It’s seat cover weather. This time of year, we always keep one stashed in the FreeLoaders just in case because in all likelihood, it’s going to rain and you’re going to need to cover your seat. Tim turned me on to the mail order bag variety. They are super bomber, fold down pretty small and last through multiple seasons–you can use them over and over and over.
What’s your favorite seat cover?
Does anyone have a good Snapdeck cover to keep the deck dry so little buns can at least start the ride dry? I usually keep a camp towel in the FreeLoader and give it a quick wipe before the kids hop on but if anyone has a good cover solution, I’d love to hear about it.
– Anne
Anne & Tim
Tim King
Anne
cfdgirl
Tim K
Car Free Days 
I got a seat cover from these guys http://www.jollybike.com/ at an open market. they had a cute oil cloth cover for sale. I gave them all of my cash for it that day. Sadly it was 2 dollars less then they were asking but they took pity on me. It has a wine and grapes image on it. I wavered from buying an xtracycle for a while b/c I wanted one of their rack bags in fun floral oil cloth. I might have to make my own for the free loader…
That Jollybike.com stuff is great. Dutch Bike Seattle (and now Chicago) should carry some of their side skirt dealies… that would be a nice way to dress up an oma.
I guess I’m to blame for the shipping bag Anne has on her bike. I keep a bunch of them in the freeloaders for bomber weather protection of things like my laptop or the random purchase that I need to keep dry. Though I never have enough shipping to do to reuse them to their fullest potential, I feel good about using them as emergency rain gear.
Still, something a little more stylish would be nice. A coworker gave me a seatcover from the Daiso store that is great when I remember to bring it. I think it was 3CAD$ for TWO!
Last night I used an Oroweat bread bag. It’s possibly a step up from the shipping bag but not by much.
I’m partial to the bags that phone directories get delivered in, for the heavy guage plastic. I tend to ride with the cove on, and most bags don’t last long. I won’t claim that it looks good, though. Maybe a cheap vinyl tablecloth would work for a dec cover – Italian restaurant check, anyone?
I like the plastic shower caps provided by hotels. The elastic helps keep it on in a moderate wind. I don’t ride with the cover on, though….not quite sturdy enough for that!
I second MaryBeth! The salon where I get my haircut has shower (color) caps that I saw and asked for a few. They fit the seat, stay on when you’re gone and I just ball mine up and tuck it under the seat.
I too have used a bread bag, and it’s a good weight. Also, now this is weird, I owned a company that made rain gear for equestrians, and our horse riding helmet cover (waterproof/breathable) works really well on a bike seat. A piece of waterproof/breathable fabric stitched with either a casing for shock cord or elastic stitched in would be the same thing. Email me if you need some fabric for very little$ and I’ll cut off a square for you; I’m on Vashon and could mail it or swing it by next time I’m in the City. Reusable, washable, and re-waterproofable too.
I use a garbage bag stashed in the x-bag, since it doubles as a dry bag for things I put in the x-bag. As for the snap deck. I padded and upholstered the snap decks on both of our xtracycles with waterproof bike seat fabric (like what you had on your old banana seat). It wipes off in a jiffy, isn’t permeable, and is cushy for little bums. Yes, its vinyl something-or-other and some will get worked up about that, but my kids loooove both our bikes and that little bit of vinyl something-or-other gets us out riding with happy bums. I am also making a cover for my x-bags out of it for one bike, since I bike commute w my laptop and NEED to keep it dry.