Utility Cycling - Hauling cat litter on cross check.

So, I have a Surly Cross check with rear rack and Ortlieb classic rollers. How would I go about hauling cat litter? Those bigger ~24lbs bucket types. I currently buy packages that are big enough to fit my bags, but I would rather buy the bigger variety; it's slightly cheaper.

Thanks :thumb:

Hmmm...first thought was buy smaller bags, but that's what you're arleady doing. Second thought, get a bigger bike, bigger basket, or whatever. Third thought- you know, you see those pictures of the women in far-off places carrying a pole across their shoulders with a water bucket on each side? Something like that across your rack, maybe?

Get a trailer.
I drag home 50 pound sacks of dog food on mine once a week.

Yeah, trailers are great for that. Or else buy an xtracycle, because xtras are mega awesome.

I've seen home-made panniers made from those cat litter boxes. Make a couple of those, then put the full cat litter containers into the cat litter panniers.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Best_Cat_Litter_Bike_Buckets/

Bring along a suitable (strong) smaller bag. Buy the 24LB bag and when you leave the store empty the big bag into the smaller bag. Compress or roll down the bigger bag so that you can fit what's left in your pannier.

You might look like a dork, but at least you'll save the money!

I like the side buckets out of cat litter containers idea. I'll give that a shot. Plus that sounds like the least $ invested. :thumb:

Bring some heavy tie downs and strap the bucket to the top of your rear rack. The bike won't handle awesome, but you'll get home okay if you take it easy.

A trailer would be better, but if this is your only heavy/bulky bike cargo mission I wouldn't bother.

Bring some heavy tie downs and strap the bucket to the top of your rear rack. The bike won't handle awesome, but you'll get home okay if you take it easy.

A trailer would be better, but if this is your only heavy/bulky bike cargo mission I wouldn't bother.

This will work, but like Vik said it will be sketchy so take it easy. I did the same thing with a car battery and it worked fine. All that weight on the back made doing wheelies really easy. ;)

This will work, but like Vik said it will be sketchy so take it easy. I did the same thing with a car battery and it worked fine. All that weight on the back made doing wheelies really easy. ;)

I've done this with a 25lb bag of dog food, too. It does work, and it does make handling a little different, or a lot different depending on your bike. When I got on my bike, I could feel that weight for the first two turns, then I adjusted and barely noticed the rest of the ride.

For you, you'd also want to make sure that the lid was securely attached. I don't know how those containers are sealed, but I could easily imagine hitting a bump and spraying cat litter all over the road. The downside of the kitty-litter panniers is that you will be very lopsided with only one container. I would be tempted to either buy two at a time (although that's probably close to or past the weight tolerances of many racks) or take an additional, empty container and empty half of one container into the other for the trip home.

Find a pet store that sells in bulk (I know may be easier said than done...we have an old fashioned feed place in the middle of San jose that has bulk litter and pet food) then get your own matching smaller bags that balance the load, you save even more money and one less container to recycle ????

squirtdad (http://www.bikeforums.net/member.php?u=61707) has a good point, In fact, when I was buying cat litter in philly, it was more economical to buy bulk or in large paper/etc containers than those that came in buckets. but that is besides the point since his question is really about carrying the stuff.

but that is besides the point since his question is really about carrying the stuff.

Thanks ulugeyik.....Let me clarify, the saving money point was supposed to be secondary. I idea was going for was that instead of dealing with the fun of carrying a 24 pound tub, if you could find a bulk place the OP wouldn't have to deal with the big tub.

That said, my answer to large bulky loads,assuming a solid rack, is lots of bungie cords and maybe a web strap or two (as a kid in montana it was lots of bailing twine) and then riding carefully

SqD

web straps are excellent. It is in my list of things to figure out how to ask for in Spanish :)

I have carried heavy bags of cement and plaster on my std rear rack. I have a plank of wood drilled with holes that I can lash across the rack using wire ties. The bags can be lashed to the plank and rack. It does make the bike rear-heavy and takes extra care to ride.

Baskets.

Not a solution for everybody, but I had the photo. I have carried over 50 lbs on my wald baskets, but I have had to do some reinforcement.

A larger bag would be easier to deal with than the buckets. Just lay it across the top of the rack.

Unless you particularly want the buckets for something, you've kept the plastic out of the landfill.

I had "Rack n Roll" (racknroll.blogspot.com) build me a front rack that I use to haul 50lb bags of dog food home on my cross check. The rack was totally custom and only cost $190. You can go the cheaper route and get a Cetma rack.

A larger bag would be easier to deal with than the buckets. Just lay it across the top of the rack.

Unless you particularly want the buckets for something, you've kept the plastic out of the landfill.

Kitty litter buckets have been used by some folks as waterproof carrying containers (for things other than kitty litter, that is) to be attached to their rack like panniers.

There is (or was) a small business selling kitty litter buckets retrofitted to attach to bicycle rear racks.

So, I have a Surly Cross check with rear rack and Ortlieb classic rollers. How would I go about hauling cat litter?
Get a used trailer/child hauler. Mine cost $15.

25 lbs of cat litter. Plus: 8 2 liter bottles of soda pop, 2 12 packs of soda pop, 2 six packs of bottled beer, 19 cans of cat food, 2 lbs of cheese, 7 light bulbs, and a bag of toiletries. Bought at the Walmart 5 miles from my house.