Five Stylin' Ways to Haul Stuff on Your Bike Handlebars
As soon as you've committed to urban biking - whether simply for an occasional commute or with a bike being your primary mobility machine, you'll realize you want a great way to schlep your stuff. Actually, usually more than one way. You might be toting office clothes, your lunch and your computer and then your dinner and groceries on the way home. The more you can more easily take on your bike without a lot of fuss, the more pleasurable urban biking becomes. But let us know - are there cooler ways to haul your stuff on handlebars than the five we show?
A classic bike basket in Appalachian ash and oak via REI.
Here's the large Peterboro in honey finish, filled - via REI.
1. Peterboro Original Bike Basket Regular and Large.
Yes, there are a lot of reasons that fancy composite materials are a staple of bike bags and carriers - they are durable, flexible, resilient. They can't, however, match the character of this classic bike basket from REI (first seen at Chic Cyclist). It's made in New Hampshire from oak and Appalachian ash wood with leather straps to buckle onto your handlebars and a brass medallion. The wood will definitely age from exposure to the elements, but this basket will continue to look good for years. It also comes in two sizes - and at $29.00 for the regular size and $34.00 for the large these are a very good deal. One drawback - no way to easily detach and re-attach, so this one is likely to stay permanently on your bike.
Dutch Tulip Betty Basket Liner - wire basket not included via Betty.
2. Betty Basket Liners Plus Wire Basket.
Betty Basket Liners are truly a smart combination of form and function. A front basket on a bike is a great place to throw all the stuff you might need, but upon arrival to your destination, you'll want all the stuff in a bag that you can easily remove from the basket. That's Betty, which has sturdy carrying handles and comes in five styles (pictured here is the "Dutch Tulip") and two sizes. Betty attaches to a standard-sized wire or wicker basket - The Edge is for rectangle baskets like the Electra of 11 inches length by 10 inches width by 10 inches height. The Curve fits smaller rectangle baskets or rounded baskets. Betty Basket Liners aren't cheap at $59 each, but they are handmade, colorful, and do dual duty.
Photo of the Basket Bag via Fashion Horse blog.
