Colored Panniers

[biketourist]

Does anyone know where to buy purple panniers?

My girlfriend just bought a silver bike and has been outfitting it with two purple bottle cages and a purple rear rack.  Naturally, she would like to get a set of purple panniers.  I was thinking that the best way to do it is to buy regular black panniers and sew some purple pannier covers.  Any thoughts?

[John Nettles]

Be sure you can find the appropriate color in the material first before you buy the packs.  If black (and I would think purple), the sun really can heat up the packs so if she keeps stuff in there that might melt (food), that might want to be considered.  Gray or a purple-coordinating color (yellow?) might work also. Happy trails and may the wind be at your back!

TulsaJohn

[WesternFlyer]

There are lots of quality silver or gray panniers available.  Coated Cordura nylon comes in dozens of bright colors including several shades of purple and violet. You could sew a purple face over the existing pannier outside face with little trouble.   Find a local tent and awning shop or custom upholstery shop to order the fabric and do the sewing.  A person with some sewing skills, a good home sewing machine and some patients could do it themselves. Choose panniers that you can remove the hardware and stiffening plates easily (avoid rivets).  Take the hardware off yourself.  I speak as a former sail maker and canvass person; we all hate to take the responsibility for proprietary hardware while it is in the shop and charge accordingly for the headache and liability.  Then you will need to seal the new stitching with a seam sealer that is probably available at the canvass shop, if not REI has it.  And voila you have a brand new custom made silver and purple set of panniers.  For an extra touch you could sew a zipper in for a maps pocket in the new nylon.

Western Flyer

A wheel spins in a circle.
The still point at the center
gives it direction.
Be still.

   "The Parents' Tao Te Ching"

[erniegrillo]

My wife is into purple and she bought purple fabric paint and painted our bike bags to match our tandem..
It worked very well but did make the fabric slightly stiffer for a short time.