Aha! The Story behind Sturdy

Every bag has a story to tell. It may be too big, too small, too heavy, too flimsy, too stiff, not enough pockets or too many, and so on. Sturdy also has such a story to tell.

I have a friend for whom a bag is never big enough. The bigger the bag, the less it holds. Sometime before the pandemic, we went cycling. From The Hague to Groningen, with overnight stays on the way. It was her first time, and I pretended to be the pro. And as a pro, I had planned my luggage system: simple double panniers on the luggage rack with two large plastic bags from Albert Heijn inside, because they are easy to remove and take unside. It seemed a functioning system, and my friend followed my lead.

I had arranged the first overnight stay during that trip. A very luxurious hotel, close to the dunes of Zandvoort. Hours-long bike rides are fun, but only if one can crawl into a comfortable bed after a ling hot shower. I had forgotten to tell my friend where we were going to stay. I thought it unimportant, she'll see when we get there.

After a beautiful ride along the coast of the Netherlands we arrived at the stately home that was to be our home for the night. Packed with plastic bags, we climbed the stairs, tired but content. Halfway up the steps, it dawned on my friend realized that this was not quite a hostel. Visibly embarrassed, my friend tried to blend into the background, which was difficult to do carrying our blue and white plastic bags and ib our brightly colored cycling clothes.

The 'gentleman' who had just arrived in his Jaguar jumped the queue and got in front of us. That didn't help things. It probably didn't occur to him that we were staying there too and paid just as much for our beds as he did. Plus, we were there first!

Last summer we went cycling again. Again, from The Hague to Groningen, but now along the eastern border of the Netherlands. In the time that had passed between the two tours, I had learned to make bags. With my friend's embarrassment still in my mind, I thought that I would make her the most beautiful bike bag ever. Having learned from our previous experiences, we met the night before at the Blue Banka to go over the upcoming trip. I had worked late the night before to finish the first ever Sturdy, which I proudly presented to her. Of course, I had also started some bike bags for myself, but I hadn't been able to finish them in time.

Luckily, she liked the pannier cum tote. Sturdy would now be tested in all weather conditions on its maiden voyage. Two birds with one stone.

The next day we met at the train station to travel to Arnhem to start our tour. Sturdy was nowhere insight. Instead my friend was carrying a huge Mary Poppins backpack from which tea and beef jerky was produced, as well as most of her fancy kitchen gadgets. In hindsight it would never have fit in Sturdy of course.

After the trip, I asked her why the fruits of my labor had not been not brought along. I thought the bag wasn't good enough; too small, too impractical, etc... etc... etc....Her "etcetera" answer came completely unexpected:

"Too beautiful."

So Sturdy had stayed at home, and I had once again used my plastic bag system. This year, hopefully, we will go again... with four Sturdies tested to weather the worst of rains. Well it is my hope that we travel with our Sturdies,  even if it's just for the pictures.