mr,grumpy 

What I have is a nice big Wald basket that I scavenged from my 3 speed and an old Trek 820 with a crummy suspension fork with no lock out. Without modifying the stanchions, is there a way of fitting this basket on this bike? Are there baskets that WILL work with a suspension fork? ( I haven't decided if I'm going to go rigid or up-grade the fork).

wahoonc

I can't think of a way to mount that particular basket on a suspension fork.

However they do make handle bar mount only baskets that will work fine on a suspension fork, most of them are in the small to medium size range.

Aaron

Gareth

The only thing that I can think of that might possibly help you is a "U" bolt. Here in the UK these are available from Hardware, Agricultural, Engineering supplies and car part shops, with the more expensive stainless steel ones being available from Marine Chandlers.

In a related vein, I have just fitted full mudguards (fenders) to my wife's full suspension mountain bike using rubber lined, Stainless steel "P" clips to fix the mudguard stays in place; 35mm on the front forks, and 21mm on the rear swing arm. These are no-where near strong enough for a rack or basket mounting, but may be worth remembering if you choose to fit fenders to the same bike in the future.

Nightshade

There is no way to mount a basket on the shock tubes that will work. What you need is a basket that mounts to the handlebars only. Like this one....... https://www.amazon.com/Topeak-6600200...9799393&sr=8-5

badmother

There is a small frontrack available that mounts to the hole you use for ataching the front fender and on the brakestuds. It is made for supporting a basket to get it as low as possible and off the handlebars. There is no way I would go for a handlebar mounted basket as a permanent solution.

This rack has been discussed here before, but quite some time back. Not sure what you would call it. I am using it on three bikes, none of them suspendion fork bikes but used it on one in the past (stopped using suspensionforks). Bought mine locally.

Edit: This one is close to the one I use. https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/alloy-fro...loy-prod14021/
Remember there is a weightlimit for them. Also you could try some other front rack https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/front-rack-dept252_pg1/ , especially if there is one made for suspension forks.

mr,grumpy 

Why not?

badmother

Edit: Sorry, wrong link! Talks about why not carrying the load high.

https://bostonretrowheelmen.blogspot.com/

mr,grumpy 

Hum, that link didn't do any where specific BUT I am pretty sure that I saw the post that you are referring to any way. Honestly, the small difference in "center of gravity" between hanging it from the handle bars and the stem strikes me as miniscule compared to the gross vehicle weight of a bottom-end MTB loaded with me, the boy, his seat and rack, a bag of tools hanging off the seat, and a half gallon of water slung from the frame! I wound up with a pretty slick quick-release Wald basket for the front. It mounts on the handle bars to a small rack that rests against the stem. Is that close enough for you? It's OK for me.

badmother

Not at all close enough for me. The size of the bike matters and the type of or height of the handlebars. If it is worth doing it is worth doing it right- or as good as possible and to me that is not a basket dangeling from the handlebars. One of the problems you mentioned yourself, the basket is RESTING against the stem. On most bikes it is not the stem but the headtube and I`ve seen lots and lots of beautiful old bikes w a deep scar in the headtube and often headbadge. I would also say that if you are riding with a kid in a seat there is even more reason to have things atached as low as possible and not the least as stable as possible so that you do not get any unwanted suprises.

Anyway, not sure why you ask. I think you made your mind up before you asked. Best wishes.

wahoonc

Here is a picture of the handlebar mount Wald basket on a suspension fork bike.

Aaron

mr,grumpy 

Well, it's not against the head tube. It's against the stem. The exact same place where the declaw mounts in the article that you tried to share with us. And this is not a "beautiful old bike", it's a Trek 820. No one is ever going to pine away for a scratched head-tube on this thing. I think that for the occasional, light duty use that I will put it to I'm fine. It's not one of those crazy bikes where the bars are six inches taller than the seat after all and the alternative mounting situation that you recommend doesn't put the weight low, like into the forks, as a dedicated front rack would. It's a basket. For carrying sandwitches. I'm not trying to make a porteur.

mr,grumpy 

Nice looking set up there Aaron. Please don;t try to ride that thing though as it is surely to go wildly out of control and kill you.

wahoonc

Rode it for about a year as my general purpose grocery hauler. Then pulled the rear baskets and gave it to my daughter to use. She lives carfree in Seattle soon to be in NH. The bike is on it's way to Boston, MA via Amtrak.

Now I use this one for grocery getting...

Aaron

mr,grumpy 

That's the basket that I had on my tree speed that I wanted to mount on my MTB!

Car-free is a hard thing to do in these parts, unless she's going to be in Nashua or on-campus some where. Good for her for "getting it done" though!

wahoonc

Keene, I believe. FWIW my son lives carfree in Boston. Actually lives in Sommerville and commutes into the Docks area for work. Loves it up there, we are working on building him up a city bike for running about the neighborhood.

Aaron

mr,grumpy 

Boston is easy! So is Keene. The whole family is moving out here huh?

wahoonc

Not quite...my wife said if I moved to Boston I would have to find another wife

My DD was in western MA year before working for Americorps and SCA, doing heavy trail maintenance out in the Savoy/Hawley area. Then went back to Seattle to work as a high adventure leader for the Girl Scouts. And now is going to Antioch to work on her masters. DS has been in Boston for a couple of years now, currently works for Thompson Island Outward Bound as a development director (or something like that). He loves the Boston area and plans to stay.

Aaron

badmother

Could you plse tell me where I RECOMEND anything to you? Instead of spending time to tell you what most adults do know, and something that has been discussed again and again in this forum I directed you to a site that answered your question of "WHY". Maybe get a proper bike would make you cheer up?

fietsbob

Make the rigid fork switch first, then fitting the Wald struts to the front axle,
a solid nut fitted type, and the stock handlebar mounts , on an upright bar,
is much more straight forward.

mr,grumpy 

That is EXACTLY what I am planning to donin the future: swap to a rigid fork. At this point in time, this is the only bike that we own fitted with both a baby seat and a swell handle bar mounted basket. I don't want to start tearing the thing apart to do a fork swap in prime riding season!