Singletrack/MTB
Gravel/All-road
Dirt-road Touring
Fat-bike
Stringbean Bags in North Carolina recently released a nifty two-story custom frame bag that has both a roll-top opening and a zippered lower opening. Take a closer look here…
Owned and operated by Steve Koellmer, Stringbean Bags is a Western North Carolina-based company that makes durable and versatile gear for bikepacking and backpacking. The brand specializes in a range of products, including custom frame bags, bike bags, backpacks, and fanny packs. Their latest release is a custom Two-Story Roll Top frame bag, blending he benefits of a roll-top and zippered frame bag into a single package.
Roll-top frame bags aren’t anything new, but a hybrid roll-top/zippered design isn’t as common. As Steve puts it, “This innovative frame bag design combines the versatility and organization benefits of a two-story frame bag with the increased carrying capacity of a roll top.”
Having used roll-top frame bags, mainly the Porcelain Rocket 52Hz (now made by Rockgeist), I can attest to how much more they can hold compared to standard zippered bags. Another benefit is that you can overpack without the risk of stressing and breaking a zipper. However, the issue with a single roll-top closure is that it lacks the organization of a double-decker frame bag with a horizontal divider. Stringbean Bags decided to incorporate both options into a single bag, with an upper roll-top opening and a lower zippered compartment with a divider in between. Watch the overview video that Steve put together to see it in action:
According to Steve, the upper compartment is perfect for bulkier items like clothes, sleeping bags, and cook kits, while the lower compartment can hold heavier items like water bladders and tools. The frame bag can also easily convert to a single large compartment to accommodate larger items. In theory, it seems like the perfect middle ground.
All Two-Story Roll top Frame Bags are made-to-order in your choice of colors in ECOPAK and X-Pac fabrics. Customers also get to choose plastic buckles or metal G-hooks for the roll-top closure, as well as a variety of attachment options (bolt-on, velcro, lace-up) and additional features like accessory pockets and hydration ports. The lower compartment uses a burly #10 YKK zipper designed to keep working in the worst conditions.
The Stringbean Bags Two-Story Roll Top Frame Bag starts at $260 USD, and is shipped within three weeks of purchase. Visit StringbeanBags.com to learn more.
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