Put a milk crate on my rear rack and.....
 

So I bought this milk crate

Sterilite Milk Crate Black : Target

I got sucker excited because it was big, cheap and black. Bought zip ties and raced home to outfit on. Got it lined up and started zipping away. Before I know it I out all 10 zip ties on there, then I got behind and realized it was off center!!! Grrrr! I could have sworn I lined it up purfect. After I looked closer I was off by one circle hole which makes it hang off more on the right side. Dose this effect anything? Can people tell it's off center?? Should I go back to the store tomorrow and redo it? Or is it okay the way it is? I can take pictures if need be.

I had a wald basket that I zip tied to my rack and because of the way the holes in the basket, fit to the rack it was off center.
I never noticed it while riding the bike and I don't think you will either.

When I used a milk crate on my rack, I could never get it perfectly centered. Except that it gave me an OCD-induced eye twitch, it was never a problem.

Okay my OCD kicked in and I cut all the zip ties off. -_- guess I'm making a trip to the hard wear store tomorrow this time il getting more than 10 zip ties.

Honestly it would drive me insane too. Lol Damn ocd

Hate to say this, but you may have just wasted 10 perfectly good zip ties...

It was hanging off and one side by 2 inches more. I just don't know it the weight distribution would be even, I don't want to loose my groceries

Shall we say a prayer for the lost zip ties? RIP

Its your bike, if you want it perfect, I'm not going to blame you.

I would have had to of fixed it as well, never a bad idea to always buy more zip ties than you need. They come in handy all the time and it is not uncommon to have a few that are a little too brittle snap on you, even when you buy the more expensive ones.

I think he means you could have used the tabs at the clamp or whatever they call it on zip ties, and taken them off and reused, you need a small wedge of some sort I.G. small flathead screwdriver, it lets the ridges slide freely past the clamp.

I'd need it centered too - minor OCD. ;)

My CDO is so bad, I need to alphabetize the letters in the abbreviation.

If additional zip ties don't work, perhaps permanently attaching something (small blocks of wood with appropriate holes) to the bottom of the crate and then zipties used to attach the blocks (appropriately lined up with parts of the frame) to the frame.

Wow, that's billant and cheap

Really???? :( never knew that now I'm sad lol

I'm surprised that someone paid for a milk crate.

Actually, what I meant was that the crate may never be perfectly centered/aligned- none of my plastic crates did and there are others in this thread that have had similar results with their crates. And not all zip ties can be re-used.

@OP- should you get it mounted to your OCD satisfaction, I would recommend that you figure out a way to either mount light(s), apply reflective tape, or both.

LoL I was smart enough to prequalify it with "I think" which is pretty amazing given that was a pre-coffee post. I even grabbed the wrong quote from AQ there and had to edit the post 3 times I think to get it semi coherent.. just my thoughts.

So please tell me where you can find them for free??? No stores give them to you if you ask...

That's all I ever did, and I got about 5 of them. I asked the grocery store, they handed me a few, I asked the milk guy when I saw him unloading to the store once, and he handed me a few as well.

I'm in a town that's 50% college kids who all ride bikes, maybe they legitemetly don't have any left. :-/ I'm sure they get whipped out pretty fast, maybe I should ask when delivery day is. In other sense I only paid 1.50 for this room essentials milk crate. :-/ I didn't wantlt look like a delivery boy so I wanted a black one.

The fact that you have a milk crate on a bike shows your already a little off center. ;)

Welcome to ranks of Uber Freds.

I am reminded by this post that for perfectionists, obsession is compulsory when it comes to disorder...

My MWave Double Daytripper grocery/errand panniers drive me nuts. It's impossible to keep them centered, and they're always sagging or drooping in weird ways.

In the end, all that really matters is if it gets your stuff from point A to point B without loss or spillage.

I just called all the grocery stores in town and none of them keep the milk crates. They are owned by the milk company and have to be returned!???

Ha, I do this often and thought I was the only one cheapskate enough! :lol:

I collect the ones ******** thugs leave in the street during the winter.

I think if you use good zipties it's not a cheapskate thing at all really.. the junky ones you're more likely to break from undoing them.

OK, no offense intended!

Oh none was taken, I am a cheapskate, a scrounge, a tinkerer, an improviser, a hacker(In the old fashioned sense, not the digital). ;)

Bicycle OCD is pervasive around here. I was going to just attach my white Sterilite milk crate with zip ties but I decided I wanted an easy on & off setup. Several iterations and unknown hours later this is what I use:

http://i926.photobucket.com/albums/a...cles/rack2.jpg

http://i926.photobucket.com/albums/a...cles/rack1.jpg

I cut a slab of 3/4" pine shelving board to sit on the rack and attached a couple of blocks to fit in the openings in the rack. The back block has a plastic tab made from the cover of a 3 ring binder. That tab fits under the end of the rack and the front is held down with the bungies. The rubber is just some old inner tube so the the paint won't get chafed. Works great.

This is a terrific set up. I normally use panniers, but sometimes want the ease of a milk crate. I've been looking for a secure way to attach mine that would also be quick to put on and take off. I'll give this a try.