lemolo bags!

The latest Lemolo to hit the streets of Portland… and it’s mine! That’s right, I made myself a new bag. If you see me around town, feel free to say hi. There is something unique about this bag, something I’ve not tried before. Check out the pictures and read about it below…

This is the very first bag to bare my logo… but that’s not what I’m getting at… the point is how it got there. I had my friend Keegan screen print it on, and I really couldn’t be more pleased with how it turned out! Keegan and his girlfriend Katie work out of the same building as I do. They do amazing work, check them out… here… here… and here. I am considering offering screen printing as an option on the Lemolo LARGE Backpack. We are still working out the details, but it might be a reality soon. Personally, I am really excited about the prospects of this venture and look forward to working with Keegan on future projects. If you are thinking about a Lemolo LARGE Backpack and are interested in getting it screened let me know and we’ll see what we can work out.

I took some photos while Keegan was working. Here he is doing his thing…

finding the right paint and mixing it to exactly the right color.

getting everything lined up just right.

after a couple trial runs we are ready to go

and……… done!

Sooooo like I mentioned above. If your in the market for a big “messenger style” backpack and you wanna go all-out with it, let me know.

I leave for NYC tomorrow morning (eaaaaaarly) so I’ll be relatively unavailable for about a week. See ya when I get back!

-Eli

A Who’s Who in Portland style. I met Kendall on the street a few blocks from my house on one of the nicest days of spring Portland’s seen this year. She wanted to take my picture… claiming she was starting a new blog about style on Portland’s streets. It’s hard to say no to someone who tells you that you look good. Looks like my buddy Dylan couldn’t resist either!

Well, as it turns out she wasn’t lying! Kendall just started this blog called Portland Street Style. Basically, she is capturing everyday people who make Portland look the way it looks and feel the way it feels. Be sure to keep an eye on her blog for all the latest in style on the streets of PDX.

-Eli

P.S. Ooh… and if your a modeling agency wanting exclusive pics my price just doubled.

I have recently moved into a new workspace! Lemolo Bags are now made out of Radius Studios, located under the Morrison Bridge in SE Portland. I am happy to report that it was a car-free move! Heather and I don’t own a car, but we have friends that do and could have borrowed one. This was my first 100% car-free move, I found it to be a very fun and rewarding experience.

It is really exciting to be out of the house and into a real, dedicated workspace. I am hoping this will help boost my production and cut-down on wait time. The Office, The Shop, The Dungeon. All names I am tossing around that accuratly describe the windowless hole I will be spending much of my time in. We’ll see which one sticks.

Lots and lots of thanks to Aaron, Luke, Mike and Mom for all the help with the move!

-Elias

The big Filmed By Bike throwdown is tonight with showings all weekend long! Go, buy lots of raffle tickets, watch a bunch of short films!

See you tonight!

-Elias

Until recently I had no intention to make a larger backpack. Things change. My brother has been talking about converting from messenger bag to backpack… and it’s hard to say no to family. I told him I would give it my best shot.

Well, things came together much quicker and nicer than I could have hoped! After completing his bag I realized in retrospect that there were only a few very minor changes I would have made if I made another one (that’s a good sign). Sometimes it takes a few prototypes to really get what you want. I am very, very pleased with how it turned out and am thinking of making a few more! If you think you need a larger backpack than the Heather Size then check this one out!

This pack measures 10″x14″ at the base and has compression straps on the sides and bottom to hold things together when your not carrying a full load. Two extra large 3-D pockets hide under the main flap. Back padding and side pockets come standard. This backpack will also feature 2 rather large flat inside pockets as well.

This is serious baggage, by far the most technical of bags that I have made. I wanted to offer a lot of options with this bag (big pockets, compression straps, back padding, etc.) while still keeping it looking simple and un-cluttered.

The starting price for this bag will be $260. Email me if you think you might be intested in a Lemolo LARGE Backpack.

-Elias

The Lemolo Blog just broke the 30,000 views mark! Thanks to everyone who helped make it happen!

Portland bike lanes go green for St. Patrick’s Day! Okay, to be honest, the green bike lanes you’ve started to see around Portland don’t have anything to do with St. Patrick’s Day… or do they?! No. They don’t… or do they? Okay, I’ll stop. Or will I?! Sorry… or am I?! I can’t stop!!!!!!!

Bike boxes are being installed and bicycle awareness signs are being erected all over the city. In an effort to be more bike friendly (aka awesome) Portland is painting their existing blue bike lanes an eye catching green and adding a bunch more!

I shot these pictures yesterday before they were finished applying all the green paint. Check it out…

Don’t let all this fancy paint lure you into a false sense of security though! I’m not sure how warm a welcome Portland’s car community are going to give these new bike boxes… only time will tell. I am very intrigued by these though and hope they have good results. This is definitely a move in the right direction. We are one step closer to getting separated bike lanes, which I think would be fantastic! Until then, I’ll take blue, green, or whatever I can get!

Stay safe out there!

-Elias

P.S. Much more info on Portland’s new “bike boxes” (and a tons more bike related news) can be found at bikeportland.org

Hey all,

I have recently completed two more custom-stock backpacks and added them to the For Sale page! Just drop me an email If you’d like to call either of these bags your own and I’ll get it shipped your way ASAP!

-Elias

I know Filmed By Bike is over a month away but I’m already excited, last year was a riot! The Clinton Street Theater will be hosting it again this year, which is awesome. It’s all going down April 11th-13th so be sure to keep that weekend free.

If you haven’t heard, FBB is an awesome event that attracts bike lovers from all over the Northwest. It’s Beer, bikes, prizes, and of course, lots of great (short) films!

This will be the second year I’ve donated a backpack to the raffle. All proceeds go to the Multnomah County Bike Fair, so buy lots of tickets!!! Check out shift2bikes.org for all the latest Portland Area bike events.

See you all there!

I’ve been working on some prototype bags for a couple different Wald baskets recently. One of the things I’ve been working on is a basket liner. It will be similar to the Basket Bag, but designed to be more of a “permanent fixture” in the basket. Here are some pictures of the first prototype…

Why all the bags for Wald baskets you might ask? I’ve been designing bags for Wald baskets since the beginning. I like their baskets for a number of reasons. Here’s four, in no particular order…

1. They are highly accessible. You can get Wald baskets at almost every bike shop I know of. There is a reason for that… it’s probably reason #2.

2. They are very reasonably priced. You can usually get set up with a great basket for under $20 bucks. We all know, when it comes to bike parts, twenty bones doesn’t go far.

3. They are universal. Wald baskets are super easy to install and no matter what kind of bike you have, odds are you will be able to find a Wald basket to fit.

4. They keep it local. Wald baskets always have been and still are made right here in the USA. I hope they keep it that way.

I’m not trying to force you to buy one, but if those aren’t good enough reasons I don’t know what is. Even if your not thinking about getting some sort of Basket Bag from me you should still go get a basket, it just might be the most functional aftermarket part you buy for your bike.

-Elias