To Sum It Up...

It was good to get home, but it sure felt like a big part of the trip had been completely skipped.  Driving in a vehicle rather detracts from the journey...

We got to the house and it felt very strange...it didn't even feel like home!

It took me a couple of days to adjust...but I eventually got somewhat used to normal life again.

My ankles healed quickly, and in a little over a week I took a 30 mile ride with very minimal discomfort.  Thankfully they are healing faster than my knee did!

My bicycle was well worn and desperately needed a thorough going-over before she was taken on the road again.

The rear brakes were completely shot; front brakes, severely worn; chain, filthy.  I replaced the rear brake pads with a pair of new ones my Dad had lying around.  The front brakes still work, so I'll wait on those...

Dad was concerned that my chain could have stretched, but it was just fine!  I cleaned it with a toothbrush and kerosene....then thoroughly lubed it with Tri-Flow chain lube.  That stuff worked great!  We used it when our chains had been rained on every night...it eliminated the developing rust and kept them well lubricated.

I was very happy with my Bontrager Select Invert tires....I had no flats or leaks despite having to ride through broken glass occasionally.  Over 1000 miles...and no flats!!  They probably aren't as fast as smooth road tires, but they do well on both dirt roads and pavement.

My bags worked satisfactorily.  They kept all the pouring rain out, securely held our stuff, and weren't troublesome to access...unless the sleeping bag was strapped on top.

I do wish I had designed pockets into my handlebar bag.  Having my loose change mixed with all the other small junk in the bottom of the bag was extremely messy and inconvenient.  My next bag will definitely feature pockets!

I really enjoyed this trip, and am ready to start planning another!  I'm definitely hooked.  

Fully loaded rig...

Today I finished the panniers!!!!!!
Ok, I am excited.
I have been continuously working on them for 4 months, it is time they were finished!

I stuffed most of the clothing and equipment we will need for the upcoming trip with my mom and sis into the two rear panniers and the handlebar bag.  I'm quite sure we will be able to fit everything the three of us need...even food...into my four bags.  Our dear friend and neighbor is lending us his three-man tent and warm sleeping bag, so we will have to figure out how to strap three sleeping bags, mats, and one tent onto the backs of two bikes...since my mom's bicycle doesn't have racks.
Carrying the gear for three people will be a good test for my panniers...

Planning a route...

It is definitely more complicated planning a route out of state than one to the next city.  

I printed out nine pages of maps off google for our route to PA.  We won't be able to stray far from the pre-determined path...unless we are looking to lose our way!  Since printer ink is terribly water soluble I went over the print-outs with pen to reduce potenial smudging.  I'm also trying to figure out some sort of zip-lock bag/map case type of protection against wetness...but I haven't come to any conclusions yet.  

My brother is letting me plan the route...should I surprise him?

I have only one more pannier to attach hooks to!

I have had some frustrations, though...  

When I tested the right rear pannier it hung just a little too low...the derailleur interfered with the bottom edge. I couldn't undo my work and fix the problem, so my brother is going to drill two more holes in each hook, just a bit higher.  That will raise the pannier 1/4 inch...all I need!

Today I received a bottle of Potable Aqua that I had ordered.  I'm not planning on using it much...only when absolutely necessary.  Hopefully I can get around the taste of those Iodine tablets...I've heard it's unpleasant!

Today is such a cold rainy day...I sure hope it gets warmer soon...and stays warm!

The finishing touches...

I have finally completely finished the handlebar bag.

My brother made a hanger for it out of a steel rod...  

..that hooks around the stem...

The bag slides securely on...

...and the underside is fastened down with velcro...

I tried it out today by filling it with books and returning them to the library.

It performed flawlessly!

Hang it all!

Since I will need to use the panniers soon, I must finish making them.

All that is left to do is make and attach the hanging apparatus.  

My brother bent flat steel into 8 hooks for me and drilled the screw holes...I painted them glossy black.

My dad cut flat aluminum for anchoring the hooks...

The aluminum gets sandwiched between the leather and the canvas.

I poked and punched holes in the leather for the screws to go through, carved channels for the stitching, poked all the thread holes, and wore out my fingers stitching the leather to the canvas.

Since the paint on the hooks needs to dry fully, I attached these two for demonstration's sake alone...

I am very pleased with how it looks!

Oh, I  do need to waterproof the leather before the hooks are permanently secured...

Straps and Buckles...

Today I installed the straps and buckles on one front pannier.
Before sewing them on, I prepared all four sets by gouging out the grooves for the thread and punching the holes...

 The sewing itself went pretty fast...

 Not perfectly straight...but that is ok....it will work just fine!

Getting a handle on things...

Today I made it to M. Steffan's Sons, Inc again and acquired supplies to finish the panniers. 

One item I bought was a 40" strap of sturdy 1" leather...and 

immediately made it into a handle for the handlebar bag. 

  

 The two scissor snaps easily attach to the braided loops on either side of the bag.

It is so convenient to carry it over the shoulder when not on the bike...

The Final Waterproof...

 Today I waterproofed the last pannier...

I'm going to be finished soon!

It is high time these were finished!

I'm finally getting around to attaching the hanging apparatus to the panniers!  Installation was delayed because the racks were needed in order to determine the exact placement of the hooks.  

Aluminum strips will be the strong stiff anchor the hooks will be bolted to.  

Leather will surround the aluminum and secure it to the back of the pannier.  

Part of the leather strip will wrap around the aluminum rods inserted in the seams to help distribute the weight to stronger parts of the bag.

The hooks themselves need to be made, but everything else is ready.  This is the last step in making the panniers...  

More waterproofing...

A few days ago I waterproofed the first front pannier...today I treated the handlebar bag.  I didn't take pics of the pannier job, you'll just have to believe me...
Here are the details of the handlebar bag work and waterproofing.

Before treating...
I sewed leather onto both sides of the bag as channels for the metal rods that will secure it. I soaked the leather with water so I could shape it.  When dry, it was stiff and held the shape I formed it into. I braided two loops out of leather cording to enable a carrying strap to be attached or removed at the slightest whim.  I sewed them securely to the canvas, and then the leather channel covered their untidy ends.

After waterproofing...
The leather darkened significantly when waterproofed...I like the look a lot.
It also became stiffer, but that won't be a problem.

A few things I noticed with the panniers I waterproofed first:  the linseed oil takes a couple weeks to dry completely.  While it is drying it smells strongly of rancid oil...yuk!

After it dries, the canvas is very stiff....and I mean VERY stiff!

I wasn't expecting it to become so resistant to bending and folding.  I am glad it got so stiff...that will help the handlebar bag stay shaped when filled and off the bike....

I did make a rather silly mistake when storing the leftover mixture of beeswax and linseed oil...I didn't cover the container or wrap up the paintbrush, so the oil dried.  I had to pick pieces of dried linseed oil out of the melted beeswax and off the canvas when I used it next...

Well...learn from your mistakes!

Trim-work finished!

My fingers are sore, but I'm nearing the end...

I just finished sewing the leather trim onto the handlebar bag.

I am very pleased with how it looks!

The volume is 9.5L or 585 cubic inches.

Front, with flap closed...

It doesn't take long to sew...

This morning I cut out the canvas for the handlebar bag.

Since there are only two relatively short seams to sew,  it doesn't take long to put the sides on...

One more small step finished....

Just part of the process...

Yesterday I began designing the handlebar bag, and today I continued the process...

First I took the cardboard measurements and put them on pattern paper, adding 1cm of seam allowance to each side.





Next I used free fabric to make the first bag.  That way I can work out some of the kinks without ruining my good canvas...

I curved the lower corners because I cannot, for the life of me, figure out how to make square corners lie properly!  I think it looks nice with curved corners...

It was easy to sew up quickly on the machine...

And the final product looks ridiculous, but next time I'll remember to start sewing the sides on where I want them to start, just beneath the top flap...

Now I will mull everything over in my head for a while, and hopefully figure out the top flap, attachment system, and other small details....

The beginning of the end

Saturday I cut out the pieces of canvas for the last pannier.  It is the second front one.  I started sewing it Sunday afternoon.  

It is kind of a weird feeling to be working on the last pannier!  But it is a good weird feeling...

I still have to finish the other front pannier, but that just involves straps and waterproofing.  

I am also waiting for a final design and materials for the two rear pannier attachment systems....

Progress...

The first front pannier is nearly finished!

The front

Back view

Side and front

I had some frustrations while making it that I will try to avoid in the next one.  When cutting it out, I didn't cut the top flap wide or long enough, so it was difficult to fold and sew neatly into the shape I wanted it. Because of this, the back edges of the flap curve downward as is visible in the above photo.  It is still functional, just not as pretty, or as easy to make!

Front Panniers

Now that the rear bags are nearly finished, I have started work on the front panniers.  The design is similar to that of the back panniers, with a few alterations...
I often hear that weight in the front should be carried down low, so I extended these down 2 inches further than the back panniers.  They will be 18 inches tall.
I am making them only about 9 inches across...the measurement of the narrow part of the rear panniers.  Since these will be hanging in the front, there will be no interference with my pedaling, and I won't need a curve to accommodate for my foot. They will be a little smaller than the rear panniers...if they were too big they could interfere with my steering!
The width is the same...7 inches.
Here are the pattern pieces for the front and back...

I'm going to sew them the same way I sewed the first pair.  I'll use the backstitch for seam strength, aluminum rods for reinforcement and shaping, and leather for trim.  

Until next time...

Progress...

Finally I have come to the same point of completion on both rear panniers. They have been sewed, trimmed, waterproofed and buckled....all that is left to install are hooks to hang them on the bike and a fabric cover to keep the contents firmly inside.

As they stand now...

I weighed one of them on our primitive kitchen scale, and it registered at a little over 2 lbs.  I will weigh them again when they are completed... 

They smell strongly of rancid oil right now, but that should wear off as it dries. 

The approximate volume of one pannier is 975 cubic inches (16 liters).  I was originally planning on putting a mesh pocket on the front, but have decided it will be simpler to go without.  It could be difficult to access the objects at the bottom, but if I pack carefully, I can make it work. 

The Lazy Randonneur has a good description of how he packs his pocket-less panniers.  You can find it under the category 'bike touring' on his site.  I will try to pack similarly - it is simple, and easily remembered...

It works!

I thought I was going to have to wait until warmer weather to test the water-proof-ness of the panniers but I was wrong...I could use the shower!  I filled the pannier with fabric, closed it, and put it under the cold shower.

 I adjusted the water flow to simulate a reasonably heavy rain, and left it there for a few minutes.  The inside was dry!  Under an extended heavy rain the inside may get a little damp, but this treatment is just water resistant, not fully water proof.  

I did notice the slightly rancid-oil smell from the linseed oil did seep into the fabric I had inside.  Hopefully the smell will decrease with use and exposure.

Strapping the flaps down

The buckles...
I was able to buy buckles and pre-cut leather at the leather goods store.  I just needed to sew it on...

First I marked where I wanted the stitching to be, and gouged it out with a carving tool. There is a specific tool for this task, but a curved carving tool works well. Gouging a channel for the stitching keeps it flush with the surface of the leather.

After gouging, I punched holes for the thread with an awl and mallet.  This leather is too thick to push a needle through without pre-punched holes.  

                      

The waxed linen thread that I used on the knife sheath worked well to sew the buckles and straps.  I used the saddle stitch which is very strong and looks nice. 

I sewed only the 'D' shaped part to the pannier. The two extensions of stitching proceeding towards the buckle only sewed the leather together so as to keep the buckle in place.  

The buckle being sewed to the pannier...  

Finished sewing it on!!

I also got leather straps to buckle the top flaps on the panniers down.  I bought black leather, precut by the leather lady to the correct length.  All I had to do was punch holes in them for the buckle prong to go through and then attach them to the flap.  These were sewed the same way as the buckles were.

Holes punched...                                         

 Sewed onto the flap...

The finished work...