Morning and evening, in the sun and the rain, empty or loaded, we tested them! Too ugly, too small, too complicated to assemble, it was never perfect. So we worked for a long time. Tested , re-tested and simplified to arrive at a waterproof, upcycled, easy to assemble, secure and stylish bag!
A waterproof bag, easy to assemble, secure and stylish!
ALMOST TWO YEARS OF DEVELOPMENT.
Before looking like the Sterne you know, we went through many stages that we invite you to discover.
EARLY 2020: THE FIRST PROTOTYPES ARE LAUNCHED
Initially, we imagined the Sterne with rigid sides, in which we would crimp the main canvas. Thanks to this process, we hoped to free ourselves from sewing, in order to produce our bags locally in many workshops.
We then experimented with many materials. From ski spatulas to ping-pong tables to 3D printing … Anything goes! Including Nathan's computer.
It was a beautiful sunny Monday, as we have all year round in Lille. Nathan goes to work with his new prototype hanging from the luggage rack of his old Talbo. At a red light, he stops because he knows his rules of the road on a bicycle well. The light turns green and Nathan pushes on the pedal to take off. A first turn of the pedals and here is the machine which picks up speed. On the second turn of the crankset, our cyclist's heel meets the corner of his bag. This shock, although moderate, is enough to lift the bag which replaces the luggage rack of the bike. The prototype, which contained all of Nathan's belongings, ends up in the middle of the road… While Nathan slams on his brake levers to turn around, an SUV accelerates without seeing the bag. The front wheel of the vehicle crushes the bag and its container while the rear wheel succeeds to complete what could have resisted. We lose Nathan's computer and the confidence we had in that first concept.
So we focus on the essentials. A design more adapted to the bike, a flexible bag but well secured on the bike so that it does not move a hair.
To secure it, we choose Klickfix bindings (the market leaders), the highest-end version of the entire catalog, so that this mishap never happens again.
We also change the design of the bag with a broken side to allow the passage of the heel during pedaling.
And here is the evolution of the Sterne over the tests.
HOW IS THE BAG ATTACHED?
The preliminary step is to adjust the spacing of the two saddlebag mounting brackets. No tools needed, everything is done by hand. This makes it suitable for all luggage racks.
Then 3 steps are enough:
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I put my pannier on my rack, making sure that the side with the “broken” side is positioned towards the front of the bike.
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I activate the red button under the bar of the luggage rack, to secure the bag.
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To be 100% sure that it won't move, you can use the third fixing point at the bottom of the bag.
We've even prepared a little tutorial for you so that fixing the sterne no longer holds any secrets for you.
OCTOBER 2022: THE STERNE IS FINALLY AVAILABLE
After all these steps, the Sterne is finally ready to join your daily life! The shape, the materials, the use, everything has been tested and re-tested to have a top product! We focused on the quality and durability of the Sterne, so that it accompanies you as long as possible. Our bag was therefore designed in Lille in our workshop. It is produced in Portugal by a luggage expert.
WHAT ARE THE QUALITIES OF THE TERN?
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Waterproof: The exterior of the Sterne is made of semi-rigid boat canvas. Unlike canvas panniers, the Sterne is water-repellent and waterproof. Your bike rides in the rain will thank us!
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Practical: secure and quick attachment, it detaches and reattaches in 3 seconds, and to infinity. It is easily transportable thanks to the shoulder strap, to go from bike bag to messenger at any time.
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Eco-responsible: upcycled from semi-rigid boat canvas, kite wings, climbing ropes and safety belts, the Sterne does not create new materials, it reuses those destined to be buried or burned .
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Stylish: elegant cut, quality materials, 8 colors to match the color of your bike. La Sterne offers a new vision of design in the urban bike bag.
You understood, the Sterne is the result of a long work, where we took the time to think about every detail to present the most successful product possible . We have already been using it for a few months and we have adopted it (we promise we won't say that because we made it!). Discover the Sterne and all its characteristics on our site.
And if all this has made you want to go on a cycling expedition, we have some inspiring stories to share with you. In particular that of Ben Expedition 0, who crossed England by bike !
