Ok the Trolley Tote arrived and I used it.

The design is really nice.



I took it right to the grocery store: I used a generic bungee net that I had.



Pros:

-very clever design. folds down, and when open the very clasps that hold it closed also hold it open. there are side tabs inside that slide to hold the box open securely and even separate black handles that will detach and fit on top to hold the box closed (which also neatly stow away inside not taking any space).

its very very secure when locked down into the sliding topeak mtx bracket.

- the telescoping handle is just like that of luggage where it locks when fully extended and contracts by pressing a button. from there you can just wheel it into a grocery store and use it as a small shopping cart.

- if you install it backwards on the rack you can thread a wire through the handle and its holes to lock it down with a U lock + chain.

- its as tough as any other milk crate. I carried this amount of groceries in it:



two six packs of snapple, dozen eggs, half gallon of milk, lots of poultry and meat ect... that weighed about 22+ lbs all in all (near 30lbs counting the crate itself). if you're using bags then you can obviously jam a ton of stuff with a bungee net securing it down. i had to use plastic bags because it was starting to rain.

Cons:

- its expensive. you can find it for around $50 (more or less with shipping) but retail is $60.

- its fold down design is super clever, but essentially useless when folded down. it does make it smaller for storage.

- its position up on a rack when carrying a lot (like in my case) makes for some very unstable handling. panniers are lower and by the back wheel handle much better when riding/turning. i was glad the grocery store was only a couple blocks away.

- if you're carrying heavy loads you need to really secure the bike before sliding it into the bracket. i was having trouble sliding the crate with 22lbs+ (almost 30lbs with the crate) of groceries in it into the bracket and balancing the bike at the same time (maybe i just need to get a good kick stand). I'm sure I'll get better at it with practice.


I really like this thing and I can see myself using this to when I want to buy some stuff from the cheaper grocery about a half mile away a lot.