Rear basket - how to pull it off without looking like a fred
 

I am considering using a rear basket instead of my rack trunk, as it seems like it would just be less hassle and allow me to carry more stuff.

Is there a good rear basket that I can leave attached to the rack on my Rock Hopper that's NOT a milk crate? Ideally I'd like to leave the thing on my bike and don't want to have to worry about someone stealing my basket. Do people have grocery panniers or something that they just leave on their bike?

I was thinking about investing in a Topeak basket, but I would kind of be forced to buy their MTX rack. However, this might make sense because I also use a Topeak MTX rack trunk.



What are the best options? Pictures of your rear basket system are appreciated.

Lots of basket ideas here

Buy a tandem. Buy a manakin. Hollow out manakin to use for storage. Mount manakin on stokers seat with hand and feet attach to bars and pedals. Dress manakin in cool cycling kit. Problem solved.

I'd love to see the look on people's faces when I start depositing groceries into the hollow neck of the mannequin.

I was looking at baskets too, but instead got a rack trunk, and the Nashbar Townie folding grocery panniers. I LOVE them. I can just unfold them in like 2 seconds, and throw a back of groceries in each. They were fairly cheap ($20 for each). Baskets are heavier. Baskets have holes. If you come across an M&M geyser with baskets, your SOL. But with the Nashbar Townies, I can carry home a village worth. And the rack trunk is their for stuff that stays on the bike always (like my tools/patch kit), and stuff you want hidden, like your keys. The Nashbar townie even comes with a flourescent yellow rain cover folded into a zipped up section on the bottom of the bag.

I'm kind of worried that grocery panniers would be easily stolen. That's why I don't keep my rack trunk on the bike.

I think I found the perfect rack for my needs:

http://www.amazon.com/Wald-Rear-Bicy...sporting-goods

It's cheap, relatively compact, and will easily hold a bag of groceries. It might not work for M&M geysers, but it will probably work for raining cinnabons or other falling splendors.

you might want to check out the ones that hang on the side instead. like these:

http://www.amazon.com/Bicycle-Rear-G.../dp/B000BPNK7O

the wald baskets are really heavy and having the weight lower will make the handling more manageable. or you could just get an xtracycle.

I say - Embrace the Fredness. If its a basket you want, then get a basket that suits your needs. To heck with the way it looks or what others think of it.

I've used the topeak basket and it's nice, but I've banged my knees a few times dismounting from my bike because I keep forgetting they're there.

So I just keep them on my wifes bike.

I wonder if those are easily detachable so I could remove them when I wasn't shopping?

This is the powder blue ladies Huffy that was my sole transportation for three years. The basket was great. I prefer the front basket style. If you look closely you can see neoprene pads wire tied to the upper edges. I would rest my hands there when I wanted to ride faster. It was my "aero-basket".

are all these detachable? I don't want something that's there all the time, but something I can easily remove.

Yep.

See, I want the exact opposite. I don't want to be walking around places with a stupid basket. That's like carrying the trunk of your car with you into the grocery store.

This Gizmo + this thingamabob and you can make any basket quick-release detachable.
Basil has more baskets than anyone I've seen.
Biria makes a nice one that is readily available in the U.S.
Kettler makes one that has its own quick-release mechanism, but it can come loose with a heavy load.

http://homepage.mac.com/awcg/.Pictur...ll-Commute.jpg
The one I use

--A

I like that Kettler one. It looks more sturdy than the topeak basket.

I'm thinking about "borrowing" a supermarket basket and just zip tying it to the back of my bike. That's pretty fred, but not as fred as a milk crate. Plus, I want something that is more long than it is wide (whereas a milk crate is square and the kettler and topeak baskets are more wide).

PVC plumbing pipe fabricated to fit a standard backpack.
8' of 1/2" pipe was $1.55, 2 90-degree elbows .15 cents each, 4 tee's 17. cents each, and a can of glue $3. Backpack from the thrift store $2. Pack of Velcro straps to hold the pipe to the rack $2.99.
http://img184.imageshack.us/img184/7588/hpim0197rg9.jpg

I agree; pictures of my family's bikes

Ooh, ILTB, it's always so nice when a thread meanders such that you get to show off your lovely bikes! :)

I agree, who cares what other people think? Who are you riding for, anyway?

Well, how about this. I don't like the look of the milk crate. I'm going with the Wald basket (if I can find somewhere to buy it online that won't charge me the cost of the basket just for shipping!)

There are these places called bike shops. They have things called catalogs (with pages made out of something called "paper") they can order stuff from.

:lol:

I love my big red milk crate. I can carry two bags of groceries in it and if you could see how much crap I've jammed in it and ridden pretty long distances you'd want one too. But... to each his own. Baskets are very nice and certainly a bit more Ethel than Fred. :p

Cool. Aren't Wald products orderable through most LBS's? You might be able to avoid shipping costs that way.

There is no way to mount a basket on your bike without looking like a dork. So, just do it.:D

Go down to Pier 1 or Cost Plus or something like that and buy the nicest wicker basket that you can find.
Then merely zip tie it to your rack.