Folks,

Looking to make a frame bag for the ECR, but unsure what weight of material to use, I'm planning on something like a cordura fabric, but bewildered by the various choices.

Any help or suggestions would be appreciated

cheers Roddy

Cordura Nylon can be pretty heavy so try getting the lightest you can find.
330d is pretty common or even better, try finding 225denier.

I suppose it depends how important weight is to you?

You could just do what ive done and use 1050d ballistic and 500d cordura, heavy as hell but will probably outlast the bike.
Another really heavy option is PU nylon, weighty but lovely to sew and gives great structure, again...not for the weight-conscious rider

Aside from cordura, various waterproof parachute nylons come in lighter weights, or if you're feeling fancy try VX21, superlight and quite tough.
Ive also personally tried 90d silnylon but that was a pain to sew and felt really flimsy, lacking any structure so probably not the best choice for Framebags.

Whatever you use, happy sewing

cheers for the info HayWiRe,

considering my lardy arse saving a few grams on a bag isn't really relevant. so weight not an issue

for comparison would a rucksack or the fabric motorbike jackets you get, would they be made with 500d Cordura, just trying to get a feel for the weights and what they compare too.

cheers Roddy

Rucksack weights vary alot! If its military grade and covered in molle then chances are its 500d to 1000d.
Whereas the likes of camelbak/osprey/gregory,ect use a,much lighter 125d nylon pack cloth or ripstop.

Aside from weight, your main considerations are waterproofing. Either something to keep the water out, or just not soak it all up like a sponge doubling in weight. And if its a first sewing project then something that 'folds' can be a lifesaver. Anything that's easy to hem, cut, mark, fold,ect will make your job alot easier.

Cheers for the advice HaYWiRe,

under the influence of wine, I ordered some 500d cordura off ebay last night, so we'll see how I get on.

This will be my first sewing project, so possible just made it harder, but we all start somewhere

Also consider what you are sewing it with and whether it can get through 2 to 4 layers of the material without breaking.

I tried to do and emergency repair on my framebag which is made from old sail cloth on the French Divide and couldn't get the needle through (super glue came to the rescue).

I tested the sewing machine out using 2 layers of leather with some thick strong nylon thread and it managed okay, so I would imagine 3/4 layers of synthetic material and nylon thread would be okay as they'll pass through each other easier then grippy leather..... well thats the logic

well material turned up now to make my template... do a quick test sample make sure my logic regarding stitching the layers holds up

I'll start another thread recording my progress for prosperity ....

cheers everyone for the advice so far