little surprising, I stood there looking at it for about 10 minutes.
-Gene-

RobbieTunes

Their Schwinn cyclo in red is pretty cool if you have a red bike.
Their cable/housing set will work, especially on single speeds.
I bought their chain tool, lasted about 10 chains, bent.
I bought their tire levers, .97 for two, so I bought 6.
I bought the Schwinn pump, worked great until the plastic end self-destructed.
I saw the 700c tires, and the store here had tubes for one day.
I tried the green slime patch kit, about 2/3 of them worked fine, no gluing.

And I buy all my cleaning/lube stuff there. They had White Lightning, too.

purevl

I'm pretty pumped about the White Lightning products, but so far ours only has cleaning stuff, not the wax lube I like. It will be interesting to see what prices wally world can afford to sell it at since it's $10+ for a small bottle at any LBS I've been to. I used to buy a lot of chains and cables from them. I've since switched to buying chains in bulk online, but I still grab the occasional cable kit from them. After breaking 4 different chain tools in 4 different ways I've went with something a bit nicer.

mkeller234

The Brooks saddle bags are faux leather too, although i'm sure the construction is better. I am curious to see what the wal-mart version looks like, I have a Collegiate that I would put one on if I liked it enough.

Explain these white lightning products please, you have peaked my interest.

purevl

The small Brooks tool bags are real leather I believe, only the larger touring type bags are vinyl. In response to this as well as bbattle's comment earlier, for my money, give me waxed canvas. I just don't like vinyl. In fact, I don't like anything designed to look like something it isn't, vinyl or PVC "leatherette" products, phony "wood grain" veneers over MDF, metallic plastics... the list goes on, all get a "yuck" from me. As a craftsman in a variety of mediums I much prefer well constructed items with lasting inherent material quality that really are what they look like. As an environmentalist I also prefer the use of organic renewable resources where appropriate instead of something cooked up in a lab somewhere. At least the first of which is a sentiment I think the average C&Ver can relate to vinyl Brooks accessories notwithstanding. The disposability of modern consumer products is really disheartening to me, we are producing very few items of heirloom quality, what will pass for the antiques of the future?

Regarding the White Lightning products their page is here.


Lastly, I believe this is the bag I was speaking of -although it's been a few weeks since I saw it- if not it's at least quite similar:

mkeller234

I agree with you on many of your points. From what I have read it sounds like Brooks chose vinyl for the larger bags because leather would not hold up as well. I'm guessing the originals were vinyl too, so they probably are faithful reproductions. I think they are disappointing for the price, and I hear that they are not waterproof and perform poorly in bad weather.

I like these Ostrich bags, they are pricey like the Brooks but I think they are more practical.


Velo-orange has some nice house brand canvas bags too.

Oldpeddaller

That's a really neat looking saddle-bag. What is supporting it?

bbattle

I'm a big fan of canvas, too. Acorn bags are great for the money.

Back in the "good ol' days", plenty of crappy stuff was made. It quickly fell apart, was thrown away or burned; this is why very little of it remains today. As in the "good ol' days", there are plenty of people making tons of very nice, very expensive, very well made stuff that will last forever. It is an indicator of our wealth that we are able to throw so much stuff away.

bbattle

I got an e-mail from Rivendell today. Relevant point copied here:

"For five months we ve been working on a new US-made line of saddlebags that will sport a new look and have some new and some old features, and the brand is Sackville. Made by a small staff of experienced stitchers headed up by two ex-chieftains from Coach and Dooney & Bourke.

The first two models have been thoroughly tested and refined, and will be harshly slick and highly functional, and you can expect them in February. Cost will be about $200 which is the place things end up when zero corners are cut and they aren t made in China. (Some more expensive saddlebags are made in China, now. So .)

I still think of saddlebags as costing $65. There s about $20 in leather on each of the SaddleSack seat bags, and that much in fabric. Only the best and most expensive hardware, and labor rates that keep the manufacturers in business in America. Labor is always the highest cost of our bags. We absorb the development cost (always) and the cost of cutting dies and prototypes. There will be a Large and a Medium before February. The large will be priced where it has to be and if it had the same markup as a women s handbag, it would be $420.

ANYWAY, THEY WILL BE GOOD."

Chris_in_Miami

Not to thread-jack, but since we're on the topic of inexpensive parts from department stores, I'll add to the bargain-hounding: My local Target has some of their Bell-brand tires on clearance for $3 and change, though they only had mountain bike tires in 24 & 26" at the store I visited. It looks like they're stocking Schwinn-brand accessories now.

At any rate, sub-$4 tires are good for flip bikes...

ebr898

Well I know, I am now going to check the close outs @ my local Target. I know I could use some $3 tires for turn over bikes!( I originaly said flippers then sounded like I was going to buy tires for my feet and hit the water.)