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My fixed bike is my round town/utility/pub bike, so I've managed to graft a rear panier rack on its fork:
And now I want to fix some sort of box or crate on top to carry junk about and keep me on trend.
Going through the stuff available in the garage I have the following (none of which quite work):
Too wide.
Too twee (and is actually a picnic set)
Too small (and fragile)
Too tall (and a bit weighty)
What I think I want is a 12x15" plastic or wooden crate no more than 5" deep...
Where can such things be obtained free/cheap?
Suggestions please.
Tesco's hand held (waitrose if really hipster) basket, nice handle on it too and you don't even have to transfer your shopping to another basket
Following as I need something cheap for my rear rack. Closest I could cone up with was a supermarket basket, but I'm too honest to nick one.
Just note that filling a box that big with anything more dense than polystyrene will make the handling a bit sketchy.
Adie make the cheaper wire bike baskets including one specially shaped for a rear rack. Relatively easy to find in bike shops or internet land.
For the full hipster I would have thought you need either a Wald basket, one of those fancy Gamoh King racks with a wooden deck or a wine box slightly smaller than the one demonstrated above.
As above purloined supermarket basket would also work.
https://www.adieuk.co.uk/cycle-baskets/
Edit: to be really hipster don't forget that you will need a custom made satchel to fit in your new basket!
Get a fruit box from a local farm shop. They will probably give it to you if you buy some bit and pieces.
Or just cut down the box in the last pic.
Reckon something like this in 7L size would do you
https://hollandbikeshop.com/en-gb/bicycle-basket/children-s-bicycle-crate/
Postage to the uk is a bit steep but still only just over £10 all in.
That looks about right, maybe the 11L version...
Don’t know about hipster but here’s a decent sized basket
https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/luggagebaskets/wald-front-139-basket-with-fittings-black/
The wald stuff looks lovely, but it's a bit more than I plan to spend, current front runner is the Holland bike shop 11L
I would honestly go for a wald or similar. I have a wire basket the plus of them is the weight and with some Voile straps you can jut take it off and on super easy.
Edit: to be really hipster don’t forget that you will need a custom made satchel to fit in your new basket!
Proud owner of a handmade in peckham wizard works bag plus wald basket.
Looks like a good fit. Could you take a ride around the less pleasant corner of your town and recover a shopping basket from a stream or hedge. The Ubermarche wont want it back, and its a net positive?
Or ask if they've got a broken one you can repurpose?
or review tool crates/totes at B&Q or screwfix?
Nah all the bike specific baskets are a bit pricey and most are quite tall, all I really need is an appropriately sized shallow crate/box to attach to the rack I've already fitted.
TBH I think I prefer the idea of a Plastic crate to a wooden box, lighter, should deal with the odd scuff and bump OK, won't warp or rot and shoudl be relatively easy to fit...
Mesh plastic crate is a good shout, just be discerning as some can be really heavy depending. At least there should be loads lying around to be recycled/reused
So I found another folding crate in the garage to try as a stop gap:
It's 340 x 240mm, with zip ties galore to keep it from folding in on itself.
A trundle up and down the road in the dark, overloaded with 10kg of kettle bells, proved it will just about do the job and yes too much weight in there definitely affects handling. I reckon 6kg is about the maximum sensible load.
So a smaller box than I originally thought is actually a better choice and this one will almost certainly not last, but will do for now...
@cookeea would this work?
As I understand it, this attaches to the rack and the other part on the box clicks into place. Easily removable when you dont need it. But I could be wrong.
Never seen one before, came across it when searching for a new replacement cable for my bar bag.
Is it hipster enough for you?
Thanks
I use an IKEA knagglig
It's 10 quid.
It's been there 5 years.
Oooh they do a 'KNAGGLIG' in about the right size for a fiver, I like your D-lock carrying solution too. Cheers!
That was a fun afternoon, assembled my five quid KNAGGLIG and then made a D-lock holder from an old offcut:
It's fixed to a staple plate that I put M6 rivnuts in, clamped to the sprung bit so I can still pull it up and trap a shopping bag underneath and/or fit pannier bags.