Recommend me a basket!

alan_sherman
alan_sherman Posts: 1,157
edited June 2008 in Commuting chat
Haha - seriously. The girlfriend wants a baskett for the front of her Giant Hybrid. Despite being a competent home mechanic who reads up on weightweenies and all that stuff - I'm not knowledgeable of the shopping basket market!

I think I'd be after one that:
    Is secure and can carry a change of clothes and a bag of shopping safely Doesn't mark the bike in it's fixings. I expect they al clamp to the handlebars which is fine, but i think I saw that some rrest on teh headtube and sratch it. I don't like that. I'd prefer it to fix on the V brake bosses or fork crown mudguard / reflector bolt hole. Lasts for a while. Steel is heavy and will rust. Alloy might be good, or perhaps stainless steel. How do the classic wicker ones last? Not overly heavy

Erm - I'd appreciate any input :oops:

Comments

  • Gussio
    Gussio Posts: 2,452
    My LBS sells nice wicker ones that look to be very sturdy. Don't know about price or brand because my ego prevents me from looking at them too closely in the shop :lol:
  • claash
    claash Posts: 145
    How about a panier??

    Why not have a look under Basil

    http://www.basil.nl/
    (They are a Bike Bag specialist/ maker based in the Netherlands)

    Their Mitre Shopper Panier is very girlie :D:D large and stable enough for shopping/gym kit/change of clothes and they are waterproof. I use it mostly on my Mon and Fri commute.

    If it has to be a basket, they also have a god range:
  • roger_merriman
    roger_merriman Posts: 6,165
    the wicker ones tend to be heaver than the cheap steel ones, for about town a basket has it's uses it's not good for heavy stuff as de stablises the bike for bit's and bobs you can't be bothered to put in the paniers works well.
  • mtbcommuter
    mtbcommuter Posts: 72
    I have a light weight aluminium Blackburn MTB rack and Arran rack bag 8ltrs (both bought from cyclexpress) . This is just the right size for my lunch box and a change of clothes (not including shoes which stay at work) I also keep a lightweight w/proof jacket in the top pocket & my tool kit in the side pockets. It's an ideal size & I barely notice the weight. But then again being male I wouldn't even have considered a basket :shock:

    I thought basket were only meant to carry a loaf of bread back from the village bakery in the 1950's :?
  • whome
    whome Posts: 167
    I tried a coated metal (aluminium?) one on the wife's bike and it did indeed scratch the headtube where it rested. The problem was very poor design of the handlbar fitting that only supported the weight and had no way to stop the basket swinging around.
    Training, highway design and increasing cycle numbers are important to safety. Helmets are just a red herring.
  • cycledad2
    cycledad2 Posts: 50
    I've just bought one that fits to my lockable click fix settings, that my bar bag can fit to. I have to say for commuting and shopping its sooooooooo much better than a pannier. And yes it does take a loaf of bread nice and easily.

    When looking for baskets the thing to rememeber is that they are realllllllyyyyy complicated!!

    A lot hook\fix to the handlebars and just use that to support the weight, occasionaly they'll have something that rests on the headtube.

    All baskets will obscure\ hide interfere\not fit on a front mounted light, so if you have one, you'll have a few problems and will need a shallow basket.

    Handlebar mounted baskets that are shallow interfer with handling.

    Some baskets ,the more serious ones ,have a support that attaches to the axle on both sides. These can take serious weight and look more substantial. They'll often be wicker with leather loops attached to the handlebars. I think these restrict your handlebars though. I see loads of these round cambridge.

    If in doubt ask your girl friend if she want pretty or practical or both. Both means the last type...
    http://cycledad.blogspot.com/
  • tardington
    tardington Posts: 1,379
    Well, my girlfriend is an occasional cyclist (she got her bike just to accompany me 8) ) and for a while she had a basket that rests on the headtube, but we were just in Stockholm, and she saw this
    http://www.madeindesign.co.uk/prod-Carr ... -6000.html
    and had to buy it immediately! It was fifty quid in swedish money (it's £67 on that website, but I think you can look about).

    It was a bit fiddly to put on (the provided bolt on bits had sort of glued on shims, it was easier just to get longer screws) but she loves it to bits. Oh, and the box bit is sort of reinforced, you turn it upside down and use it as a picnic table. Apparently!

    If you go the pannier route, you get girly ones..
    http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/ebwPNLq ... 119c003126
    My gf approved this, and there is 2 patterns. Also a wee version with a princess on. Possibly it for kinds though!

Categories