Eggplant Jeff

MILK CRATE TIME!

I'm tired of fiddling with the zippers, pouches, velcro, etc on my rack trunk, not having enough room for stuff, having to bungee things on, etc.

So last night I bought some u-bolts and sometime within the next few days my commuter'll be sporting a suave sophisticated blue milk crate bolted to the rack.

Now I just need to get some sort of basket for the handlebars and it'll be perfect .

2manybikes

Bonus points for the name of the milk company on the crate.

harlond

Pics please.

JustBrowsing

All you need to do now is always carry a few old milkjugs around in it...Even better if they're all rancid and nasty smelling--It's the perfect anti-theft device...

ax0n

Don't forget gratuitous use of reflective stuff!!!!

w00t milk crates!

By the way, the one in the photo is a milk-crate-esque file folder carrier. not a real milk crate. I have 3 or 4 milk crates, but they're smaller than the above crate.

rykoala

I have one I have been seriously contemplating zip tying to my front rack. It would come in handy SO many times by now!

unkchunk

They need to come out with a CF milk crate... one that would fit in seamlessly with the Dura Ace groupo. Yeah, bike companies know that ancillary merchandise is where the big money is. Lots of room for logos too.

It's the only bike thing left untouched by designers. I think there is a sort of raw honest beauty in milk crates. Non ergonomic, non areodynamic; just 100% pure economical functionality. It needs it's own shrine.

le brad

I wouldn't put one of the enormohuge ones on a front rack, save the front for something classier, like a smaller wicker basket. Class and style.

Bolo Grubb

https://www.u.arizona.edu/~hankinsj/Mytrek2.htm



Drill a couple of holes, add a few locks, and you have a lockable trunk.

kill.cactus

I still can't bring myself to putting the milk crate on my rear rack... I am big on the geeky biker stuff, however the milk crate just looks too... white trashy.

Still, I'm sure I'll attach the bright orange one I have on as soon as the functionality it offers can be fully used

ragboy

+1 -- functional but hideous. yikes.

rykoala

White trashy? Yikes. That's harsh. I personally think they are ugly but they are offer great utility. Mine goes on tomorrow. I will post pix.

jimisnowhere

Well if you gotta be classy just get the biggest Wald basket they make. Mine would hold 6 millk jugs easy.


jim

catatonic

So...who's going to just bolt a giant coleman cooler to the top of an xtracycle now?

bmclaughlin807

I've strapped a mini-cooler to my rack before. The soft, insulated ones. Worked pretty well, but tended to slip off and I'd have to stop and re-secure it. Just picked up a ginormous Transit Epic rack trunk the other day.

Cadfael

Hmmm... as a lover of fine ales.... I may just be tempted to try that!

I have to say, this milk crate idea is not something I would have ever contemplated, but it would make my life easier

2manybikes

great idea !

le brad

does anyone rock a wooden milk crate?

Eggplant Jeff

"wooden" milk crate? Wouldn't that just be a box?

Of course, that's tempting too... I have plenty of plywood. The only problem is it isn't exterior grade so it would deteriorate when wet. Nah I'll start with the milk crate. Probably tonight if I have time, so I can enjoy it on my commute tomorrow morning .

I like the locking one, but mine doesn't have a lid. I'll have to see what I can fabricate.

Mine doesn't have the name of the company, but it does say "Misuser of this case is liable to prosecution". Good thing I'm using it the way god intended .

DogBoy

I used a milk crate for quite a while, but ultimately I abandoned it in favor of the bug. Primary reason? Mounting the bike. To step over the top of the crate required quite a feat of flexibility that I had trouble with when laden with winter layers.

MrCjolsen

Especially if you're camped out in a sleeping bag on the sidewalk next to your bike.

rykoala

Well I am going to have to eat some of my words. I test fit the milk crate last night on both the front and the back racks. No way. Its way too huge. I thought it was smaller. It will make an *excellent* basis for the bike trailer I've been wanting to build, though.

MrCjolsen

And if you ever accidentally ride into the ocean, you might even catch a few lobsters.

JeffS

What a wanna-be. The true Freds are laughing at you for your store-bought crate.

Eggplant Jeff

Hmm, that's a valid point. I'll have to see how it feels once I get it on. However my trunk rack + stuff strapped on top was pretty tall too, and I only ever kicked that once. We'll see.