Oversized Rear Basket and Frame

On Sat, 22 Jul 2006 06:53:46 GMT,

(Steve Schooler) said:

Would like to mount a 15x14 x 11(height) basket on back of my bicycle. Had a
13 x 5 1/2 rack put on back of my (apparently standard) bicycle and used
plastic tie clasps + bungie cords + inexpensive wire frame basket (bought at
Target).

Basket spacious enough for week's worth of groceries. However, because the
frame is too small (and because the basket isn't perfectly secure on the
frame) the groceries' weight makes it moderately iffy.

Since I need about 4-5 inches clearance between seat and basket, I need a rack
that is about 6 inches longer and (preferably) 4+ inches wider. Also, I'd
like to have a basket that I can more securely mount to (this larger) rack.

Request recommendations, websites, google-keywords, part numbers... Wish to
avoid both front basket and side baskets.

Take it from someone who has carried many heavy loads on a bike in the
past; don't do what you're proposing. There's more than one really
good reason that touring cyclists mount their panniers low on the
sides of the wheels. For one thing, a topheavy bike is a lot harder
to control than one whose load is farther down. It's also a pain in
the neck to load, since just about any kickstand will be overbalanced
by the arrangement you're discussing. Then there's the "eggs
overboard" phenonmenon; stuff stashed in a deep, narrow basket is much
less likely to be ejected on a bump than stuff in a wide basket, and
you would be *amazed* at how small of a gap between bungees a jar of
pickles can fly through, even when it was originally in a tied-shut
bag. (Hint in any event: avoid stuff packed in glass, and resign
yourself to having some eggs get broken.)

I'm getting ready to build a cargo bike for grocery runs. It's going
to have big side baskets in the rear, and I'll supplement that with a
backpack. This is the arrangement that I adopted successfully many
years ago, and it worked better than either the large front basket or
the large rear rack-top basket that I tried first.
--
Typoes are a feature, not a bug.
Some gardening required to reply via email.
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"Steve Schooler" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Would like to mount a 15x14 x 11(height) basket on back of my bicycle. Had
a
13 x 5 1/2 rack put on back of my (apparently standard) bicycle and used
plastic tie clasps + bungie cords + inexpensive wire frame basket (bought
at
Target).

Basket spacious enough for week's worth of groceries. However, because
the
frame is too small (and because the basket isn't perfectly secure on the
frame) the groceries' weight makes it moderately iffy.

Since I need about 4-5 inches clearance between seat and basket, I need a
rack
that is about 6 inches longer and (preferably) 4+ inches wider. Also, I'd
like to have a basket that I can more securely mount to (this larger)
rack.

Request recommendations, websites, google-keywords, part numbers... Wish
to
avoid both front basket and side baskets.

Well I prefer two rear baskets, mounted down low, as it helps to keep a lot
of weight down low.
My current shopping bike is an old Huffy three speed with a rear rack, dual
Wald folding baskets, and a huge Wald front basket.
Before that I used a old JCPenney ten speed with a rear rack, and a
extra-large metal plastic coated milk crate. What I did was use a piece of
..090" thick stiff aluminum plate or sheet cut to fit the bottom of the
basket and a little extra to mount the basket offset towards the rear more
to leave some room for the saddle. I also used some .125" thick aluminum
strips about one inch wide under the rack (and on top of the milk crate on
the bottom too) to drill holes through for nuts and bolts to clamp the whole
thing down with.
It worked pretty good, but when you loaded it up with a lot of stuff,
balance was a lot more tricky and harder to do. One could use some plywood
instead of the aluminum too, but you have to paint the plywood though.

"Werehatrack" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Sat, 22 Jul 2006 06:53:46 GMT,

(Steve Schooler) said:

Would like to mount a 15x14 x 11(height) basket on back of my bicycle. Had
a
13 x 5 1/2 rack put on back of my (apparently standard) bicycle and used
plastic tie clasps + bungie cords + inexpensive wire frame basket (bought
at
Target).

Basket spacious enough for week's worth of groceries. However, because
the
frame is too small (and because the basket isn't perfectly secure on the
frame) the groceries' weight makes it moderately iffy.

Since I need about 4-5 inches clearance between seat and basket, I need a
rack
that is about 6 inches longer and (preferably) 4+ inches wider. Also, I'd
like to have a basket that I can more securely mount to (this larger)
rack.

Request recommendations, websites, google-keywords, part numbers... Wish
to
avoid both front basket and side baskets.

Take it from someone who has carried many heavy loads on a bike in the
past; don't do what you're proposing. There's more than one really
good reason that touring cyclists mount their panniers low on the
sides of the wheels. For one thing, a topheavy bike is a lot harder
to control than one whose load is farther down. It's also a pain in
the neck to load, since just about any kickstand will be overbalanced
by the arrangement you're discussing. Then there's the "eggs
overboard" phenonmenon; stuff stashed in a deep, narrow basket is much
less likely to be ejected on a bump than stuff in a wide basket, and
you would be *amazed* at how small of a gap between bungees a jar of
pickles can fly through, even when it was originally in a tied-shut
bag. (Hint in any event: avoid stuff packed in glass, and resign
yourself to having some eggs get broken.)

I'm getting ready to build a cargo bike for grocery runs. It's going
to have big side baskets in the rear, and I'll supplement that with a
backpack. This is the arrangement that I adopted successfully many
years ago, and it worked better than either the large front basket or
the large rear rack-top basket that I tried first.
--
Typoes are a feature, not a bug.
Some gardening required to reply via email.
Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.

Yes I have to agree, here is a pic of my shopping bike.
http://s27.photobucket.com/albums/c163/earlwb/my%20other%20bikes/?action=view&current=3418ba00.jpg&refPage=&imgAnch=imgAnch13
Nothing fancy, but it works great.
But a large watermelon does push the envelope on weight and handling a lot.
🙂

Earl Bollinger said:

"Werehatrack" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Sat, 22 Jul 2006 06:53:46 GMT,

(Steve Schooler) said:

Would like to mount a 15x14 x 11(height) basket on back of my bicycle. Had
a
13 x 5 1/2 rack put on back of my (apparently standard) bicycle and used
plastic tie clasps + bungie cords + inexpensive wire frame basket (bought
at
Target).

Basket spacious enough for week's worth of groceries. However, because
the
frame is too small (and because the basket isn't perfectly secure on the
frame) the groceries' weight makes it moderately iffy.

Since I need about 4-5 inches clearance between seat and basket, I need a
rack
that is about 6 inches longer and (preferably) 4+ inches wider. Also, I'd
like to have a basket that I can more securely mount to (this larger)
rack.

Request recommendations, websites, google-keywords, part numbers... Wish
to
avoid both front basket and side baskets.

Take it from someone who has carried many heavy loads on a bike in the
past; don't do what you're proposing. There's more than one really
good reason that touring cyclists mount their panniers low on the
sides of the wheels. For one thing, a topheavy bike is a lot harder
to control than one whose load is farther down. It's also a pain in
the neck to load, since just about any kickstand will be overbalanced
by the arrangement you're discussing. Then there's the "eggs
overboard" phenonmenon; stuff stashed in a deep, narrow basket is much
less likely to be ejected on a bump than stuff in a wide basket, and
you would be *amazed* at how small of a gap between bungees a jar of
pickles can fly through, even when it was originally in a tied-shut
bag. (Hint in any event: avoid stuff packed in glass, and resign
yourself to having some eggs get broken.)

I'm getting ready to build a cargo bike for grocery runs. It's going
to have big side baskets in the rear, and I'll supplement that with a
backpack. This is the arrangement that I adopted successfully many
years ago, and it worked better than either the large front basket or
the large rear rack-top basket that I tried first.
--
Typoes are a feature, not a bug.
Some gardening required to reply via email.
Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.

Yes I have to agree, here is a pic of my shopping bike.
http://s27.photobucket.com/albums/c163/earlwb/my%20other%20bikes/?action=view&current=3418ba00.jpg&refPage=&imgAnch=imgAnch13
Nothing fancy, but it works great.
But a large watermelon does push the envelope on weight and handling a lot.
🙂

Dear Earl,

"I know how a prize watermelon looks when it is sunning its fat
rotundity among pumpkin-vines and 'simblins'; I know how to tell when
it is ripe without 'plugging' it; I know how inviting it looks when it
is cooling itself in a tub of water under the bed, waiting; I know how
it looks when it lies on the table in the sheltered great floor-space
between house and kitchen, and the children gathered for the sacrifice
and their mouths watering; I know the crackling sound it makes when
the carving-knife enters its end, and I can see the split fly along in
front of the blade as the knife cleaves its way to the other end; I
can see its halves fall apart and display the rich red meat and the
black seeds, and the heart standing up, a luxury fit for the elect; I
know how a boy looks, behind a yard-long slice of that melon, and I
know how he feels; for I have been there. I know the taste of the
watermelon which has been honestly come by, and I know the taste of
the watermelon which has been acquired by art. Both taste good, but
the experienced know which tastes best."

--Mark Twain

Presumably a large watermelon that has been acquired by bicycle tastes
better than one acquired by SUV.

Cheers,

Carl Fogel