Beard: pouches, polo pads, straps etc.

A local Minneapolis Polo Player named James Crooks has started his own company making polo pads and pouches called Beard. I don't know much about James, but apparently we have some climbing friends in common and actually climbed together once a few years back (I have a terrible memory). I do know that he plays polo on a Dropout though (so you know I like him) and that out of necessity he started making his own pads, and now has begun making them for other people, as well as pouches and bags.

I don't play polo and can't claim to know shit about it's intricacies, but apparently wacking your mallet on the downtube of your bike is a common thing. To protect his bike James made his own BMX top tube style pads for his down and top tubes. This lead into sewing other items such as pouches and bags.

Recently at Behind Bars I saw a few of his products which Chuck has begun selling.

Check them out

Holdfast Style Straps
out of respect for my main man Jeremiah, I will forever refer to this kind of foot retention as "Holdfast Style"

I rode around in a set of these a few back, and they were super grabby.

Pouch w/belt loop



Tool Pouch


Bike Mounted Can Cozy


these things are awesome, I have a Freight Bags version and it's super useful

I was very impressed with the pro level construction on this stuff. It shows that dude really knows his way around a sewing machine. Most people who start making bags it seems like it takes way longer than this to get their seams straight and finished products uniform.

I'm sure you'll be hearing more about his goods in the future. It's always nice to see made in Minneapolis stuff.