On Saturday, July 21st, we are happy to be hosting the opening reception for Mark price's installation in the DETOUR window! Come through, 7-9pm, and check out the work and talk with Mark! The R.E.Load backyard will be open, featuring the usual treats!

Press Release: 

Our Age / Ruined Monolith

Mark Price

Detour at Reload

608 N. 2nd Street

Philadelphia, PA 19123

Price’s work speaks to a deep-seated human fear of groundlessness and change. We seek stability and a world we recognize as sane and reliable, and Price’s work won’t give it to us. Instead he offers incomplete warnings of a shattered future in gestures that pierce the picture plane, flattening it into jagged shards that we strain to recognize. A silhouetted character appears from time to time in the work, functioning as a reminder of the fragmentary and incomplete nature of consciousness. In Price’s installation, our own experience can no longer be trusted. The high-resolution screen through which we view things has shattered into stuttering and razor-sharp hi-contrast graphic regions. Fragmentary bits of a larger situation, his collages emerge into a three-dimensional plane that feels tentative, vulnerable, and hyper-real. 

“Price’s visual world consists of both appropriated scenes and personal machinations of pure imagination. In it are fragments of collected, distorted, and replicated artifacts—an arrangement of shadows in a parking garage, the sinister implications of a computer error message, and the menacing pattern of caution paint at a Hong Kong toll plaza…The result of this combination is a hypnotic tour of where our psychological and information architecture collide.” - Maxwell Neely-Cohen

Mark Price (b. 1981, Detroit) lives and works in Philadelphia. His work has been featured in group exhibitions at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco and the Institute of Contemporary Art in Philadelphia. In 2009 his work was selected by curator Aaron Betsky for inclusion in the internationally recognized Confines exhibition at the Institut Valencia d’Art Modern. His work is represented in New York by Kesting / Ray.

Tenth Annual R.E.Load Maypril Fools Fun Ride: an update!

We're pleased to announce that things are coming along smoothly for the tenth iteration of our legendary Maypril Fools event! Thanks to some generous sponsor donations, we're even able to extend guaranteed, limited edition tees for pre-registration up through May 5th! Pete Whitney from Outlaw Print Co. has shown me some of the designs, and they're pretty awesome.

The Fun Ride has never been about speed, and has always been about all kinds of riders having a good time together and partying their way through the city. We encourage anybody with a bike to come out and join in!

If you're thinking about doing this event, we heavily recommend pre-registering now so you can lock up the free tee. If you wait until the day of the event, chances are about 90% that you wont get one. We've got an amazing after party planned, with two floors of DJ's at the Barbary, lots of stops with drink specials, fun checkpoint tasks, and general mayhem. And prizes. Lots of great prizes, from Cadence, Fabric Horse, Outlaw Print co., Chuey Brand hats, Hanford Cycles, Bicycle Revolutions, and the Mollywoppers NYB! There's really no reason to miss this one. Check out just one of the bags you might win below, then go register here!

:: Maypril Fools 2012 & Our New Website ::

First up, we have a brand new website! It's been a TON of work, but hopefully it will be worth it. We've got new sizing charts and illustrations, more pics of people using the bags, higher quality photos, and much easier navigation in general. Please drop us a line and let us know what you think!

Secondly, we're in final preparation for our Maypril Fools Fun Ride!

We're proud to announce that our TENTH annual Maypril Fools Fun Ride will be taking place Saturday, May 12th! This is the longest-running scavenger hunt event around, and our focus is always on fun as opposed to speed. We invite riders of all sorts to take part! Basically, you'll be given a manifest (HUGE list of checkpoints) aound the city to ride to - some of them real, some of them fake - and you route yourself as you see fit. Some checkpoints will be as simple as answering a clue from the manifest. Other checkpoints will require you to pull of some task or stunt, where you will be judged on your performance and scored accordingly. In the past we've included stuff like tricycle racing, karaoke contests, drawing contests, etc. There are also several stops at bars and venues around Philadelphia, and at the locations of several of our friend and sponsor companies around town. The winner is the person who has the most points at the end of the race. Regardless of whether you are going for the win, or just hanging out and taking it easy at a few checkpoints, you're guaranteed to have a great time!

We always make one-time run of limited edition tees for the event, and this year is no different. We have Pete Whitney from Outlaw Print Company making the shirts this time around. For fifteen bucks preregistered by May 1st, you'll get event entry, a tee shirt, and entry to the after party at the Barbary (featuring cheap drinks and two floors featuring several dj's). After the prereg deadline, tees are NOT guaranteed (probably only about 10% of people who register late or day-of will get tees), so register now!

Tenth Annual Maypril Fools Fun Ride

Saturday, May 12th

Registration: 12pm at Penn Treaty Park

Race Start: 2pm

After Party Presented by Get Bent

The Barbary

Drink and Food specials!

Featuring DJ's M.A.D Cat & The Snalien on the first floor

DJ's Lexx and Argo on the 2nd floor

Award ceremony around 7pm

Sponsors include:

R.E.Load

Chuey Hats

Fabric Horse

Hanford Cycles

Get Bent

Bicycle Revolutions

Levis

Strada

more to come!!!!

:: Free Shipping and Tee Shirts ::

For a limited time, get a free tee shirt and free shipping to the continental US on any "Build Your Own" bag orders! And free shipping to the continental US on any orders over $69 in general! We've got tons of stock right now, so take advantage! Check it out NOW!

New Waxed Canvas Colors and the New 2012 Flight Pack!

We've been big fans of waxed canvas as our alternative outer material for quite some time. However, waxed canvas - at least, U.S. made waxed canvas - has always been a bit problematic to stock in our usual plentiful color palettes, due to price and availability. Well, we're happy to announce that we've managed to grab a few extra colors in some small quantities from our local supplier! We will now be stocking black and brown as available colors for our Build Your Own Bag section, with gray, tan, olive, and navy blue making appearances on select bags in the Waxed Canvas Collection as supplies last.

As a tie-in to the new waxed canvas options, we're going to be revealing our redesigned 2012 Flight Packs! We heard a lot of clamoring for bigger front pockets, so we've made the switch to a bellows-style pocket (similar to those found on our other bag models). While the main compartment of the Flight Pack continues to feature our amazing, soft, and light weight waterproof fabric lining, the main outside pocket is made of our standard vinyl liner material for added structure. Similar to the Megapack pocket, we've added quick release buckles so that the pocket flap can be clipped down securely (which is important, as the rolltop design of the bag means there's no main flap to cover the pocket itself).



The shoulder straps have also been revised (and actually, this goes for ALL of our double strap models). Slightly thicker padding, with a slightly narrower overall profile. Swiveling hardware at the strap ends means that no matter what the load, or how you prefer to adjust the straps, they will always be at the ideal anatomical angle for comfort. The straps of course still feature adjustable sternum straps, webbing for attaching cellphone holders and other accessories, and D rings for carabiners or whatever.




Finally, we've adjusted the sizing on the Flight Packs to correspond a little better with the other models in our bag lineups. The "Small" size remains the same at 1110 cu. in., pretty much in line with our Small Civilian. And there is a new "Medium" model, which comes in at 1326 cu. in. with the flap rolled up. Packed up nicely, it has roughly the same volume as our Civilian single strap model.

We're really looking forward to the full release of this new lineup, a wonderful mix of awesome materials and design improvements that are making R.E.Load bags better than ever! You can now build up a Flight Pack in much the same way as our single strap bags; starting from a base model with no pockets. Add inside and/or outside pockets, choose your materials and colors - even for the shoulder straps - and any additional features you'd like. Check out the website for these new models throughout the next 24 hours!

:: In the Shadow of the Mountains ::

This Saturday, February 11th, we're proud to be hosting the opening reception for the new Detour window installation by Lizzy Janssen and Elizabeth Garvey! Come through and check out the beautiful window! Stay for some treats and a chance to grab some handmade items from the artists!

:: "That and That" Reception this Friday ::

This Friday, January 6th, from 7pm - 10pm, we will be hosting a reception for Kris Chau and James Ulmer's "That and That" installation! A new set of mobile paintings especially created for the Detour window! Come through and check it out!

:: UPDATED Holiday Schedule ::

Ok, we're now at the tail end of our holiday rush....which means that time is of the essence, so we want to make sure that all of our customers are 100% clear about what they need to do to get their orders delivered on time for the holidays. Please look over the following guidelines for ordering in-stock bags and accessories!

Custom bags ("Build Your Own" section):
It is now entirely too late to order ANY type of custom bag to be picked up or delivered by December 23rd! As clearly stated on our website, any custom bags (basically anything from the "Build Your Own" section or anything you are submitting graphics for) will not be made until after the new year.

Custom accessories:
If you are ordering through our website, custom accessories must be order by noon on Saturday, December 17th to ensure delivery by 12/23. This applies to any state in the US. IF YOUR ORDER INCLUDES A BAG AS WELL AS AN ACCESSORY, IT IS A BAG ORDER, NOT AN ACCESSORY ORDER! In that case, you must look at the BAG shipping schedule below!


In-stock bags ("Collections" or "Limited Edition" sections):
If you are ordering through our website, the bag(s) must be ordered by the following dates to ensure delivery by 12/23:
- AK, WA, OR, ID, MT, ND, CA, NV, UT, NM, TX, AZ orders must be placed by noon on Friday, December 16th
- AZ, WY, SD, NE, CO, OK, AR, LA, PR, HI, MS orders must be placed by 6pm on Saturday, December 17th
- Any other domestic order for any other state must be placed by noon on Monday, December 19th

In-stock accessories*:
If you are ordering through our website, the accessories must be ordered by noon on Monday, December 19th to ensure delivery by 12/23. This applies to any state in the US.
* Please note that any accessory with the words "custom" in the title is NOT an in-stock accessory. It is a CUSTOM accessory!


THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS TO THESE DEADLINES! IF YOU ARE ORDERING OFF OF THE WEBSITE, WITHOUT DIRECTLY CONTACTING US, AND YOU ORDER PAST THESE DEADLINES, YOU WILL NOT RECEIVE YOUR ORDER ON TIME!!!

If it is past the deadline for your location, we can still assist you with your order and get it to you on time, but you must call us so we can set up for rush shipping. UPS upgrade charges will apply. Call us at 215-625-2987 and we will be glad to go through your options with you! Please be aware of our store hours so that you can contact us directly. Please do not leave a message after hours and ask us to return your call so you can buy a bag! Call us during our normal hours. We will be here answering the phone from 10am-6pm Friday , 12pm-6pm Saturday, 10am-6pm on Monday, 10am-6pm Tuesday, and 10am-6pm Wednesday. WE ARE CLOSED FOR THE HOLIDAY AT 6PM ON WEDNESDAY. After that, nobody will be in the store until after the new year.

:: Holiday Schedule ::

Ok, so its about that time to lay down a schedule for Holiday orders! Please check and make sure that if you need a bag to be delivered for the holidays, you're ordering it on time! We will be shipping on the following schedule; if you need to place an order with a quicker shipping time and/or after the 20th, you MUST call us directly. Otherwise we cannot guarantee proper delivery. Trying to adjust orders after the fact can potentially lead to confusion!!!



For orders including In-stock bags (Custom bag orders DO NOT fall into this category); delivery by Dec 23rd

- AK, WA, OR, ID, MT, ND, CA, NV, UT, NM, and TX: Order must be placed by 6pm Thursday, Dec 15th.
- AZ, WY, SD, NE, CO, OK, AR, LA, PR, HI and MS: Order must be placed by 6pm Friday, Dec 16th
- KS, MN, IA, MO, IL, WI, AL, GA, FL: Order must be placed by 6pm Monday, Dec 19th
- MI, IN, OH, KY, TN, WV, NY, VT, ME, NH, MA, RI, VA, SC, NJ, DE, MD, and CT and PA: Order must be placed by 6pm
Tuesday, Dec 20th


For orders including custom bags without graphics; delivery by Dec 23rd*

* We will continue to make bags for as long as humanly possible up to our deadlines, but please realize that for custom orders placed after these dates, we will have to charge a rush fee of 10% of the bag price. This is because we will be putting in extra hours to get your bag done on time if it is ordered late! If you need this service, please call us!

- AK, WA, OR, ID, MT, ND, CA, NV, UT, NM, and TX: Order must be placed by 6pm Thursday, Dec 1st.
- AZ, WY, SD, NE, CO, OK, AR, LA, PR, HI and MS: Order must be placed by 6pm Friday, Dec 2nd
- KS, MN, IA, MO, IL, WI, AL, GA, FL: Order must be placed by 6pm Saturday, Dec 3th
- MI, IN, OH, KY, TN, WV, NY, VT, ME, NH, MA, RI, VA, SC, NJ, DE, MD, and CT and PA: Order must be placed by 6pm
Monday, Dec 5th


For orders including custom bags with graphics; delivery by Dec 23rd

- PUT YOUR ORDER IN NOW WHY ARE YOU STILL WAITING?!? Rush fees may already apply; contact us for more info.


For orders that only include accessories, delivery by Dec 23rd

- If it is an in-stock accessory (ie. it's not from the "Build Your Own" section), you must put in the order by 6pm Monday,
Dec 19th to ensure Priority Mail delivery.
- If it is a custom accessory, you must put in your order by 6pm Friday, Dec 16th to ensure production and Priority Mail
delivery

:: BIG BIG SALE ::

We've started our Small Business Saturday sale , and its a doozy! Pretty much everything we have in stock is on sale, with standard shoulder bags at least 15% off, and double straps at least 10% off (except for the Megapack, sorry!). There's also savings on every single graphic bag in stock, ranging from 10% to 35% off! And we're also dropping pricing on new color ways of Lockdown straps, our brand new V.3 belts, and frame pads. We've got a bunch of Chuey hats left from the summer, and those are over 30% off as well.

We couldn't leave out those who would like to order a custom bag made from scratch, so for you guys, we've got some free stuff to go along with your new bags when its done. We'll be adding a R.E.Load tee, beer coozie, or wallet free of charge with custom orders!

This sale will definitely go until Monday!! To all of our loyal customers and everybody who supports us - and other small businesses who still make great products in America - we hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

:: MOLLE Flight Packs Available Today ::

We're nearing the light at the end of the tunnel with this new MOLLE lineup! Today we're releasing the first model in the group, the Small MOLLE Flight Pack. We're figuring this will be the most popular of the bunch, so we're focusing on it for the initial launch. Available attachments will be the small, medium and large pouches, U lock holster and bottle holder. In the very near future we'll be adding pump/miscellaneous-tube-shaped-things straps, as well as a polo mallet holster.



You can check out our new MOLLE Flight Packs - in both standard CORDURA® and waxed canvas configurations - on our website
right now! Plus, if you order attachments along with the bag in the same color way, each attachment is discounted! If you'd like a bunch of different colors on the bag instead, we can of course do custom attachments.



Here's a little preliminary overview of how the attachments are installed.

Since all of this is new right now, we don't have much as far as stock yet. The plan is to have a nice stack of all-black attachments ready to go at all times, at a discount. We'll also be making some runs of attachments in random color ways, again at a discount. Hopefully this will happen in the next few weeks. Right now, custom MOLLE bag orders will be put in our normal schedule, which means about two weeks.

We'll start posting up the MOLLE shoulder bags in the next day or two! If you have any questions, comments, recommendations, etc., or if you just see something that was overlooked/messed up on the website, please email us!

:: September 10th - DETOUR Reception Featuring Tim Gough ::

DETOUR is an artist run collective that curates bimonthly displays at R.E.Load. On Saturday, September 10th, we will be hosting a reception for their newest installation! Featuring artwork by Philadelphia artist Tim Gough, this will be our last party of the summer, and we're set to go out with a bang. Tim will have silk screened prints available for $20 and up, and we'll be supporting with refreshments of all kinds! We hope you can join us!

R.E.Load
608 N 2nd st
Saturday, September 10th
6pm - 10pm

:: More MOLLE ::

Still working on the new MOLLE collection; here's a few more pics! This is a small Flight Pack with all three pouch sizes on it. The "small" pouch fits Iphones perfectly







The U-lock holder is made with a mesh front wall for drainage, and fits Kryptonite mini's



The bottle holder features an elastic lip and two cross-straps for security, and fits cycling water bottles, soda cans/bottles, and most other bottles all the way up to one liter!




More coming soon!

:: MOLLE Lineup Coming Soon ::

We're working on a new line of bags utilizing MOLLE (MOdular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment) system webbing! MOLLE is basically a standardized grid of webbing, with repetitive divisions stitched horizontally and vertically, that allows compatible attachments to be securely woven into the grid without the need for zippers or sewing. It is capable of making a bag entirely modular; you can put attachments wherever there is MOLLE webbing, as long as there are enough "loops" to handle the size of the particular attachment. So, if you've ever wanted, say, a u-lock holder in a certain place on your bag, or a water bottle pouch, or maybe just a big exterior pocket, whatever...your bag setup is now entirely up to you! These specialized attachments can be added or removed within minutes, and reused as you see fit.

We're very excited about this new lineup, because it will allow us to easily introduce new attachments down the line. The bag itself is a blank slate, and since it uses a standardized system, all we have to do is make sure all of our subsequent attachments use this same system.

Currently, we have plans for the following attachments:

Small, Medium, and Large Pouches:These will all be waterproof and feature flaps with both velcro closure AND a q/r clip. The Small size is being made with iPhones in mind.

U-Lock holders: These will be made to fit Kryptonite Mini's, and will feature a mesh front wall for drainage. The lock will be secured with a q/r strap on top.

Bottle Pouches: These will be made to fit most standard cycling water bottles, as well as many other bottles and cans, and will feature a mesh bottom panel for drainage and velcro cross straps up top for security while riding.

Pump Holder: It will.....hold your pump! Featuring two strong velcro cinch straps.

We're still working out several kinks and doing our best to make sure that our pouch sizing is ideal to work across all of our current platforms (single-strap bags from the Civilian and up, and all existing double-strap bags). We're also working on pricing. We expect to offer all of the base bags with triple-layer construction included in the pricing, though. Hopefully we can roll out this new collection in its entirety by the end of August!

We'd love to hear your comments, questions, concerns, suggestions, etc regarding this collection! Please email ro@reloadbags.com!

:: DETOUR Summer 2011 Reception ::

As some of you may already now, when R.E.Load moved back to Northern Liberties in May, we began a collaboration with the Detour artist collective. They have been curating local work in our windows, and we are set to have a reception for their summer group show this Saturday, July 9th! 6pm - 10pm; liquid refreshments will be served. Come through!

Career Courier Trailer 02- Featuring Ellie!

:: "The Works" Alleycat in Philly this weekend!! ::

I'm super bummed that I'll be out of town for this one, but if YOU are in Philly (or need a reason to come through) this weekend, this even promises to be BIG. The peeps from Neighborhood Bike Works have been working on this event for a few months, and from what I've heard its a combination points/speed race that should guarantee fun for all. Theyve got an after party set up at Danger! Danger! Gallery, and proceeds from registration will go to help NBW program, so it's win-win really.

THIS SATURDAY, MAY 14TH !!
Race starts at 2pm at Washington Square Park (7th and Walnut).

:: Madlib Civilian ::

Madlib is hands down one of the best hip hop producers ever. I think the first time I heard him - or should I say, realized that it was his work i was hearing - was off of a white label LP I picked up about a decade ago, simply titled "Madlib Remixes". There were a bunch of remixed tracks, including the Roots' "Don't See Us" and Gangstarr's "Just to Get a Rep". One of the standouts, for me at least, was his remix of Noreaga's "Misery Needs Company". The bouncy swing of the keys, coupled with the drum tracks, was just a sound I hadnt really heard before. And when I heard his treatment of the Slum Village classic "Look of Love Part 2", I knew I was hooked.



Madlib started off with his group Lootpack, and although he's really know for his production, I've always loved his voice and odd, off-kilter flow on the mic. On the cut "Whenimondamic", he can be found rhyming with Wildchild:



Madlib is pretty much responsible for what I would figure is a lot of people's introduction and subsequent crazed following of Stones Throw Records. Known to be constantly at home making beats - usually on some pretty bare-bones setups, such as the Boss SP-303 sampler, which at the time could generally be found for around $200 - Madlib began making a steady stream of music for the fledgling label. Jaylib (a collaboration with the late great J Dilla), Madvillain (an incredibly successful collaboration with MF Doom that has lead to a sequel and remix albums), a solo effort on BBE Records titled "WLIB AM: King of the Wiglflip:, and countless production credits with all types of rappers and musicians. Madlib's discography can truly go up against the best of them.



For all of his work with some of the greatest mc's ever, I think my highest level of admiration for Madlib came when it was revealed that he had been making music as a jazz band, playing every part in the band, and releasing EP's as different personas within the band. Dubbed "Yesterday's New Quintet", he'd been generating fans without them even knowing, at least in the beginning, that everything was in fact just him playing instruments himself. His father had been a musician, and obviously it had helped mold him. As Yesterday's New Quintet, Madlib released a stack of music, including a tribute album inspired by the music of the legendary Stevie Wonder. Later on, Blue Note opened up their hallowed vaults and allowed him to sample from their library (which he turned into his album "Shades of Blue")!! Additionally, Madlib has released broken beat albums as "DJ Rels". And of course, a few albums as his helium-voiced, muppet-looking alter ego "Quasimodo".





Most recently, Madlib has been releasing a series of albums under the moniker "The Beat Konducta" (one of his long-time nicknames). These works have spanned the range of his interests from Hip Hop, to African and Indian music, to Disco, and are still continuing as we speak.



I could really go on and on about Madlib, but I'll leave it with these small tastes of his work. I hope you enjoy it!

Catch R.E. Load in the new Triple Rush show premiering on the Travel Channel on April 14th! Check out their Messenger Gear Guide also!

:: We're Moving ::

I think at this point, quite a few people (in Philadelphia, at least) know that we are about to move out of our Chinatown production studio and back to our Northern Liberties storefront location, although we haven't really made an "official" announcement about it up to this point. Basically though, we will be relocating on March 29th, and will be reopening on April 5th. Which means that we'll be closed from March 26th through April 5th (if you have an order to pick up, you can still come grab it after we move, and we will still be shipping orders out although there may be a day or two delay if the order comes in on the 28th or 29th).

We're incredibly excited about our return to 608 N 2nd street. First of all, we will be able to be more of a part of the cycling and arts communities here in Philadelphia. Our current studio space is amazing, and to be honest, there is more than a little sadness that comes with moving out of here. But at the same time, it's a far from ideal spot as far showcasing our staff and product goes, and it's not exactly the most accessible and inviting place in the world. Its function as primarily a "production studio" dictated an awkward schedule that included a small chunk of saturday hours "by appointment only". And there's not much else around as far as shops and places of interest. The Northern Liberties store, in contrast, can be open all day on saturdays, and is surrounded by a number of cool shops and restaurants. We've had a good amount of time to plan out how the store will be set up, and we're happy to be able to arrange things so that when people walk in, they'll not only be presented with new displays and a ton of bags, but they'll also be able to see these bags being made right in front of them.

The best part about returning to 608 is that we will be able to host parties and openings again! Starting with our grand re-opening party on saturday, April 9th, we plan to hold events in the space every month or two. We'll have local artists' work in the space, we'll have bag shows featuring artists from around the world, and we'll have product launches and parties. Additionally, we're working with some of the artists from the Compound Warehaus, who will have full reign over one of our window displays, keeping things looking awesome all around.

So overall, there's a lot about to happen over here, and we're really happy to be at the starting point of yet another new venture! One side note; we can say we're 99% certain that there will not be an April/Maypril Fool's fun ride this year...we just have too much going on during that time period. We do plan to have some different events that should help make up for this, though, and I believe Neighborhood Bike Works is planning and event in April, so hopefully we can help to swing a lot of people in their direction.

Looking forward to welcoming everybody to the new shop in April!!!