Originally Posted by
redeyedtreefr0g
Hello everyone.
I'm a sort of crafty person, but currently poor. Of course, not being able to act on my inspirations is somewhat frustrating. I've been looking longingly at Simplicity patterns, as it is a goal of mine to make my own clothes that actually fit, and there are some really neat fabrics out there.
In my ponderings, I actually took advantage of a sale plus coupons to get ribbon for streamers and a really cute fabric that I want to use to make a handlebar bag- all for super cheap. Today's visit to the bike shop made me think of all the clothing that was there, and bags- or I guess panniers.
My questions is: if I made my own bike accessories- panniers, jackets, whatever- would other cyclists be interested in patterns for things like that? I realize most of you out there who even consider stepping into a bike shop over Walmart aren't as poor as me, and that probably only crafty people would even read this thread. Still, it's worth asking I think.
Also, if you would like patterns shared, what sort of features do you like for certain things. Such as- I want my handlebag to have a place just for my cable lock so it stays easy to get to. Vents in a jacket or pockets, longer backs like I see in some designs- all these are interesting and serve some purpose, so I'd like to know what you would like to see that maybe you don't already.
Perhaps you could use an How-To article with Pictures? This is how I made my Panniers, but I used recycled Coroplast- Corrugated Plastic, which was harvested the day after election day last year:
8) The Corrugated Plastic Board all cut out, ready for Creasing and Folding:
9) Creasing the Plastic Board- Use BOTH Hands, press hard, with the FOLD Line aligned with the Wall Corner on the back of a Closet. It takes firm , even pressure to crease the Coroplast Plastic Board (I had to use my other hand to press the camera button, this photo was taken after the crease was made):
10) Fold the Pannier into its proper shape, and tack it with a piece of packing tape. Then drill holes, and start threading in some Nylon Zip-Ties. You may wish to substitute Pop-Rivets with washers. I prefer Zip-Ties as I can make an emergency repair on the road. If you carry a Pop-Rivet Tool on your Bicycle for emergency repairs, do your own thing:
11) A third-hand Brake Cable Tool is useful for tightening the Zip-Ties:
12) Left Side Pannier is done:
13) Both Pannier Sides are done, assemblage is upside-down on the floor:
14) Old Panniers on the Left, New Panniers on the right. The new Panniers are about twice the cubic volume, although two inches narrower overall. The old were 7 inches deep, the new are 12 inches deep. The old were 14 inches long, the new are 18 inches long:
15) Test Fitting. I was inspired by TWO things- A motorcycle I saw last night, and a recent thread about a heel-clearance problem with rear panniers (here at bikeforums dot net). The SLANT allows for heel clearance, even with the panniers all the way forward on the rack:
