MY MISSION
TRULY HANDCRAFTED GEAR.
In a small workshop, I design, build, and ship each piece of outdoor gear that bears the Venture Handmade name. Usually it’s just a one-man show; sometimes I have part-time help. My products are used by adventurers all over the planet.
My mission is building handmade bags for bikepacking, bicycle touring and commuting, which I’ve been doing since 2010. Available to the public since 2012, this is one of the longest-running bikepacking gear operations in the world!
With a deep history of backcountry travel, I know the outdoors - and the demands made on outdoor gear. This direct experience means I design for real-world needs. When I set literal pencil to paper (no CAD here) to create something new, I’m truly drawing from experience.
KNOWN FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE.
In business, I’ve learned over the years, two things matter most: great product, and great customer relations. (Paying the rent and taxes on time helps too.) That’s why I’ve made sure Venture Handmade is known for not only the stellar gear, but also for how I treat my customers.
This doesn’t mean I’ll kowtow to your every whim. It does mean that I’m very responsive to your questions, that I follow through on promises, and that your business matters regardless of the size of your order.
WHAT SETS VENTURE HANDMADE APART?
There’s no shortage of gear makers out there. Some of my competitors do great work. Some outsource poor designs to overseas factories with poor build quality. A few have copied specific ideas I’ve introduced and claimed them as their own.
What sets Venture Handmade apart isn’t anything flashy or viral. Instead, my business mission is focused on timeless principles: Quality. Hands-on craftsmanship. Honesty. These principles may seem cliche, but I strive to uphold them in everything I do. It’s simply who I am. If that resonates with you, then we’ll get along just fine.
OUR
HISTORY
2026: A long-term plan is enacted and Venture Handmade is born. Durango Colorado is home once again, and a new full-scope product line launches in the spring.
2025: The business temporarily both rebrands as Freewheel Mission Gear and moves out of Colorado as part of the triage effort. The business is saved - mission accomplished.
2025: After a decade as co-owner, Joey becomes sole owner of the business, committed to building in the USA, product development, and sustaining the business. This happens on very short notice and triage is the name of the game.
2022-2024: The outdoor industry rolls over hard after the COVID boom, settling in for a multi-year bust which sends many companies into bankruptcy and threatens Bedrock and Nightfall’s existence.
2020-2021: COVID hits and after a very brief freefall, the outdoor industry explodes as people are effectively told “go outside or die.” During these years we’re just trying to keep up with demand!
2016-2019: Nightfall Overland is founded (2018) to build vehicle products. Bedrock Bags launches several groundbreaking designs based on Joey’s concepts, including the first non-rack-based dropper post seat bag, the first (and still only) swept-shape handlebar bag, and more.
2015: The bike industry discovers bikepacking. Joey joins Bedrock Bags as a 50% partner.
2012: Joey’s bikepacking pursuits draw the attention of a local sewing and bike enthusiast, and Bedrock Bags is founded. Many of Joey’s original concepts are included in the first designs.
2011: The rough-lookin’ but effective gear Joey builds for his first Colorado Trail Race succeeds in making the self-supported, as-fast-as-possible trek from Denver to Durango with no problems. Future odd-year CTRs begin at Joey’s shop in Durango!
2010: Joey Ernst, an MTB World Cup mechanic, Durango bike shop founder, and endurance athlete, begins making his own bikepacking gear with a yard-sale sewing machine, salvaged Cordura, and secondhand GoreTex.
