Making bags.

  Well, it's been awfully cold here in Flagstaff lately, so we've been preparing for a trip down South.  Derek and I made frame bags for the mountain bikes.  I've been tending toward lightweight touring for a while now, but coming out here has really shown me just how much the landscape affects bike choice, and really how I see bikes.  For a long time I've been riding the Silver bike for pretty much any ride that involves carrying anything like camping gear (and just about everything else).  The one exception to this was the bike tour across the US, but on that I often wished I had gone with my silver bike and a lightweight setup.  That bike can handle rough stuff, is fast on the road, and somehow just feels awesome wherever it finds itself.  Until Arizona, that is.
    Out here, I want to ride a mountain bike.  The terrain just begs for it, and the lack of good paved roads really shifts the balance of terrain to the dirty side, whereas most of the places I've ridden are at least about half and half paved and dirt.  Given this change, frame packs are in order.  The next thing I need to make for this upcoming trip is some kind of handlebar bag.  I think I'm just going to make something to hold a drybag, but we'll see.  For now, here are some photos of this last project.

Sketches and coffee.

DBO putting the pieces together.

Me checking the time with my sweet digital wrist watch.

My finished frame bag.  Green and digital outer space camo.  Sick!

This is why we're going elsewhere to ride.