Description:

The value of repairability is core to the Swallow product. Many top-end bike-packing bags use high-frequency welded seams which, although durable, are virtually irreparable.

The project aimed to analyse and improve an Aotearoa bike-packer’s setup. I found that handlebar bags were the least developed bag type. This was designed towards functionality and optimal user experience, while still situating the design within Aotearoa through organic local forms and repurposed sailcloth materials.

Warou (Hirundo tahitica) is a native bird that is resilient, aerodynamic and unquestionably beautiful. The form of this bag came directly from a silhouette of a swallow. This design connects to the underside of a handlebar extension called an 'aerobar', which is widely used among bike-packers.

Bikepacking is essentially a form of all-terrain cycle-touring while carrying most of your gear directly on your bike. The most used, yet least innovative bike bag is the handlebar bag.

Through surveying, interviewing and researching, an extensive community of New Zealand bikepackers I discovered, a vast range of incredible rides ranging from short sealed routes to challenging remote singletrack throughout New Zealand. Many local bikepackers already modify or construct their own bikepacking bags, it is a sport of iteration.

Most current bikepacking handlebar bags use the same cylindrical ‘roll bag’ design. Two widely-experienced issues with these roll bags were their lack of structure, and lack of chance for organisation. Other values which were core to this project from the beginning were the concern for its lifecycle (and end-of-life environmental impact), to actually improve a bikepackers experiences (not just a novelty product) and to situate the design within a New Zealand context.

Specifications:
8.5L total volume (6.5L main inner drybag and 2 x 1L pockets)
480 grams empty
Up to 4kg full
34cm long x 34cm wide x 20cm high

The ‘wings’ of this bag offer one litre of separate organised space each and are easily accessed while riding via a simple elastic loop. The main storage volume is within the bag’s removable inner drybag. This slides into the main compartment and is secured with a commonly used roll-close system. This removable aspect greatly benefits a bikepacker’s experience compared to current ‘roll-bags’, allowing easy removal and repacking of equipment. To give the bag structure, a recycled bike-tube is sewn inside an X-Pac casing that becomes semi-rigid when inflated. It keeps the wings of the bag securely spread and deflates easily for storage/travel.
Discarded sailcloth was used for the bottom panel. This fabric already has previous experience navigating southerly winds, so some of this wisdom and resilience lives on in its new purpose. Balancing lightness with durability, repairability with waterproofness, and repurposed/recycled materials with durability and performance, the upper is made from X-Pac RX30, an innovative fabric made from 100% recycled polyesters. Every seam was machine sewed with waterproof seam tape to make this product go the distance. Making the Swallow Bike-packing bag's high repairability greatly extending the life of this product.