zimbale: | zimbälē | • beautifully designed, hand crafted bicycle bags

Zimbale Saddlebag

Zimbale is back after a 2 year hiatus. Perennial Cycle is happy to have Zimbale back on the shelves and on our bikes! Zimbale is a small, hard-working group from Seoul, Korea that specialize in leather and cotton canvas bike bags. Before they stopped production Perennial Cycle had been selling their product for 3 seasons. Zimbale bags were always a clean blend of function and practicality with a classic look and style. It was obvious to us that the designers of the bags were passionate about cycling.

Zimbale Bike Bags

Below is an interview with Lee, the founder of Zimbale:

1.) Who owns Zimbale Bags?
Mr. K.J.Lee, founder of Bookun ENI Corporation. I have over 10 years experience in the sewing industry

2.) Which bag in the current line is most like the very first Zimbale bag designed?
This would be my favorite bag in the line, our 7 liter canvas saddlebag

3.) What other types of products are manufactured in the factory that Zimbale bags are made?
A wide variety of backpacks, handbags, rucksacks, camping products and so on.

4.) Can you tell us what is currently being developed that might get added to the Zimbale product line?
Our backroom R & D projects currently include an awesome pair of small panniers that I am very excited about. Also there is quite a bit of energy going into broadening our handlebar bag lineup.

5.) What is your favorite type of riding?
Touring, on a Surly Bicycle... Surly Bikes are THE house favorite here at Zimbale. Many of us ride them.

6.) Where do the materials used in Zimbale bags come from?
Nearly all of our materials originate in Korea.

7.) Is the canvas used in Zimbale bags truly waterproof ?
YES! We apply a double coating system to all of our canvas. The outer canvas is wax coated and inner canvas is PU coated. We believe this is the best way to assure a waterproof bag with a nice feel to it. Also of note is that we test the canvas and the bags under the harshest conditions so that we can be 100% confident in its performance.

8.) What are you most excited about now that you are coming back to the bike bag market after the 2 year break?
Here in Korea as well as abroad we have seen a big growth in both cycle commuting and bike-camping these past 2 years. Zimbale designs have always focused on developing our bags for these types of riders. Our Zimbale Version 2.0 has a number of improvements that make our bags sure to satisfy even the very high mileage riders that are using their bikes for the most challenging riding. The gravel races that take place in your part of the US are a good example of what our bags will handle without fail.

9.) Is there anything else that you would like to say?
When we introduced the first generation of Zimbale Bags our motto was "Beyond Your Expectation".  As a newcomer to the bicycle bag market, everyone at Zimbale believed that if we worked to go "Beyond Your Expectation" we could be successful.  Now our motto is "More than Well-Made." We are very proud of the quality and design of our bags and this is reflected in our entire product line.

Check out this lovely album of pics that we created on Flickr:

Zimbale Flickr Album
While Zimbale's classic designs using leather and cotton canvas have a similar aesthetic to our ever-beloved Carradice bike bags from England, each brand has it's own unique identity and offering choices in bike bags is important at Perennial Cycle. We know that some people will be drawn to each company's products. Some because of the variation in each brand's look and others for each brand's specific designs. For example, a camera buff may prefer the boxier shape of the Zimbale bags while a weekend tourer might prefer organizing his or her goodies in the more tubular Carradice bag.