In 2013, I rode a bicycle alone, carrying a self-made rainproof pannier, across six provinces and regions: Jiangsu, Anhui, Henan, Shaanxi, Sichuan, and Tibet, all the way to Mount Everest. In 2014, I continued, planning a New Tibet route with teammates who had been planning for about 13 years.

　　I gave the original bag to a friend riding the Yunnan-Tibet route after returning to Suzhou, so I plan to make another pannier just for myself and my teammates. I'll share the DIY process and results here.

　　Let me show you the self-made pannier from 2013:

　　After summarizing the advantages and disadvantages of the 2013 DIY pannier, I made some improvements to this DIY pannier.

　　 Step 1: Material Selection

　　I hesitated between Oxford cloth and canvas. Oxford cloth is cheap and has good waterproofness and durability, but after sewing, water seeps in through the needle holes. High-density waterproof canvas is several times more expensive, but it remains waterproof after sewing.

　　Based on this, I finally decided to use canvas.

　　After bringing it home, I rinsed it directly under the water tap for 10 minutes.

　　After shaking off the water, there was basically no water droplets or seepage left on the fabric.

　　

　　 Step 2: Pattern Making (Making Paper Templates)

　　The rear side panel is the key; other dimensions are based on this. The main considerations include: the windward surface cannot be too large, it must ensure a volume of over 40L, and the volume of the rear patch pocket (about 2L each).

　　The patch pocket on the rear side panel. The rear pockets of common panniers are relatively small, which is not conducive to placing and retrieving small items. This time, I made them larger, with a capacity of over 2L each. The cover is a full-wrap type (the paper template in the lower right corner).

　　Main body and front side panel. The main body is actually very long; it's difficult to take a panoramic photo with my phone, so this is a folded state.

　　Large cover; the holes on it are actually the positions for Velcro, logo, and straps, etc.

　　A group photo of all the parts.

　　Cut small windows where the outer pockets, webbing, reflective strips, and Velcro need to be attached. Draw lines on the fabric according to the positions. The sewing work should sew the corresponding parts to the corresponding positions according to these positions.

　　In industrial production, to improve efficiency, while using machines to cut materials, the method of punching holes instead of drawing lines is usually used. The holes are generally large enough to be easily identified, which will damage the waterproofness of the fabric.

　　Here is the line drawing grid:

　　

　　 Step 3: Cutting Materials

　　Use a paper cutter to cut the fabric according to the shape of the grid. This seems simple, but it's also a craft; it takes several days of practice to cut the corners well.

　　Rear patch pocket side panel

　　Rear patch pocket cover

　　After cutting the fabric, draw lines on the corresponding positions according to the line drawing grid.

　　Cutting Auxiliary Materials

　　Velcro

　　High-brightness reflective strips

　　Fold the reflective strips in advance and sew the folded edges inside; there will be no burrs on the outside.

　　Sewing Velcro and reflective strips on the rear pocket

　　

　　Sewing the rear pocket side panel and side wall together

　　Sewing the rear pocket cover

　　The rear pocket part after hemming. The hemming uses 600D Oxford cloth, which has the advantage of less water absorption compared to hemming webbing. The workmanship of some panniers is very good, but the outer webbing absorbs water heavily, and prolonged immersion still causes water to seep from the needle holes to the inside of the pannier. Using 600D Oxford cloth will reduce seepage and completely eliminate needle hole seepage. I personally think that no fabric pannier on the market can achieve this.

　　Combining the rear patch pocket

　　Appearance of the completed rear patch pocket

　　The large cover sewing process is simple; this is the completed look.

　　Sew Velcro, reflective strips, and webbing on the main body. The webbing at the stressed parts is cross-stitched to increase strength.

　　The webbing and buckles on the inside; compared to the 2013 model, a day buckle has been added for easy adjustment.

　　The main body uses two layers of waterproof canvas, with a PVC board inserted in the middle layer to prevent the inside of the pannier from rubbing against the wheel.

　　Appearance of the completed main body; the stitching is on the outer layer, there are no loose threads on the inside of the main body, and there are no needle holes penetrating the two layers of fabric, further reducing the chance of water seepage.

　　

　　 Step 5: Assembling the Bag

　　Sewing the large cover

　　Sewing the webbing

　　Sewing the front and rear side panels

　　Assembly complete; now you can see the shape of the pannier.

　　This label is custom-made; it's much more formal than the crookedly embroidered "Tianya Qilu" on the previous camouflage bag.

　　So, a pannier just for myself is complete, folks. Simple, right? Are you interested in making one yourself?

　　

　　 Step 5: Assembling the Bag

　　Sewing the large cover

　　Sewing the webbing

　　Sewing the front and rear side panels

　　Assembly complete; now you can see the shape of the pannier.

　　This label is custom-made; it's much more formal than the crookedly embroidered "Tianya Qilu" on the previous camouflage bag.

　　So, a pannier just for myself is complete, folks. Simple, right? Are you interested in making one yourself?