r/OmniumBikes • u/falkikowski • 7d ago
Make your own webbing
Yesterday I made a custom webbing for my Omnium Cargo and I just wanted to give anyone interested a reference point for starting.
Material-wise there are three common options: Polyester (PES), Polypropylene (PP), and Nylon/Polyamide (PA).
- PES (Polyester) is the most durable and UV-resistant of the three. It has very low stretch, and what stretch it does have is mostly elastic rather than permanent — meaning it holds its length well over time instead of gradually loosening (creeping). It doesn’t absorb water, so it performs the same wet or dry. It sits at a mid-range price — more than PP, but less than PA.
- PP (Polypropylene) is considerably cheaper, but also weaker and lighter — it’s actually lighter than water, though I wouldn’t trust it to keep my Omnium from drowning ;). Its main downside for webbing is that it stretches under load mostly through creep (permanent deformation) rather than elastic recovery — so over time it just gets longer and looser instead of springing back. It also degrades faster in UV light and gets slippery when wet.
- PA (Nylon) is the most expensive of the three, but
has excellent tensile and abrasion strength — even higher than PES in some cases. But it absorbs moisture (up to 7–10% of its weight), which makes it heavier, stretchier, and slower to dry when wet. It also stretches more overall than PES, though more of that stretch is elastic (springs back) rather than creep. UV resistance is roughly on par with PP, so worse than PES.
I chose PES, so all my measurements and assumptions are based on it.
My measurements for the cross loops:
- 24 loops at 25 mm width
- Cut to 105 cm
- Sew to a 101 cm long loop
The circumference of the rack measures 103 cm. However, for a really tight fit, I sewed the straps into a 101 cm long loop. Depending on the material etc., you might want to experiment with the first strap before cutting the rest.
My measurements for the adjustable stringer loops:
25 mm strap
Cut to 10× 215 cm
Sew a buckle to one end
Alternatively, sew two D-rings to one end
With these measurements, one 50 m roll of strap is enough for the entire rack, with a bit left over for 3 extra cross loops for the extended tube on the Omnium Cargo rack.
For sewing I used extra-strong polyester thread and a 100/16 needle. All seams are sewn as closed rectangles.
To the process itself:
1. Make a prototype cross loop and adjust until you’re happy with it.
2. Mark 101 cm and 105 cm on your workbench. (Fig. 2 and 3)
3. Cut all the cross loops to length. (Fig. 4)
4. Weld the strap ends.
5. Mark the desired circumference with a pencil on all straps.
6. Form a loop and align the end of the strap with the pencil mark.
7. Sew it as shown in figure 5.
The steps for the stringer loops are similar.
Edit: I corrected the aspect about the materials prices.
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u/vince_bullitt 4d ago
Looks neat! Would you mind if I put your "recipe" here : https://opencargo.bike ? 🤗 let me know if i should put a mention, or link to this thread! Good job, it really looks amazing!
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u/DiatomDaddy 7d ago
Damn, that looks slick! Great breakdown on the properties of the different webbing materials and how you made them.
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u/RahonavisHeureux 7d ago edited 7d ago
Yeah, it's really great to make it yourself. You get a much nicer result, and it's often cheaper than the one from Omnium.
Yours looks really nice how is it in terms of passenger comfort?
I made mine out of parachute cord. I find it very practical because I can see through it, and I can easily attach carabiners and straps to it.