Below are pics of my prototype leather purse to randonneur style saddle bag.

In an earlier post, I described how my wife helped me identify brands of women's purses that had potential. The Dooney & Bourke bags appeared to me the best candidate. They are extremely well-made and have a sort of Orvis masculine look to them. These are the purses from the 1990's, black leather with tan leather trim with the duck emblem that retailed for $200 plus.

The first one I got off the Bay for about $30 was in LN condition and, as I planned, was immediately snagged by my wife. The next one was $20 and in a little different style that looked even more like a bike bag.

The bag is about 10" x 8" x 3-4" -- About right for a large textbook with room to spare. There are several small pockets inside, one zipped, and an outside pocket on the back. There really is a lot of room. This one contains my tube/tools stuff sack, a full size cable lock, 24 oz bottle, and a newspaper. And, I could expand the front straps and add a jersey or jacket if I wanted.

Using leather straps to secure the bag to the seat would be nice, however, velcro pressure straps do a much better job of creating a tight fit with less sway. On the prototype, I used layers of duct tape to reinforce the slits I cut for the straps. I'm sure many of you could find a more elegant solution.

This bag would also work well on the handlebars.

That looks great! I wonder what my wife would say or do if I were to do the same to one of her Coach Bags??

The answer is what I did. Buy a very good one off the bay. Tell her you bought it to modify into a bike bag, but if she wants it, you would love to give it to her and then get another off the bay. There will be no complaint, just complements about your good taste and ingenuity.

I'm diggin it !

Very Smooth!! I'm off to try it.

I have learned that women who carry a Dooney & Bourke or Coach bag tend to do so, not because it is "cute," but because they want an extremely well-made bag that will last, is a little elegant, but not over the top, and will hold all of their stuff. In their bag selection, they tend to be at least somewhat functionally driven. A little like a briefcase.

Oh, and this style of purse, I have also learned, is officially referred to as a "saddle bag," so you're almost home.

i am seriously jealous of your bag, while wondering why you left the shoulder strap attached?

i have several 'handbags' that i am converting, my next experiment will be to ask my local cobbler to sew the strap reinforcements using real leather. i have found that the adhesive on many duct tapes tends to 'bleed' and leak when exposed to heat or extensive use.

What a terrific idea! I am hating the idea of spending $100+ for the Ortlieb handlebar bag. Maybe a trip to our Salvation Army would be in order???

Thanks for getting the creative juices flowing.

Didn't the folks at Dooney & Bourke have something to do with Rivendell's Sackville line? That bag looks perfect for the application, lets see if old Dooney & Bourke bag prices sky rocket now.

Agreed. The world is full of bags with multiple potential uses. You just need to use your imagination.

I left the strap on for now because I haven't determined whether there is an alternative use. Presently, I have cut it short into a sort of briefcase handle.

You are right about duct tape. That was just a stopgap measure while I was working on the prototype. I have some tweaking to do -- additional reinforcement, velcro, etc. However, I think the concept is sound and that I'm about 90% of the way there. I'll make a trip to Ace this afternoon after I get some real work done.

It may take a while for any impact to the D&B market. There are hundreds, maybe more, for sale on the Bay.

eBay? Try Salvation Army. They may never have nice bikes at yours, but I can guarantee they will have plenty of purses/handbags (or whatever you choose to call them). Probably can score one for less than the price of eBay shipping.

Good point. I am very interested to see what others come up with.

Very nice. I'm inspired.

And here I thought I was the first one with the idea of using women's handbags as saddlebags. I have been picking them up for a dollar at yard sales -- not these designer bags, but smaller, leather, and new or almost new. Very nice application of the larger bag. I've been wondering about the best method to attach it to the bike, and velcro straps look like the best way.

doh! Off to check the contents of my purse bin....

I've been scouting Goodwill stores for just that sort of thing. Good to see how well it works.

Today, in between client meetings, I passed a Goodwill in Fountain Hills and stopped in. I have to report that the purse selection was all junk with no good candidates. Just to save time, I think I will probably stick to the highend designer purses ($20!!!) on the bay.

Please show us what you have done. I'm just a hack and could use some ideas.

wrt thrift store bags. You have to be persistant. I'm a big thrifter and have a decent collection of designer handbags. My latest find were two Kate Spade bags, one fake and one real....$5 each. Coach and D&B are pretty common around these parts if you get there first thing in the morning.

Something else to consider are leather shaving kit bags and also milsurp ammo pouches. I'm headed to a military surplus store this weekend to look at old Swiss canvas/leather ammo bags than look like they could be modifed to be panniers with little effort.

Randonneur style Saddle Bag is looking great. I have learned that women who carry a Dooney & Bourke on her cycle, not because of cuteness, but this bag hold many things. It is just like a briefcase .We can hang the handy bag very smoothly. I want to try this one.

Every once in awhile, someone revives a zombie thread, and I am glad they did.

Zombie thread, but, nonetheless, pertinent information:

A Speedy Stitcher (sewing awl) is a perfect candidate for reinforcing/modifying an already-assembled bag, whether stitching in new material, or fixing what is already present.

Vintage canvas handlebar bags pop up every now and then, that were intended for decaleur mounting, but can be modified to fit the upright on randonnée/porteur-style racks (BTW, English keyboards are really irritating to use to put accents over letters):





Of course, one was added to the bottom, as well.