Cool People Doing Cool Things:

With Hannah Trullaz, Owner of Sew Alpine

What brought you to where you are today? 

I grew up in the Midwest and was always fascinated by mountains, which led me to a decade in outdoor education and mountain guiding. I worked several years for the Colorado Outward Bound School and fell in love with the San Juan mountains while instructing extended backcountry mountaineering courses. 

What sparked the idea of starting Sew Alpine? 

I’ve been on a mission (not usually a glorious one!) to find a healthier work/life balance for myself. I loved working in the field, but I didn’t get paid much and I had to accept a lot of risk while at work. I tried office jobs and had a really hard time with the rigid schedule and staring at a computer screen all day. So I originally started Sew Alpine as an attempt to operate a business that could provide a healthy balance for myself and future employees.

What motivates you and what do you do to keep going when times get tough?

In general, when things get tough (in life and in work), I think about other challenging experiences I’ve had and how I’ve always figured out a way to make it through them. I also lean heavily on my incredible support network and community. And I try to get outside! 

What is something you love about biking in Durango, what is something you think could change?

I love the access to so many different types of trails and I think our community can keep working to bring more folks in. 

What kind of biking do you like to do and why?

I like using my bike to connect to places and cover a little more ground than I’m able to on foot. One of my favorite ways to do this is to bike along old mining roads and trails in the San Juan and La Plata mountains. I also love to push myself on downhill riding and learn how my bike and body can move through different types of obstacles and trail shapes.

What kind of bike bags do you make?

I make several different shapes and sizes of bike bags, including frame bags, top tube bags, stem bags, panniers, and handlebar harnesses. They’re basically all different ways of carrying your stuff on different types of bikes and for different lengths of trips. All are made-to-order so that the customer can customize the bag to fit their needs and style.

Where are the coolest places you’ve seen your bike bags end up?

To me, the stoke factor is way more important than how “rad” or “gnarly” the place or trip is. Some of my customers have taken their excitement and their bags on the Colorado Trail, fat tire biking in Alaska and on prairie canal trails in Illinois! I love seeing these bags facilitate folks moving their bodies and spending time with friends outside.

Dream bicycle bag set up?

I would love to someday find the perfect cargo bike and deck it out with a full matching set of bike bags and a little seat for my dog to ride along in too!

What are some plans you have for the near, and far future?

I’d love to eventually open up a workshop/storefront space where folks can come get their bikes fitted for bags and see them being made. I’m in the process of starting up some basic repair and sewing clinics (stay tuned!) and it would be so fun to expand these one day in a larger space. In the meantime, I’m working on dialing in the life/work balance and trying to prioritize my physical and mental health with as much time outside as possible.

What advice, or what would you like to say in general to the cycling community in Durango?

Keep up the stoke and don’t take yourself too seriously!