HI, I'm new to the Folding Bike Club.
I'm renovating a Gitane 3-speed internal hub folder bike. All that needs doing now is improve the paintwork of the bike. And now I need a bag. The bike folds up to 36 - 36 - 25 (inches) or 91 - 91 - 65cm.
I know friends with a tailor, who could make up the bag for me.
I want something plain black so to make the fact it's a bike less obvious.
What sort of material is best to use?
What is the best dimensions for the bag?
Thanks for any advice

I am friends with a tailor, who could make up the bag for me.
I want something plain black so to make the fact it's a bike less obvious.
What sort of material is best to use?
What is the best dimensions for the bag? -enzed

Since you have a working relationship with your tailor, that is a good start. I do all my sewing for myself. The skills I have learned is easy to transfer over sewing a simple bag (usually easier than a dress). Black is the color of choice for this project you intended to start, but be flexible to other colors as well, just as long as they are dark ones. Make sure the fabric is tighly woven, and semi-heavy pants weight to start. The best materials is a cotton duck, demin, poplin and other similar types. Prewash the fabric before you cut it out to prevent shrinkage and color bleeding on you or the bike if the fabric gets wet. Using the measurements you taken of your folded bike, make the bag a little bigger to easily slide over the bike. To close the bike when bagged, I have used zippers and drawstring closing with sucess. Another closure ideas I thought to use (and have not yet) was snaps, and even buttons. The shape of the bag I done was a quick slip over slipcover style, or complete bag with a top enclosure of some kind.

Later Edit: I have more bags at home that were purchased, rather than made since I have very limited time to devote to sewing at this time. I have purchased the Dimpa bag from Ikea for my Brompton. I went to our budget $.99 cents store (maybe there is something similar over there?) and selected simple large duffel bags, laundry bags, and other such ones for both of them. They also become a sort of pattern for bag ideas that I made later on.

Good luck with your bag and let me know if you made one.

I just go to Home Depot and get the biggest garbage bags I can find and use it to cover my bike up. They roll up tight and take up very little space when I'm not using them.

Koffee

It may be harder to find, but if you can get hold of an artificial fabric like Cordura, it has several advantages - ie. it doesn't soak up water, like a cotton based fabric will, and it is probably more abrasion-resistant. Your best bet will probably be finding an internet store that will deliver to your area (Australia?), since I have yet to see a local haberdashery that carries cordura, gore-tex or any other artificial fabric (well, I've seen rip-stop nylon, but not of a quality tough enough for a bike bag..)

Thanks for your replys. I'm not very good when it comes to sewing & other sorts of handicrafts.

I found some heavy duty cotton material at my local haberdashery (the only local store), & have given it to my friendly local tailor this afternoon. He'll put in a zipper in for me. Tomorrow I'll find out how it's going. A few schooners of VB (aussie for glasses of beer) will be going his way when I see him next.

Back to the folding bike; today I had to replace the quick release on my seatpost, with a plain bolt. I've also replaced the saddle, unstuck the seatpost & adjusted the BB with the help of my LBS & cleaned and lubed the chain & cleaned up the chrome. The paint work needs a little retouching, but that can wait for another time. There's something to be said; I learning alot about bike mechanics!
I'll take some pics of it over the weekend.

I though Aussie for beer=Fosters?

Good luck with the bag. Post pics when you get a chance.

Buy a painters tarp and some bungee cords. $10 and 10 min of effort.