Bike Handlebar Bag
Intro: Bike Handlebar Bag
I’ve been in the market for a while now for a good handlebar bag. I wanted something cheap that can carry the basics (camera, wallet, keys, Clif Bars, etc.). The problem is that I’m a poor college student and didn’t want to spend $30 or more on the bag. Do you know how much Ramen that is? So I decided to make my own.
The bag actually turned out pretty well. It fulfills all of the above-mentioned criteria and cost a grand total of $4. It took about an hour to make. My description here is kind of clumsy, but check out the photos for clarification.
This is my first Instructable. I was surprised that there wasn't one on here already for a handlebar bag, so I decided to document my efforts.
STEP 1: Gather Materials
Small bag – I bought a small leather zippered bag at a local thrift store for $1. I wanted something that wasn’t too wide (it had to fit between my hands when they’re on the handlebars), wasn’t too big, and looked fairly sturdy.
Velcro strips – These were about $2.75 at Wal-Mart. Don’t get the kind with adhesive backing; get the kind that can be sewn on. The kind I got comes in a 30” strip. Check out the photo to see the packaging.
Needle and thread or sewing machine.
STEP 2: Cut the Velcro Strips
Take the hook side of the Velcro and cut three 5” pieces. Do the same with the loop side. Take one hook strip, one loop strip, and stick the two sides together so that there is about 1” of overlap. The hook side should be facing one way and loop side should be facing the other. Do this with all six pieces of Velcro sothat you’ve got three longer pieces.
STEP 3: Sew the Velcro Strips to the Bag
You’ll have to put the bag on your bike to see where you want to sew the Velcro strips. You’re going to want two loops securing the bag to the handlebar and one loop securing the bag to the stem.
Once you’ve figured out where you want the Velcro, sew the strips on. The 1” of overlap will be against the bag, and that’s also where you want to sew. With my sewing machine I was able to sew the two loops at the top of the bag, but the lower loop for the stem wouldn’t fit under the needle. I sewed that one by hand.
STEP 4: Admire and Attach
Put the bag on your bike and admire. You’ll probably have to trim the Velcro strips a bit. The only thing left to do is take it for a test drive! Enjoy!
2 Comments
Zen Innovations 6 years ago
Simple and super!
infernisdiem 10 years ago