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Surly Junk Straps

Old 06-29-11 | 09:39 AM
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Surly Junk Straps

I bought a set of these & they came in yesterday. They are basically really long toe straps. I used them on my commute today to hold my backpack on my rear rack & they are, by far, the best attachment ststem I have used. Cargo nets are great, but in order to work, I have to attach them pretty tight, but that can squeeze the backpack & crunch stuff like my lunch. Just an FYI, in case someone else was thinking about trying them.
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Old 06-29-11 | 12:37 PM
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more info, please. They looked kinda junky imo. How are they any better than bungee cords? I personally use a cargo net but I wish it was bigger. It fits pretty tight for smaller packages though.
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Old 06-29-11 | 01:12 PM
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I've made my own and I rather like them. They work pretty much like a giant, reusable zip tie.
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Old 06-29-11 | 02:07 PM
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Originally Posted by albertmoreno
more info, please. They looked kinda junky imo. How are they any better than bungee cords? I personally use a cargo net but I wish it was bigger. It fits pretty tight for smaller packages though.
Bungie cords de-bungy and hook into things, it can be a real mess if they get wound around your rear wheel.
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Old 06-29-11 | 02:16 PM
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I don't get it. The title said this thread was about surly junk straps?

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Old 06-29-11 | 02:44 PM
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I hate bungee cords, don't use them, judging from the number of them I see along side the road, they have a high failure rate.
I use the Xtracycle straps and I am going to order more of them one of these days.
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Old 06-29-11 | 03:47 PM
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I find bungy cords are always exactly the wrong length for whatever I'm tying down, so straps do come in handy.
I can't tell from the Surly site what kind of buckle they have - if it's actually a toe-strap buckle then they hold pretty well and you can use them for leverage to cinch-down the strap.
I'm not a big fan of plastic buckles on most "camping gear" straps, but Campmor (and others) sell a metal-buckle strap called an "Arno" strap. They are cheap too - $5 for a pair of 36"-ers.
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Old 06-29-11 | 03:50 PM
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D ring belts are pretty great for strapping things down. At one of my local thrift stores I can get them for a $1 or less and there are tons of them. Its another option of something to use thats cheap duarable and effective.

https://www.campmor.com/bison-designs...4&ci_sku=94834
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Old 06-29-11 | 04:45 PM
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I like these as well, they are great for racks

https://www.rivbike.com/products/show...h-strap/20-138
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Old 06-29-11 | 04:57 PM
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I'm a big fan of the Surly Junkstraps, especially if you can catch them on ebay for cheap. I use them on the xtracycle to strap things down to the deck. I use them to attach my fishing pole to my bike for riding to the river. I keep one wrapped around my commuter bike's rear rack at all times. Very handy, strong, and well made.
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Old 06-29-11 | 06:10 PM
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Surly has a Junk Strap contest going on right now...

https://surlybikes.com/blog/2509/
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Old 06-29-11 | 07:38 PM
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They truly are long toe straps. They use the same exact clip as my old toe clips & straps did. They also are made of the exact same material. I've tried bungee cords, and cargo nets and velcro straps and anything else I can think of, but so far these are the best for me. The bungee cords never seem to hold securely & my backpack tends to move around. The cargo net is better, but both styles I have end up being too loose or too tight. when it's too loose, my bag moves around a bit, when they're too tight, it can crush my lunch or anything else Fragile I have in my bag. These are just right for me.

surly has a video of 'how to use the Junk Straps. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OblcXzzPry8 Towards the end, there is a quick shot os one being used to hold a sleeping bag to a rear rack. That's exactly how I use mine (except with a backpack.

Last edited by MK313; 06-29-11 at 07:39 PM. Reason: added youtube link
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Old 06-29-11 | 08:13 PM
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They look nice, but wow they seem pretty expensive. A set of 6 for $34 is the best I could find. Where's the 'poor man's' version?

I currently use bungees, but for example if I want to transport a box of doughnuts as I'm doing this Saturday for a Tour de France breakfast party, they would squish the doughnuts.
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Old 06-29-11 | 08:22 PM
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Originally Posted by SouthFLpix
They look nice, but wow they seem pretty expensive. A set of 6 for $34 is the best I could find. Where's the 'poor man's' version?

I currently use bungees, but for example if I want to transport a box of doughnuts as I'm doing this Saturday for a Tour de France breakfast party, they would squish the doughnuts.
In this case i would strap a milkcrate or something similar to your rack and just put the doughnuts inside.
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Old 06-29-11 | 08:25 PM
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Originally Posted by SouthFLpix
They look nice, but wow they seem pretty expensive. A set of 6 for $34 is the best I could find. Where's the 'poor man's' version?
Check ebay randomly, I bought 6 Junkstraps, shipped for $25.
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Old 06-29-11 | 08:27 PM
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Originally Posted by FunkyStickman
Surly has a Junk Strap contest going on right now...

https://surlybikes.com/blog/2509/
That's my son strapped down to my xtracycle deck getting his diaper changed
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Old 06-29-11 | 08:39 PM
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Originally Posted by Koa C.
In this case i would strap a milkcrate or something similar to your rack and just put the doughnuts inside.
The doughnuts I'm buying are the dozen you get from Dunkin Doughnuts. They come in a box about the same size as a pizza box, except that the box is a lot more flimsy. The box won't fit inside a milk crate, unfortunately.

Originally Posted by JAG410
Check ebay randomly, I bought 6 Junkstraps, shipped for $25.
$25 would be better. I'll keep my eye on ebay. Thanks!
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Old 06-29-11 | 08:44 PM
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I'm a big fan of the NiteIze KnotBones. They're basically adjustable locking bungee traps, available in both round and flat shapes.

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Old 06-30-11 | 11:29 AM
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I like 12 d-rings and 6 yds of 1" poly for $5.You can have 6 straps 3ft long if you want.Or you can make 1 strap 18ft long for $2.

For $25,you could make enough for you and everyone you know and still have some to give away at Christmas.
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Old 06-30-11 | 01:23 PM
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Where's the 'poor man's' version?
get webbing of that width by the yard+ [ 120cm/ 48"each]

then poprivet the buckles off old toestraps on the ends.

Last edited by fietsbob; 06-30-11 at 01:28 PM.
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