Custom Bike Zipped Frame Bags For Bikepacking and Commuting

Make a template of the shape you want out of cardboard. Test to ensure it fits perfectly in your bike frame.

• When making full-sized frame bags, a squared-off bottom helps stop small objects from getting lost in a deep, tight corner.
• If your frame allows, a squared or rounded-off nose means you don’t have to sew around a super tight corner later.
• Mark any useful reference points, like bottle cage bolts, as you’ll need to avoid these when deciding on strap placement.

Make a small hole at each corner of the original seam line on your cutting template. If your template has curved corners, make small holes at the start and end of the curves. These will be your alignment marks later.

Use your larger (with seam allowance) template to mark and cut the fabric for the two side panels. Remember to flip the template over for the second panel to create a mirrored copy. You don’t need to draw on the seam allowance.

On the side you are adding a zip, add roughly ¼ inch of extra fabric to the top edge. This gives you some leeway to trim later if the panel size changes after installing the zipper.

Snip the zipper-side panel into two pieces where you want the zipper to be.

It is good practice to stop the zip before the seam allowance, and to sew an extension strip either side of the zip which will be sewn into the sides of the bag. This is more flexible than the zip, and helps the bag hold a better shape. If doing this, make sure to add a zipper slider before sewing both ends closed, ensuring it closes towards the front forks of the bike!

Sew half of the zipper, face down, to each piece of the zipper-side panel. Then, fold the fabric back on itself and topstitch for a clean finish.

Note: Depending on how close you sew to the zipper teeth, your panel may have changed size. This is why we added extra fabric in the previous step. In the example photo where I’ve used a zipper foot and a normal foot, you can see the effect on the final panel width.

Ideally to maintain panel width you sew in the middle of the half of the zipper side you are working on, so when it is folded over the exposed zip matches the folded behind seam allowance.

But there is a chance you may not be super accurate when sewing, and trimming off some excess fabric is far easier than seam ripping! Adding extra fabric and trimming is also easier than working out the seam allowance you require for different zip widths and sewing machine presser feet.

Install the zipper slider onto the zipper tape if you haven’t, ensuring it closes towards the front (handlebars) of the bag.

Now, overlay your cutting template onto the finished zipper panel. If the panel is now too large, trim it down to match the template.

At all the corners in your seam line on your pattern, make markings in the seam allowance to use as alignment marks (notches).

First, decide on your bag width (4cm to 8cm is a good range). Your gusset fabric width will be: (Desired Bag Width) + (2 x Seam Allowance).

The length of your fabric strip is the sum of all the side lengths, plus double your seam allowance. This length may end up being longer than the length of your fabric, so you will need to split this into smaller lengths. Remember each strip needs seam allowance adding before sewing together into a longer strip

Mark each individual side panel length onto your fabric strip’s seam allowance, top and bottom. These marks will line up with the side panel marks when assembling the bag.

Now decide how you want to attach the bag to your bike.

The main ways are a webbing ladder and double sided velcro loops, sewn-in velcro at defined places, and/or little loops for threading cord through and lacing the bag to the bike. It is up to you to decide which method you prefer.

Webbing ladders allow flexibility with velcro placement but are time consuming to make. Sewn in velcro and loops are the lightest weight options.

Add your preferred attachment method to the middle strip. If making a webbing ladder, 2 inch (50mm) webbing works well if your bag width is 6cm or more. Add regular bartack stitches about 1.5 inch (38mm) apart, depending on how well they can be spaced along the length. If loops/velcro, basting stitch them to the middle panel. A basting stitch is a quick stitch usually within the seam allowance to hold stuff in place before sewing the main seams.

An attachment point should be made adjacent to the zip so when the zip is pulled it closes instead of pulling the bag.

Sew the middle gusset strip to your side panels. I recommend sewing to the non-zipper side panel first, as this is the easiest to replace if you somehow make a mistake with your middle strip lengths.

Some people prefer to sew the gusset closed into a loop, then sew this to the side panel. In the images I have kept the strip open, and closed it as a final seam.

Align the marks on your gusset with the dots on your side panels and sew along the seam line. When you get to a corner, stop with the needle down, lift the presser foot, pivot the fabric, and continue sewing. You can make small “relief cuts” into the gusset’s seam allowance to help it bend around tight corners.

If you are looking like you’ll end up a little off your alignment marks you can push/pull the required top or bottom fabric layer a little bit to slightly uneven feed the fabrics. Be subtle with this or you’ll pucker your work.

Once both side panels are attached, sew the final seam to close the gusset strip.