SweetLou

I have been trying to find a way to carry those Styrofoam containers that you get from restaurants. My favorite Indian place is not a problem. Everything is in its own container that put in a paper bag. This just slides into my pannier.

The problem is other places. For example when trying to bring wings home, if I put the container in the pannier, I have to turn it sideways and all that good wing sauce leaks out of the container. Or if I try to get fish, the coleslaw, fries and fish get all mixed. I don't care for soggy coleslaw flavored fries. But if I bungee it to the rack, the Styrofoam isn't strong enough and will collapse from the bungees.

What I wanted to do was find the right size piece of tupperware that I can place the Styrofoam in, then bungee the tupperware to the rack. I wanted to line it with some kind of foam. I figure the foam will do a couple of things, it will hold the Styrofoam container in place, keep the lid close without collapsing it and help keep the food hot.

The problem is that I can't find a plastic bin that is the right size. I'm short, so milk crates sit way above my saddle and make it difficult to get on and off. The plastic bins I have found are either the right length, but too narrow or not tall enough.

You'd think that Tupperware, Rubbermaid, etc would have made a container the right size for take out food. If they do, I can't find it.

dcrowell

Small bungies to hold it to the rear rack may work. If it's a common thing, maybe a front basket is a better idea.

UberGeek

Plastic milk crate to the top of the rack. Place items into crate

Nightshade

Mount one of these baskets on top of your rack to allow you to carry items flat instead of on edge.

This basket seems to be the best of this type of basket..............
https://www.amazon.com/Kettler-8985-6...4381308&sr=8-3

jdswitters

the local grill knows me, I ask to have the items, usually sandwiches and fries, wrapped in saran wrap for sandwich or leftover entree, and if fries or whatever goes into a styrafoam box, which I try to avoid, they put a wrap around that.

every place selling food has saran wrap and I have never had a problem making a special request because I am on my bike.

Pizza boxes go on the rack but it took a while to find just the right amount of bungie to get the job done without cutting into the box.

SweetLou

I've not had a problem with pizza boxes.

I've had places wrap the boxes, but this is not always a good way to go. I don't think the people there understand the problem. I've had too many meals where everything has been mixed up together. For example, the local place that sells meatloaf, mashed potatoes & gravy and a vegetable. Even if they wrap the box, I no longer have a meal of meatloaf, mashed potatoes and green beans, I now have some kind of meatloaf casserole that I didn't want.

SweetLou

As I mentioned, milk crates don't work for me.

Either do those baskets that attach to the rack. They either won't fit on my bike or they make getting on and off difficult. I am short, with short legs for my height. There just isn't enough rook for the baskets to fit. They will even push up against me when riding. Getting my leg over the crate or basket is also difficult and not the best solution.

crackerdog

Sounds like you need some kind of cushioning for the box. Some kind of floating shock-like device that keeps the food from being mixed together. I don't think any kind of basket or plastic container will do what you are asking without something to absorb the bounce of the bike. Maybe rig up some kind of box holder that has a spring system on the stem or arm?

wahoonc

Front basket? I don't eat much carry out other than pizza (occasionally) and Chinese which comes in nice little cardboard pails.

Maybe you could buy a plastic container with compartments and just keep it with you, when you go to pick up the food just transfer it to the plastic container? I realize it would be a bit of a hassle to clean and keep with you, but it would keep your food separate and edible. I am thinking about something like these.

Aaron

SweetLou

Not a bad idea. I never really thought about transferring the food over. One of my favorites is a local Thai place. They put the food in the Styrofoam containers. I could easily transfer that to a plastic bin of mine then bungee that to my rack. And I wouldn't lose all that good sauce. For food that I want to keep separate, I could just bring different containers then put them in my panniers, like how the Indian restaurant does.

LesterOfPuppets

I have a long bungee that does well with those things atop the rack.

I often take them home on my road bike by very carefully taking most of the slack in the plastic bag so that the box sits even with the bag handles and the extra bag material under my right palm on the drops.

I once cut a couple of thin plywood sheets to fit donut boxes, one below and one above just bigger than a donut box with notches on the top one for the bungee to slip into. I suppose if your bungee is destroying boxes then a couple of boards like this might get you by. Maybe even just one for the top might be enough to protect a styrofoam box.

Ideally, though, something like this:

hopperja

I've never tried it, but it seems like this might be the simplest possible solution. Great idea!

wahoonc

I had one place that would wait until you got there to dish up your food. They would put into my container if I asked.

I forgot that I have an Asian style "lunch box", it is almost crush proof.

Aaron

Paul01

Put the containers in a plastic bag and put the bag in back pack.

LesterOfPuppets

You need to keep them flat, so this wouldn't work.

If you took something like this home, you'd have your 3 dishes turned into one, all slumped together and most of your gravy would be in the bag.

Paul01

Depends on your back pack. It works fine and they stay horizontal in my 20 year old Jan Sport which has one, big, undivided compartment and two serperate small compartments on the sides.

LesterOfPuppets

Depends on your bike too. On my road bike, no matter the pack, the box would NOT be flat enough to hold sauce while I ride unless I rolled out no-handed all the way home. Raleigh Sports, on the otherhand, then yes some backpacks would work OK. Any unplanned jostle would have at least some gravy in your bag, however. This is bad news for any sauce/gravy addict like myself, cuz there's never enough.

Paul01

My utility/shopping/errand bike is "The Rat"; an early 90s KHS MTB with no suspension and 1.25" street tires. If I have the pack, I have to sit up pretty straight.

I couldn't do it on my road bike but I don't use it for shopping and don't like to lock it up out of my sight..

MichaelW

Plastic, insulated BentoBox

If you want to make a rugged, hygenic racktop container for carry-out styrofoam boxes, I would suggest corrugated plastic, which can be bent, rivetted, ziptied or bolted into any shape you want.
You will need a temporary attachment to the racktop, I would suggest a block of plastic, dremelled out to fit your rack. You dont need a workshop for these materials.

ka0use

use tupperware or rubbermaid leftover tubs. different sizes. keeps the food warm until you get home.

pizza? mmmm, i buy it frozen, put several in an insulated grocery bag ,bungee it to the rear rack.

Philphine

one place i go to puts the strofoam container in one of those t-shirt type plastic grocery bags. the thing with the bags they have is they don't have holes in them (sometimes bags like that have two small holes in the bottom).

so what i do is just tie the bag at the top as tight as i can. it traps the air inside so the bungees can't collapse on the styrofoam.

i admit though, i'm on a motorcycle when i do this on the way to work so i'm there in 5-10 minutes. the bags has collapsed some by then so i don't know how long it would last timewise before the bungees finally started crushing the styrofoam. plus you'd have to luck out and hope whatever place you go to has solid bags.

or carry something like large freezer bags that will fit what you're wanting to carry and it should work the same.

Philphine

most milk crates are just plastic. would cutting one down to this height help? i've also seen something made like a milk crate, but it was shorter and narrow, not much more than the width of a bike rack). i looked at them when i started playing with the idea of a utility bike, but passed on them. i was at some flea market or another so if i see them again i'll see what they're originally for, then you can look them up and see if it'll work for you.

wahoonc

Possibly an old soda (Coke/Pepsi) crate? I know back in the early 80's soda used to come in a plastic crate that was about 1/3 longer and shorter than the standard milk crate.

Aaron

DylanG

I use a bungie net on my rack. It doesn't crush the containers. It makes it a little easier to secure things if you can put it in a paper or reusable grocery bag.

It's amazing the variety of odd size cargo a bungie net can secure.

https://www.amazon.com/Vega-01-Black-...5417372&sr=8-2

badmother

I like front baskets so I would put it there. Also you can buy a small (or a bigger) front rack and bungee it to that one. I use the small front racks to hold the basket or without basket.
https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/alloy-fro...loy-prod14021/

I think your idea of using a plastic box is good, keep looking. Also the "several plastic boxes" solution is good but best if you can make them put it straight into the boxes.

Until you find right size plastic box maybe put the container into a plastic bag and then into a small cardboard box that you can strap to the front rack or in a basket. Baskets is much easyer to clean than paniers so I use them a lot.

Best is if you find a container that is made to be used for food, but maybe also look at things like a small toolbox, luncbox or also a small suitcase like box for children.