Mike Martin & Ichigo: MASH SF x SAG | Hypebeast

What bikes are you guys currently riding?

MM: We received the first run of frames we produced with Cinelli awhile back. We took them on the tour of California trip for a 700 mile break-in ride. We’re excited for more riders to try this frame in the near future. We are really happy with our first frame design together. Our goal was to produce an affordable frame with a brand with rich racing history but keep it modern, stiff, and aggressive for street riding. We hope the rider feels these goals translated to the finished object.

I: I’m currently riding three different bikes, a Bianchi Pista Concept Vintage, Colnago road bike and Zipp triathlon bike.

What are some of the similarities between Tokyo and San Francisco?

MM: Hard to compare. I suppose genuine people is a good place to start. Creative communities in art, music, design, food, quality of life, and the love of living life outside are at the root of both cities. Riding is completely different in terms of landscape, but at the end of the day we are all adaptable humans, and enjoy learning. That is a big part of the fun of unpacking your bike in a new place for the first time.

I: I would say both cities have a strong bike culture.

What are some key features of your guys bag? What was the inspiration behind it, did you have any key concepts you wanted to explore?

I: A fun backpack for bicyclists was one of our goals. The bag can carry a bike frame or a skate deck with multi-purpose belts. It also has a compartment at the bottom which keeps beer cold during the summer and coffee warm during the winter. The interior pattern was designed by fellow MASH rider, Jonathan Burkett. The bag was tested on an intense level by MASH riders. We used reflective materials in some parts for the safety of riders.

MM: Jonathan introduced everyone having known Ogi before this project was born. It was important that Jonathan would be involved in the graphic elements of this project, as well as contributing to its function. We had 2 meetings early on with a small group and discussed our goals, some original design concepts, and the SAG team would sketch these concepts into design goals. The bag evolved in this process, and the creative process really ended up being one of the more fruitful parts of the project. Some of the key features for cycling include the following:

-Lightweight bag construction.
-The bag sits lower on your back and doesn’t occupy as much space up near your shoulders so you don’t have blind spots when looking over your shoulder.
-Back and shoulder supports that touch your body are removable and hand-washable. (Bags get slimy, and hopefully this prolongs the life of an active lifestyle bag)
-The design is intended to be stealth and simple on the outside, and technically very functional on the inside.
-Every area with a nylon cord/strap that would otherwise flap around in the wind, has an elastic tuck spot to keep the bag clean in the wind.
-There is a false bottom in the bag with a waterproof cooler material liner. This started as a joke, but evolved into a really functional aspect of the bag. Your either going to want to carry beer, or sweaty gear at some point and this area of the bag will prove itself.

The details are smart as well. you can swing the bag to the front of your body in the same way a single strap bag acts, and access the entire body of the bag without taking it all the way off your body, with a side entry zipper. The liner was designed by Jonathan, who like me, has a soft spot for sticker language, so he used this area of the bag to give shouts to friends and projects he was into. Oh, and black is the new rainbow.