If you’re already digging on these brightly colored new bike bags, you can thank the pandemic.
When COVID-19 gripped the world in 2020, Hamish Elliott decided to “try something completely different and stretch the creative brain.”
So the Squamish resident signed up for the Technical Apparel Design program at KPU Wilson School. He studied through the pandemic, ultimately graduating in Dec. 2021.
“With that behind me I am stoked to start working on a few projects and maybe even share a little more on here,” the Squamish, B.C. resident wrote on Instagram back in January of this year.
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It didn’t take long for Elliott to get noticed. He just wrapped up a partnership with British Columbia bike company 7Mesh. Their collaboration resulted in these sweet technicolor bikepacking bags made from the company’s old bike apparel.
“He quickly became hooked on the satisfaction of using gear he had created with his own hands and sharing it with friends on their adventures, and has since crafted a variety of products ranging from outdoor apparel to backpacks and biking-focused bags,” 7Mesh wrote online.
7Mesh Upcycle Collab: Details and Field Test
These upcycled designs came from excess materials and beyond-repair returns stored in the 7Mesh warehouse, the company said.
Elliott used three kinds of old 7Mesh jackets, for example, to create a snazzy frame bag. He also designed a handlebar bag and a set of fork bags.
After many prototypes and months in the workshop, Elliott joined a couple of 7Mesh employees in a field test in May.
Of course, exploring the Discovery Islands in spring would be a gorgeous adventure even in the worst circumstances. Regardless, the bags provided “ample storage and easy access compartments,” according to 7Mesh.
“The durable fabrics and waterproof zippers are dependable and withstand the occasional overpacking of beer and snacks from the local bakery that is inevitable and necessary for any bikepacking trip,” Taylor Burk wrote for the company.
7Mesh Bike Bags: Pricing & Availability
If you’re stoked to purchase one of these upcycled bags, you might have to wait. Although 7Mesh has promoted the new designs on its website and social media, they’re not available for sale just yet.
Nor has the company indicated when that will happen.
But given the many “raised hands” when the company gauged interest on Instagram, it seems likely we’ll soon see these cool upcycled designs on the marketplace.
