Bike Trunk Cooler Bag
This bike trunk cooler bag is made with premium quilting cotton laminated with iron on vinyl. It is insulated with Insul-Bright fabric, which is a thermal fabric designed to help maintain a hot or cold temperature, and batting to provide an additional insulated layer. On the outside, it features a zipper pocket and a pouch pocket on each side of the bag, a drink holder at the rear, a key ring, a carrying handle, and elastic snap-on straps to hold a jacket. One the inside, it features an additional zipper pocket and a small draw-string pouch. An insulated pocket is included to hold a freezer pack.
Rainproof Bike Basket Cover
The Idea:
A multi-day biking trip inspired this creation. We had a trip planned to bike a significant portion of a very long trail with anywhere from 25-55ish miles a day staying at places along the way. Because of the nature of the trip, it was kind of an all-weather event. Previously, when it rained, we relied on trash bags, and I really wanted there to be a better option because it was difficult to access the things in the basket if you had to undo a trash bag each time. I wanted something that could easily be slid on and off.
So, presented with another practical gift opportunity, I decided to make something yet again that matched my mom’s bike that she could actually use and might end up needing. This turned out to be a really great idea, because it did indeed rain the entire day one of our days biking.
The Details:
The bike basket shown was used to get measurements, although it was not the bike basket for which this rainproof bike basket cover was made. This rainproof bike basket cover is constructed with breathable quilting cotton that has been laminated with iron on vinyl. The seams were reinforced with bias tape to prevent water infiltration through the seams. Elastic was added along each side of the opening so that it would hug the basket. An elastic strap was added on the back side to further ensure a secure fit on the bike basket. Instead of using velcro, a button was chosen to fasten the strap so that it could fit tightly and not come undone. It works really well and keeps everything dry inside. However, if I were to make another, I would make it slightly larger so that it can slip on and off even easier.
Over-the-handlebar Bike Water Bottle Holder
The Idea:
The idea came from needing to carry another water bottle and have another easily accessible on a long multi-day biking trip. Because of the nature of the trip, the bike basket and the cooler were full. The bike trunk cooler bag allowed for another water bottle in the rear pocket, but there wasn’t anywhere else to put one. Inspiration came from something similar I had seen online.
The Process:
I used the pattern of the other water bottle holder I made to create the body of this holder, but I added a solid circle at the bottom instead of straps to make sure that it was very secure for the ride. The design for the top piece, which goes over the handlebar, took a bit of trial and error. The rectangular portion was easy, but that didn’t give enough stability to hold the body of the holder well. So, I ended up with the Y-shape, as it allowed it to be attached further around the circle of the body but maintain a clean rectangular strap to go around the handlebars. I added stiff stabilizer to each piece of fabric used to make the top piece that goes over the handlebars, to ensure that it would hold up the weight. Additionally, while I had seen velcro used as a fastening method, this did not seem strong enough to hold a full bottle of water. Therefore, I chose large snaps instead to ensure a secure hold. Since snaps had to be sewn by hand, and it isn’t very pretty, I added the buttons to cover the stitching up and make it look more aesthetically pleasing. It worked really well and serves as an effective extra water bottle holder for biking.
