Totally Tubular bag, here with the very recognizable green Michelin Mud! ©Cyclocross Magazine
Call it “The 12 days of Crossmas,” “The Festival of Cyclokkah” … or something similarly themed surrounding Kwanza, Saturnalia, Festivus (or your favorite winter holiday of choice) that we’re not witty enough to make sound cyclocross-related, but the gear-heads at Cyclocross Magazine have been busy digging through piles of bike stuff to bring you some great gift ideas. Most recommendations are at the stocking-stuffer-end of the spectrum, so we won’t take away from your entry-fee piggy bank. The one gift that keeps on giving, of course, is a subscription to Cyclocross Magazine! Stay tuned for plenty of gift ideas and product reviews between now and the end of the year. Some of these last-minute gift ideas also appear in Issue 15.
The holidays are a perfect time to celebrate the gift of cyclocross, and what better way to whoop it up than to share some ’cross love with others? Give a teammate a must-have tool (that you can borrow), introduce a loved one to the sport, drop a hint by leaving this list out for a significant other, or just reward yourself for a great season (or console yourself for a crappy one). Our editors have tested and hand-picked a plethora of gift suggestions. Today we bring you Totally Tubular Design’s hip purses and commuter bags.
Get Tubular
Send your cyclocrosser off to work in style, with a bag or purse’s valuables fully protected by a layer of recycled inner tubes and bicycle tires. Santa Cruz, California’s Totally Tubular Design takes used tires and tubes and recycles them into fully functional, fashionable bags that showcase a cyclist’s favorite sport (and care for our planet). Purses start at $25, and upholstery-lined shoulder bags start at $90.
Lauren Junker makes the ultimate gift for cyclists and cyclocrossers - bags from recycled tubes, made in Santa Cruz. © Cyclocross Magazine
We tested a custom, large model that fit a small laptop and an external hard drive perfectly. It’s a shoulder bag, not a messenger bag, and so it lacks the stabilizing strap that goes across your chest, and the main strap isn’t adjustable in length, but it did the trick for short pedal-powered trips, and it’s perfect for carrying your stuff to that important meeting or to your local cafe.
The construction of these bags is impeccable, and the tubes make for a very durable, waterproof bag. The as-requested green Michelin Mud cyclocross tire on the front let everyone know our true passion, while recycled upholstery lining prevents the strap and bag from stretching like a tube.
Totally Tubular Design’s Lauren Junker can even recycle your own favorite tires and turn them into a bag made just for your lucky cyclocrosser, as a custom option. She also accepts donations of mountain bike and motorcycle innertubes and folding road, mountain, and of course, cyclocross clinchers and tubulars. Turn your trash into an awesome gift or a bag for yourself!
More info: www.totallytubebags.com
