Friday, September 12, 2008

Two Serious Bikes pant straps!

My girlfriend and I are, unfortunately, very busy people — she's a law student and I'm a grad student, in addition to various other things. But if we weren't students, we would like to do the following: me make bike frames, and she make clothes. Indeed, we may do these things full-time some day. But for now: I work on bikes in my spare time, she sews in her spare time. Put these hobbies together, and you have Two Serious Bikes: our "cottage industry" bike clothes company.

For the last year we've been planning on finally finding a couple of weeks to really go in to production with our pants straps. Unfortunately, that time hasn't materialized. We have had time to make lots of "prototypes" for ourselves, which we use whenever we ride in pants, which have gotten increasingly nice, and which have also drawn quite a few compliments and inquiries. We've also hoarded far more vintage bicycle-themed fabric and buttons than we will ever possibly use.

This means that we are close to being in a position to make custom (as opposed to "production"!) pants straps. This will be largely for our own amusement and to bring joy to those who receive them. They take an impecuniously long time to make this way, but we want to tailor them each individual "customer," and have every one be unique.

A fine example is posted here: the "three-panel" design is a recent innovation, the backing fabric looks really nice, and we've got the proportions just right. (Well, a tad short for my leg — but on hers: perfection! Such is the nature of "custom"...)

In addition to looking nice, these things are extremely useful. (Especially on fixed gears: one does not one's pantleg stuck in one's drivetrain.) But in addition to be useful, they look very nice. The reflective garden variety straps encourage one very strongly to simply roll up one's pants; these keep you safe and looking non-ridiculous. (A possible marketing campaign: "Be safe! Look non-ridiculous! Ride TSB!")

Note also that they (like all our straps) are made entirely from "recycled" fabric and buttons. (The thread, alas, is not.)

Really, every style-conscious person on a lugged steel bike, esp. a fixed gear, should be wearing a pair of our straps.

Given our anticipated productivity, we fully and modestly anticipate a Richard Sachs style six year waiting list — in days!

2 comments:

Unknown said...

I think if the wait isn't too terribly long, I'd like to put my order in for a pair. how about a badass themed set maybe with flames to go with my almost ready for paint frame.

AH said...

We're on it!