Bike question

[asauer]

I asked (and am getting) a bike for my birthday- nothing fancy, just a basic hybrid.  I'm using it for exercise and going to the library/ farmer's market/ grocery store (small trips).  So, here's the thing, it doesn't come with a basket or trailer or anything.  What's the best thing for me to get just for small grocery and library runs?  What about those racks you can put over the back wheel?  Thanks for helping a newbie out!

[alsoknownasDean]

Easiest way to start is just to use a backpack.

I installed a rear rack on my bike and use pannier bags for carrying stuff around. It seems to work rather well for me, and the bags I have are pretty large. I can easily fit a couple of bags of shopping in one...or a box of wine bottles :)

[mlejw6]

I started with a backpack. Once I got more experienced, I got a rack and panniers to go on it. It's nice not having a load on my back anymore, but now it's a bit harder to swing my bike around when maneuvering it (i.e. into the elevator in my apartment building).

[BlackIronStubble]

I really like a rack with a pair of Wald folding rear baskets.  A backpack isn't a comfortable option in the heat of Southeastern-US summer.  They each hold a full-sized grocery bag, or any other bag with those dimensions or less, or anything that would fit in a grocery bag, but then they fold out of the way when not in use.  I use the included clamps and zip-tie them on, so they are harder to steal than a regular panier, which may or may not be an issue for you.  On the down side, they are heavy and can make a lot of rattling noise if the clamps get loose.

[Slam]

I have one of these: http://www.amazon.com/Banjo-Brothers-011-BB-Backpack/dp/B003D4BR02

It's a water resistant commuter backpack, and I am constantly amazed at how much stuff you can fit in there.  I do tend to get some back sweat going in the summer.  As a newbie, you probably won't be riding in too much extreme weather.  I would just start with a regular old backpack.  One of the best features of mine is the chest strap, like you see on hiking backpacks or hydration packs.  I always secure that so the shoulder straps aren't constantly sliding down my shoulders.  It also has a cell phone holster on one of the shoulder straps, so I can jam out to Pandora while I'm riding around town; so much safer than headphones.

[jmusic]

+1 on rack and panniers.  I've got the fancypants Ortlieb backroller panniers.  They're not cheap, but they'll probably last for my entire lifetime.

http://www.rei.com/product/885299/ortlieb-back-roller-classic-panniers-pair

I paid $120 for the pair on a sale day. 

[Retired To Win]

How about the cheapo way: find a plastic milk crate (or buy one) and attach it to your rear fender or find a way to place it in front of your handlebars?

[infogoon]

How about the cheapo way: find a plastic milk crate (or buy one) and attach it to your rear fender or find a way to place it in front of your handlebars?

My first solution like this was a rear cargo rack with one of those plastic shopping baskets attached to it.

[spokey doke]

It kind of depends on your use of the bike.

If you want to haul pretty big loads, a trailer (lots of kid trailers out there) is a good option, and leaves you with a bike without a lot of extra weight for other riding purposes.

If you just want to carry REALLY small loads, a handlebar basket might be OK.

For my around town bike, I have a rack with a collapsable basket mounted on the side of the rack.  I really like having something that fixed to the bike and always there, which I can not only carry groceries in, but throw my cable lock or other stuff in really easily.  The milk crate on top of the rack is has similar functionality, but  is a bit more awkward getting a leg over on my setup.

An excellent decision BTW - the next thing is learning basic maintenance

[James]

When I got my general use bike I wasn't sure what to get, I really like the rear rack with pannier bags that I went with. I just have a generic rack and pretty generic bag, I can look at the brand when I get home, but it doesn't matter much. I like how it can collapse most of the way when not in use, and my only real issue is that it doesn't have a good cover to keep the rain out. Not sure if that is a factor for you, but something to consider. Not having a cover does make it nice a simple though. The size is a bit bigger than a grocery bag, which you can really get a ton of stuff in, especially if you get one for each side. I plan to pick up an all weather bag at some point.

The basket on top of the rack makes the center of gravity high, and I don't recommend putting anything of weight up there. It is maybe a hair more convenient, but I wouldn't go that route. Better to have something you can secure and make sure it doesn't rattle around, and something that keeps the weight low so it doesn't throw you around while you ride.

Handlebar basket is really just for rare use on short trips. I wouldn't put anything of substance in it or it can mess up your riding.

Go with the rear rack and pannier bag, and you can always put a basket on top if you wish in the future.

[James]

I guess one thing you should mention is your budget. I am assuming you can afford a cheap rack and panniers. But I recommend looking for used, the rack especially doesn't matter much, check around at local bike shops and online and you might find a nice used rack and/or pannier bags. That way you can figure out exactly what you like, and upgrade or change if the used bags aren't what you want.

[Eric]

How about the cheapo way: find a plastic milk crate (or buy one) and attach it to your rear fender or find a way to place it in front of your handlebars?

This is what I did.  I works great!  I bought a universal rear rack from Nashbar for about $20 and zip tied a milk crate to it.

The only thing to be aware of is that your bike will feel a little top heavy if you have a full heavy load in there, like a case of wine or something.  But this is really only an issue when stopping/starting.  While riding, you can't even tell it's there.  When I commute to work, I just put my backpack in it as it's really nice to ride without having anything on my back.

[asauer]

I guess one thing you should mention is your budget. I am assuming you can afford a cheap rack and panniers. But I recommend looking for used, the rack especially doesn't matter much, check around at local bike shops and online and you might find a nice used rack and/or pannier bags. That way you can figure out exactly what you like, and upgrade or change if the used bags aren't what you want.

Yes, since I'm taking this as a babystep into biking- just to library and store, I'm not looking to spend much- good idea to look for used options.

[OldPro]

First, the basic lesson in physics.  Balance is important on a bike.  So for example, tying a milk crate (no offense intended Eric) to a rack is a bad idea IF you put weight in it.  As Eric says, he can feel it.  I disagree that it doesn't matter while riding.  It matters, Eric just hasn't discovered it yet.  In an emergency when swerving to avoid something say and leaning the bike to one side, a case of wine (Eric's example) in there can easily cause the bike to slide out from under you.  The quick throwing of that weight to the side and the angle of the bike relative to the ground and bingo, you are down. 

So rule number 1, keep the weight as low down on the bike as possible.  This is also the reason why any kind of handlebar mounted carrier is a big no no.  What's more, the handlebar carriers can result in throwing your front wheel off balance starting it oscilating from side to side.  Anyone who has experienced that on a bike at higher speed knows just where that leads.  The wheel oscilates from side to side to an ever increasing distance until the wheel goes out from under you and bingo, you are down again.  So rule number 2, nothing on the front above the wheel.  Low rider front panniers are not the same problem.

Best is a rear rack with panniers.  A rear rack with a small bag on top with little weight is fine.  But as soon as you want to add a bag of groceries, you should be using panniers.  A good compromise for your kind of situation is something like an Axiom Paddy Wagon.  Look at minute 1.24 on this video.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvOAHFLfMKE

It's quickly and easily removable with velcro tabs that hold it to your rack.  This matters because you won't want to leave it on the bike while you are in the grocery store (example) as your tools, spare tube, etc.are probably going to be in it.  It is insulated which is nice if you want to keep something warm/cold on a ride.  It has a shoulder strap for carrying it around and looks much like a camera bag.  But the main advantage to me is the hideaway pannier on both sides.  That puts the equivalent of a grocery bag on each side when needed, without having to walk around with two panniers when not needed if you see what I mean.  A very versatile trunk bag indeed.

[Eric]

First, the basic lesson in physics.  Balance is important on a bike.  So for example, tying a milk crate (no offense intended Eric) to a rack is a bad idea IF you put weight in it.  As Eric says, he can feel it.  I disagree that it doesn't matter while riding.  It matters, Eric just hasn't discovered it yet.  In an emergency when swerving to avoid something say and leaning the bike to one side, a case of wine (Eric's example) in there can easily cause the bike to slide out from under you.  The quick throwing of that weight to the side and the angle of the bike relative to the ground and bingo, you are down. 

I rode about 5000 miles last year, all with weight in my crate.  At what point should I discover that it matters?  :)

Granted, most of that was not with a whole case of wine.  I'm not an alcoholic nor do I do bike deliveries for a liquor store.  With normal weight, like groceries or backpacks, it's unnoticeable.  That's what makes it such a great option.  It's cheap, versatile, and also has the capability of carrying a lot of weight if needed.  And of course you can leave it on your bike when you're in the grocery store without worrying about theft, so it's convenient as well.

[GuitarStv]

I've tried to move stuff in a variety of ways with a bike:

- Backpack . . . OK for short, light trips.  You already have one most likely, and your backpack can get double duty when you're not biking.  It sucks because it makes your back sweat, and it puts additional weight on your wrists/ass while biking around with it loaded.  I don't find a backpack makes any real difference to bike handling for me.

- Rack w/Milk crate . . . ideal for cheap light dump n go storage.  I liked my milk crate, and it didn't make riding the bike significantly harder - EXCEPT AT LOW SPEEDS.  Carrying 20-30 lbs of groceries was a bit scary starting/stopping, and the crate seemed to catch more crosswind in the winter than anything else I've used.  The milk crate does look kinda ghetto, and usually isn't easy to detach so will cause problems trying to use those bus mounted bike carrying things if that's a concern.  I did a milk crate lower and on each side of my rack for a while, but it makes your bike annoyingly wide and catches a shocking amount of wind when trying to go quickly.  Cars give a wider berth when passing though.

- Rack w/Panniers . . . ideal for riding to work.  No weight on your body, usually easy to remove from the bike when you want to go in, relatively inexpensive if you shop around.  It's easy to find panniers that will fit your clothes and a lunch (and bike repair kit).  Awkward for groceries as these bags tend to have funny shapes, and panniers take more time to remove/attach than just dropping stuff in a basket if you're in a hurry.

- Rack with folding baskets . . . great for groceries or any shorter trip!  These things are the bomb for groceries . . . you can get one large bag of groceries in each, and they're pretty sturdy so you can load a bag of potatoes over the top of both.  Steering is minimally effected because the weight is lower.  You get on and off the bike in record time, just need to grab the bags in the baskets.  They fold up for easier bike storage.  My main issue with these is that the baskets tend to be pretty heavy . . . so doing long rides becomes less fun.  It's not easy to remove these if you want to do a fun ride on the weekend either.  They're tough as fuck.  Mine took a hard crash on ice in the winter, sparing my leg much of the road rash . . . and after banging them out with a hammer they worked fine.

- Trailer . . . big storage!  Lots of room, can carry very heavy things, doesn't really make much difference to steering.  It's expensive, it's bulky (can be a PITA parking / requires a different locking up strategy), it weighs more than any other option (but you can detach it when you're not using it).  An added bonus is that people think you have a kid, so often give you more room on the road.

[darkadams00]

I knew I would bike at least as long as necessary to offset any costs I incurred (and that was covered quickly once I sold the second car). So I went with the Topeak modular system. Rack has quick release track for trunk bag or rear basket, and it will carry panniers at the same time if needed since I got the Super Tourist with double pannier rails (regular one-rail version won't let panniers ride w/ trunk bag). Later I bought a nearly new CL kiddie trailer, dropped a nice floor in it, and started using it for bigger loads.

Topeak Super Tourist rack $40 (new)
Topeak MTX Trunk Bag $50 (new)
Topeak Basket $35 (new)
Mint Kiddie Trailer w/ Mods $80 (CL)

Both of my commuter bikes, my wife's commuter bike and son's commuter bike all have this rack, and we interchange bags, basket, and panniers as needed.

More expensive than some will spend per earlier comments, but I'm saving > $200/month by not owning the second car. I'm not uneasy about buying quality that works. We paid for all of our hauling-related gear in 2 months. Reasonable. Simple. Flexible. Durable. We have > 6k miles on some of this gear with no broken pieces, mishaps, or issues. Three racks and two bags were rolling just today as well.

Happy commuting. Biking actually helped me use our library more so kudos for library trips.

[matimeo]

I'll add my vote for rear rack and panniers. They're perfect for commuting and hauling groceries. Nashbar has some great panniers at a good price. I have a set of their in house brand and they've lasted 10 years through rain and shine.

[Nudelkopf]

How about the cheapo way: find a plastic milk crate (or buy one) and attach it to your rear fender or find a way to place it in front of your handlebars?

This is what I do! Except my teenage students don't know what a milk crate is, and they like to make fun of my "blue basket" lol.

[Knapptyme]

Several good options. I/we use a trunk bag, trailer, and milk crate (not all on the same bike). With the advent of the trailer for grocery runs, I have yet to use panniers or foldable rear side baskets. I've looked into them, but the need is not there yet. In any case, a rack over the rear wheel is a start. Depending on the weather/use for library runs, you could just use small bungee cords with it.

This is what I did.  I works great!  I bought a universal rear rack from Nashbar for about $20 and zip tied a milk crate to it.

Thanks for this. I have been using bungee cords to hold mine in place and allow it to be removable to another bike or whatever. After extensive use with one bike and more reason to just get another milk crate, I may just have to zip tie it down. How silly I hadn't thought of it. Maybe a case of "it wasn't broke..."

[infogoon]

Several good options. I/we use a trunk bag, trailer, and milk crate (not all on the same bike). With the advent of the trailer for grocery runs, I have yet to use panniers or foldable rear side baskets. I've looked into them, but the need is not there yet. In any case, a rack over the rear wheel is a start. Depending on the weather/use for library runs, you could just use small bungee cords with it.

I've also had a lot of success with a rear rack and a bungee net. Something like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Heavy-Duty-Cargo-Net-Motorcycles-ATVs/dp/B003VLBPJA

[MayDay]

I have the ever-classy milk crate ziptied to rear rack method. It's cheap and easy.  It has never felt unstable to me. I've done it since college.

That said I have a front basket too. It is nice to have something removable. Plus it's great for ironic hipster pictures.

I have a raggedy old trailer but I avoid using it, it's heavy and sucks in any kind of wind, or on hills.

[TrMama]

Depends entirely on how much you want to haul. When I lived alone and only had to buy groceries for myself, I used panniers. I despise how they change the handling of the bike, but they take up almost no storage room when you're not using them.

Now that I've switched to buying groceries for a family of 4, panniers don't hold enough. Plus, the panniers themselves are pretty pricey. For $60 I bought an old kiddie trailer. Put an old shelf in the bottom to support the weight of the groceries and then stuffed two big rubbermaid totes with lids into it. I keep some bungees and a big garbage bag in there too so I can pile even more items on top of the totes. The downside is that it takes up a ton of space when I'm not using it.

[spokey doke]

I have the ever-classy milk crate ziptied to rear rack method. It's cheap and easy.  It has never felt unstable to me. I've done it since college.

That said I have a front basket too. It is nice to have something removable. Plus it's great for ironic hipster pictures.

I have a raggedy old trailer but I avoid using it, it's heavy and sucks in any kind of wind, or on hills.

I recommend double sided velcro ties over plastic zip ties (I have had many of the latter break).

[GuitarStv]

Regarding attaching stuff to bikes using zip ties:

Get black zip ties.  White zip ties are damaged by sunlight and have a tendency to get old, brittle and snap within a pretty short period of time.  Black zip ties do not do this in my experience.

[Johnez]

^Interesting tip, thanks for sharing!

[otter]

Regarding attaching stuff to bikes using zip ties:

Get black zip ties.  White zip ties are damaged by sunlight and have a tendency to get old, brittle and snap within a pretty short period of time.  Black zip ties do not do this in my experience.

This is not quite true. There are UV-resistant zip ties, and there are non-UV-resistant zip ties; the latter are what the large majority of zip ties that you'll see are. However, most any zip ties will work fine as long as you do not undersize them and use enough of them.

[GuitarStv]

Maybe the black ones I bought were UV resistant then . . . they were from Home Depot and were marked for outdoor use.  The white ones would crack, break and snap off in a couple months at most.  The black ones have been holding on strong for years.

[otter]

Maybe the black ones I bought were UV resistant then . . . they were from Home Depot and were marked for outdoor use.  The white ones would crack, break and snap off in a couple months at most.  The black ones have been holding on strong for years.

Yep - "outdoor use" means UV-resistant :)

[jacksonvasey]

I have a rack with a basket (got the basket on clearance for $10) and freecycle pannier bags clip onto the basket.  The combination of panniers and basket is incredibly useful; I've loaded it with quite a lot of groceries, and even hauled a night or two worth of firewood from my mom's house.