A pannier for $5.49 :)

[Summer23]

I feel like the DIY queen today. :) I made myself a pannier (I think it counts as a pannier?), using a brief description in a Mother Earth News article someone linked me to, and combining it with a suggestion of using carabiners instead of nylon rope so it could be easily removed.

Details and pictures can be found here (http://bicycle.vox.com/library/post/diy-panniers-i-did-it.html).

I hope this is the right place to put this. I thought about putting this in the commuting section, but I don't really commute, and the reason I wanted a pannier was so I could be less reliant on my mom for quick trips to the store. So I thought it fit here.

[Platy]

Nice work. Looks like it has plenty of capacity, too.

[Summer23]

It seems to! I think if I'm careful I can pretty easily fit my usual shopping trip's worth of groceries in two of them. It's roomier than I had thought it would be, anyway.

[likeakidagain]

cool. beans.

[Roody]

Nice pannier. I enjoyed your blog too. Hurray for Summer, Gloria and Radar--the 3 Cycleteers! :)

[Summer23]

The 3 Cycleteers... I love it! :D

[Nightshade]

Suggest that you spend another $5.49 and put a pannier on the OTHER
side of your bike then load them evenly when you use them.

One pannier that big loaded will throw your balance off badly. My
guess is that you'll discover just how unstable one panner can be
very shortly. :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Nice work tho........

[Summer23]

Oh, thank you! Good to know. I was planning on making another anyway, just wanted to only try one first in case the project turned out to be a wash. I'll be sure to load it evenly - thanks. :) Can you tell I've never used panniers before? :rolleyes:

[supcom]

From your description, i gather that there is no support for the bottom of the trash container. What's to keep it from swaying in turns when loaded? Maybe a bungie strap around the bottom and secured to the rack?

With no bottom support, the rings may tear at the plastic under loads. Perhaps a couple brass grommets will prevent this?

And the rings looping over the top would make it difficult to get a cover to fit tightly to keep the rain out. I guess the drain holes take care of rain. Be sure to bring a trash bag for your stuff. Better might be to install a couple small eyelet screws with washers to spread the load around the holes and attach the rings to the eyelets. Then you could sew a length of elastic into a piece of waterproof nylon material to stretch over the top and keep the rain out.

[Summer23]

Ooh, good ideas all. I'll have to look at putting them into practice - thanks!

[damian_]

Good stuff! Keep us updated with how they go doing your grocery shopping!

[Summer23]

Will do!

[lyeinyoureye]

I did something similar for $1.07 (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/1003/thaticktockman/photo1930.jpg).
The only problem was the welds/solders on the wires were crappy and eventually broke, but it was nice while it lasted. If wire bins that are a bit sturdier can be found, they should work pretty well. I was thinking about looking for some hinges/metal grill to make a foldable basket, but never got around to it.

[FlatTop]

I did something similar for $1.07 (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/1003/thaticktockman/photo1930.jpg).
The only problem was the welds/solders on the wires were crappy and eventually broke, but it was nice while it lasted. If wire bins that are a bit sturdier can be found, they should work pretty well. I was thinking about looking for some hinges/metal grill to make a foldable basket, but never got around to it.

Nice work to the OP, and also to lyeinyoureye.

A local stripmall had a couple of stores being renovated. Their discard pile held an enormous quantity of store fixture-grade wire baskets and wire shelving. A lot of it looked like the right size as-is, and I grabbed some for making those cool L-shaped platform front racks that look like they might be big enough to carry a couple baguettes and a jar of Grey Poupon... but that pannier rack looks like a much better possibility.