http://www.revelatedesigns.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=store.catalog&CategoryID=1&ProductID=5

Non custom bag… took a while but finally something you can buy off the shelf of worth 🙂

I found that a couple of weeks ago so tried to order one. The web page told me that I could order but not pay for it then and there, however they would contact me shortly and I could pay then … I've heard nowt since, which is a shame.

http://www.shoprans.com/proddetail.asp?prod=BPAC0101

jandd bag for about 30 quid including postage, looks a bit smaller but less than half the price

Is there anywhere in the UK that you can actually buy anything like these things!? All seem to be US sites

Someone a couple of months ago was talking about going into small scale production, don't know if owt will come of it and I can't now remember who it was.

To date there are only revelate designs and Carousel design works producing this kind of stuff… both located in US.

I have a one off Alpkit frame bag but at moment its not something they will be producing.

If anyone owns a company or knows of one in the UK that can produce these kind of bags i would be very interested to talking to them and getting something produced in UK.

I love the work of the guys in the US but its just very limited in terms of supply.. especially during Iditarod and Tour divide time when they are producing for racers etc

I'm still saving for some Revelate ones. If someone in the UK produced ones of a similar standard, I feel like it could really open up the floodgates as far as what sort of rides people could do.

Lets make it happen then… anybody handy with a sewing machine??

I'm keen to do this as my frame bag is invaluable bike trekking

The people that spring to mind would be Carradice … might still be a small enough concern to be interested.

Good idea.. has anyone contacted them??

Also thinking about people skilled with a sewing machine who might want to get involved.

IanB had a frame bag at the WRT made by his good lady … looked like a fantastic job.

Could try Aiguille

http://www.aiguillealpine.co.uk/shop/index.htm%5D

Based dangerously close to Wilfs in Stavely….

Okay..

I'll mail some people tomorrow… trip to Lakes never a bad thing:)

Paul, Still, Bob, I'm going to email carradice too. They seem like just the right people, as the frame bags are essentially the modern mountain version of their saddle bags. If quite a few of us get in contact maybe it could happen.

Well if they need to see one let me know i will take it down.

I'll mail Aiguille now.

Aiguille can produce these…

Need to start getting a show of hands to who would actually put their hands in their pockets and buy one… bear in mind these won't be 'cheap', also interested to know what people will pay for them..

Need to gauge interest before i spend alot of my own money paying a company to develop a product.

paul.e

I would have one, thing is if its a full frame bag, it needs to be a custom job per frame, can they do that?

If its sadlebags and bar bags then the carousel designs look better options than the epic ones IMO (as a basis to start with).

I have been thinking about making one myself – I don't reckon it would be too hard to do. If you have access to a sewing machine it's probably worth giving it a go, there's lots of tutorials on the net.
e.g. Instructions
Just make sure you get some strong needles and probably a couple of initial hints from someone used to it.

As much as sewing is thought of as a tradionally women's activity, if you are mathmatically/design-minded it is a lot easier because you need to be able to imagine what parts you need to make the final shape you desire. And operating a sewing machine is pretty easy really.

The bags couldn't be custom..

What i want is an off the shelf product available in maybe 3 sizes with flexibility in the design that it fits a variety of standard hardtail frames.

Hopefully this way the cost will be considerably lower and the availablity will be 'off the shelf'.

Give or take their is not much difference in a variety of say a manufacturers size large frames… and we aren't dealing with a rigid material.. the material can be tensioned in the right places with velcro fixings and straps.

This is where the development element and cost comes in… this has to be absorbed by somebody .. which at the moment is probably me.. but if enough product can be sold then costs overall can be reduced.

If people want custom then Revelate or Carousel produce this already

Intrested

my epic frame bag and large gas tank was around £180 including import duty… its great for storage…worth every penny…

it is made for a 18" surly pugsley but it also fits my 18" karate monkey 29er and hopefully a 18" on-one 456 frame which will arrive next week so my guess is that a design in that size for all medium hardtail frames would be a good starting point…
im making my own front and rear bags using 15 ltr dry bags…
will post them once finished and tested in a weeks time…
im thinking of finding a (sewing) machinest who could do a run of medium frame bags and gastank bags, but they need to be tough…built as good as the epic designs…
there priceless for bivviy trips,store all your food and stove,cooking kit, then sleeping bag on bar bag, bivvy,matress,tent,hammock etc… on seat bag
i see bivi trips becoming more popular in mountainbiking as you just ride-then camp whenever/where ever 😮

Hi Coastkid

what was your waiting time on those bags??

What would be great would be an off the shelf product.. as you are proving your bag fits a few of your bikes… looking around my garage at my various bikes my bag fits most the steel/ti tubed bikes but although it fits big hydroformed alu tubing its not great.

paul.e

paul i think i waited around 4-5 weeks,
a proper sewing machinest would measure my bag then work out how much extra for seams etc… they would also have access to suppliers of materials,zips,velcro etc…
it seems a shame to kind of take erics idea but it would be nice if he had an importer with piles of his stuff here for sale in the UK!,
there is certainly a small (part time) opening here for someone to strt manufacturing here in the UK 😮

bruce

paul – are you going down the line of a full frame bag or something like the revelates multifit one ? – id be interested in the half bag with a gas tank on top. purely because i dont carry that much , bed roll on front – carradice on the back and the "small heavier items" in the frame sack i do prefer bruces gas tank to the one on the revelates site as i have low front ends.

interested to hear your thoughts on this though – ive never used a frame back -untill recently i used 2 dry bags

thats got some warmer sleeping clothes – fleece cycling longs and a down vest , mid weight sleeping bag/bivy , a stove – for coffee and heating rice pub 😉 2 tins of rice pud. ti cup and spork – because of where i was going i wanted to have a stove but normally i wouldnt bother – and id have loads of room left over for food – the blue dry bag on the back isnt even half full

also as you can see on that particular 29er – there isnt much room in there despite it being a 19inch frame – my merida has more room but i really dont see the benifits of a full frame bag that will limit the ammount of bikes you can fit – given that most events that require bike packing as part of the event will likely require you to use bottles as part of your fluid storage system.

discuss ?

i also see if you went down that route – cut to length velcro straps to account for big fat tubed carbon and alu tubed bikes – or if your a Ti-boy just cut a but off each side and wrap away for a neat finish ? – this wouldnt "really" work on a full frame bag as if the bags too big youll just end up with stuff bulging it out and getting in the way.

oh and i do realise you probably want your bottles enclosed and more space for the idita rod and arrowhead but given the small percentage relitively speaking to the number of would be bike packers out there then i think it important to cater for the masses first and sell a good number rather than the specifics – leaves you something to branch into once these take off 😉

i ride with my karrimor backpack which carrys the water and change of clothing/usually merino long sleeve/leggings for sleeping aswell as paclight waterproofs…and it also has the usual tools,
i guess this is why erics frame bags aint cheap as he makes them exactly to fit your frame..if he hasnt done one before you send him a triangle template…
how ever for someone doing a run of bags themselves or by someone a one size half bag that should fit most hardtails makes sense… 😮

My thoughts are like Coastkid i use a hydration pack as a use a frame bag… i used to use bottles before i got the frame bag.

The frame bag allows weight to be centralised so riding sisn't too badly affected.. crossing Scotland a month ago the singletrack was just as fun whereas in past of using rear pannier etc it totally unbalances your bike.

I think producing a more universal frame bag is never really going to affect Eric or Jeff Boatman it just allows a more readily available option to pannier bags… most Iditarod and GDR racers will still use custom bags but thats not the market these are aimed at.

If people are saying they would rather go Revelate or Carousel then this won't get off the ground but if 10 people want bags then its worth me going across to Lakes to see Aiguille.

Again if anyone knows of a good sewing machine operator then i would be happy to cover material costs etc for development.

paul.e

I would be interested in a front half one of these. I've boded strapping things in the frame before and like the weight distribution however it's alway a faff.

My one concern about a full frame bag rather than say just the front triangle is when you reach some to hike-a-bike sections, you can no longer shoulder the bike.

Hike a bike with a frame bag isn't an issue..

Stem and seatpost is my favourite carrying method

for a full on frame bag – i am out

if you decide to go on a half bag i am keen as i see this as being more universal to several bikes – if i ever saw me going down the full frame bag route i would go custom for my reasons outlined in the previous posts regards multi frame fitting bags

what are other potential purchasers thoughts ?

Interesting Paul, thanks. I like seeing a UK perspective on this as I've been following it for a year or two but mostly with us riders for whom hike a bike is not part of MTBing.

Trail rat, this is how the thread started so this is probably your best bet..

http://www.revelatedesigns.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=store.catalog&CategoryID=1&ProductID=5

This is Revelates off the shelf frame bag

Although I will add that I preffer to over the shoulder which is why the full frame bag is a little off putting.

Again if anyone knows of a good sewing machine operator then i would be happy to cover material costs etc for development.

I have been talking to someone today who is in the process of developing another cycling/motorcycling luggage product..

they have the skills and equipment and seemed keen to get involved.. I will be forwarding a link to this thread this evening

aye paul no worries – im just putting my thoughts out there regards what im looking for – to generate some discussion as to what others in the uk are looking for.

the revelates designs stuff is pretty much what im looking for its just a case of waiting till i get conformation of heading back to houston and get it sent to our office there before i arrive.

I thought I'd revive this thread.

I was speaking to a friend who is a keen kite buggier, he get all his custom bags made by a guy called John – here

http://www.buggybags.co.uk/pages/options.htm

They'll make you whatever you want they just need a readable drawing.

looks promising.

A couple of months ago I sent a very polite e mail to Carradice asking if they could make me a frame bag as I had heard good things about their seat packs etc, got a 1 liner back "we don't do specials" Typical British entrepreneurs………

I'm very interested… I'm glad this thread came back up!

I need to get a full frame bag and a proper handlebar bag solution for Iditarod next year and while Eric's stuff is great, it certainly isn't cheap for the UK consumer.

I could be interested in a frame pack – not happy with my home brew one really – but flatfish's looked good at WRT.

There is a thread here and Markenduro has made one up.

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=596676