We're also sponsoring two awesome events this month! On April 24th, check out Fixed Fight 4 in Florida (St. Petersburg). Contrary to what the name might imply, the race is open to bikes and riders of all kinds. Last year they had over 200 entrants! For a measly five bones, you have the chance to win this amazing custom prize bag made by Gerik (artwork by Julius Santiago, who designed all of he promotional materials for the race).
Julius is doing a really cool project where he is designing 365 different bears, the above one being one of them. You can check out the whole project here.
I've also just finished a custom bag to be raffled off in a benefit for this years CMWC in Guatemala. This year, in an effort to get people to register BEFORE the event, there will be a series of giveaways that new registrants are eligible for. This way, the organizers can actually raise some the necessary money for the event in advance, and hopefully not have to extend too much of their own funds beforehand and then hope to recoup during the event itself. Makes a lot of sense, and actually gets their sponsors promoted on a broader level than just the awards ceremony.
Anyway, so far Pac has donated one of their Ultimate OS messenger bags (Pac's are sick, and were it not for the fact that I make my own bags, I'd surely be using a Pac), which has already been raffled off. I made this SuperLuxe bag a few days ago for the next drawing, which will take place on May 1st. Make note that that's also the date when registration will go up from $80 to $100. So, three great reasons to register NOW: 1) This year's CMWC is going to be awesome and is being organized by veterans and long-time leaders such as Andy Zalen and Nadir, 2) You can save $20 and make the organizers' lives much easier, and 3) you can win a custom R.E.Load bag worth over $325. DO IT!!!!
Oh, so the 18 stars on the flap are for the 18th Annual CMWC. You can find information about the dates, events, housing, and of course, registration on the official CMWC website.
More on the SuperLuxe: this bag is a model that will be released very shortly, and is basically a redesign of our current flagship messenger bag, the Deluxe. Nothing too crazy, just a few change based on some things that our riders have been asking for here and there. We've introduced three-layer construction, featuring an inside layer of pack cloth. This helps to protect the vinyl liner from abrasion and generally improves the "feel" of the bag when you're reaching in to get something. This layer is added in the final stages of construction, and as such has no thru-stitching. This should serve to make the bag even more weather-resistant than it is already (not that we've ever had any complaints about the Deluxe) - and also, in a small way, is aesthetically more pleasing. 2" wide hook UltraMate velcro runs across the flap for extra security, and a blinky light loop will be standard. Finally - and this might actually be the most exciting new bit on this model - we've made up a new hybrid strap system that features our new split-strap padding and seatbelt webbing, while keeping our original nickel-plated metal buckle. This stemmed from one comment that we heard over and over again from messengers: "I really like the split-strap, but i miss the action on the old-school metal buckles". Well, now you can have the best of both worlds! Easy, chest/front adjustment, with the smooth action and aesthetic elegance of a steel buckle. The one down side is that the strap can no longer be unclipped (as with the split strap), but we've found that most messengers are adjusting their straps frequently and simply release strap to remove the bag, rather than unclipping it in the middle. Non-messengers tend to adjust strap length less frequently (since they have a more consistent volume of stuff in their bags), and unclip more instead.
What else....oh, I've been working on a prototype for a soft, rolltop midpack. Basically, something with a bit of a simpler layout, and lighter, for general use. It'll feature cordura with two layers of pack cloth (the inner layer with no thru-stitching). So far the bag has been awesome; I definitely have some minor changes/additions, but hope to release for summer time! Here's a pic (along with my new bike, courtesy of Bryan at Bicycle Revolutions.
Oh, and if you havent registered yet for the Maypril Fools Ride.......now is the time!!! Event tees are NOT guaranteed if you register after the 24th!!! Go do it now, here.
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