Basketpacking ... anyone?

[TheBrownDog]

Apologies if this has been done already but, apparently, it's a thing. Quite like the idea myself.

https://bikepacking.com/index/basket-bags/

[fatbikephil]

I did see that and thought it would be a handy way to carry your beers out to a bivvy site (and the empties back!)

[RIP]

Plenty of basket cases here .

"Riding with one can be a good reminder not to take yourself or your ride too seriously".

[Al]

Had an old Tesco basket on the front of my pub bike for years - does this mean I’m ahead of the curve??

[techno]

Had an old Tesco basket on the front of my pub bike for years - does this mean I’m ahead of the curve??

Hell yeah Al! You and my 8yo daughter

[composite]

I guess most of you old farts don't use Reddit but https://www.reddit.com/r/xbiking/ has this sort of stuff come up all the time.

[Alpinum]

Plenty of basket cases here .

"Riding with one can be a good reminder not to take yourself or your ride too seriously".

For everyday use, yes indeed, despite riding almost always off roads, I've been keeping an eye out for quite a while now, but too lazy to order one. Still waiting for one to drop onto the front rack of my commuter by itself.

Besides that, rather little unfortunately.

A shame they didn't show alternative baskets.
Wald, Wald, Wald. Going with bikepacking.com it seems the only option to transport your Patagonia Provisions mussels.

Besides being utterly handy for some types of trips, I get the impression the front basket movement is especially for those who deliberately want to be cool.
See, there's even a word and a hashtag for basketpacking. Knowing what it takes to invent hashtags myself, I can tell you it takes quite an amount of seriousness to pull it off.

So I corrected it:

"Riding with strava can be a good reminder to take yourself or your ride more seriously".

I guess it's good to mix it up a bit. I can do with both. Often enough during one trip.
Yet, I neither need strava to make my ride more serious nor a clown nose and Mickey Mouse ears (gosh how I hate M.M.) to make it less serious.

[Alpinum]

Had an old Tesco basket on the front of my pub bike for years - does this mean I’m ahead of the curve??

Only if you used it with a hashtag on your 5 different social media channels, on which you unadmittedly spend more than 2 h daily.

Oh, and some sort of camping... oh wait.
No, no sort of camping needs to be involved. Sorry.
But a car to drive to the woods where you unload the bike, fill the basket and bags, make a fire, take a photo, put the stuff back into the car and drive back home.

[Alpinum]

I guess most of you old farts don't use Reddit but https://www.reddit.com/r/xbiking/ has this sort of stuff come up all the time.

Gosh. Reddit is has become an app.
I so need this Wald basket and Reddit app.

Feeling very uncool commuting today with a dirty, sandy ortlieb pannier bag, having left my steel ssp 29+ bike at the train station.
At least I rode it a little today wearing minimalist sandals.

[psling]

Who knew there were so many bags available; never mind the baskets, there's some nice looking kit there

[RIP]

I'd like to clarify that obviously I include myself in the list of "basket cases" - and probably quite near the top of it .

It's interesting re-reading one's own posts sometimes. My earlier one looked like I was taking the piss out of anyone who takes things seriously, whereas I was actually celebrating things that aren't taken seriously - a subtle but important difference. As I said some time ago, my burden is I take many things far far too seriously, so when an opportunity arrives to have a laugh I grab it with both hands . Having a good laugh is a serious business .

[Bearbonesnorm]

I shan't be dismissive but outside of those trips to the shops, is it simply not a way of looking a little different or perhaps trying to stand out?

There's an old freezer int' barn. Me, I'm off to see if the wire baskets are still in it. I'll give 'em a rub and have them ont' classifieds before the day's out. £109.96 if anyone would like to increase their cool factor.

[faustus]

I had a Wald basket on my town bike for a while, few years ago now. It was OK, but wasn't keen on the weighty feeling when loaded up, and shopping tended to get really jiggled about and was noisy. Ended up just using a backpack as capacity was more. I think panniers are probably better.

For trips out I guess they are OK on easy terrain, but they do encourage taking more stuff and not great for bike handling when terrain gets even vaguely interesting. I do baulk at the idea of £100+ for a special fitted bag, i think someone in the comments showed their cheap solution using one of those giant Ikea bags

[jameso]

Basket bags are great. I don't have one (had on my town bike, bit no longer have that bike) but I like anything that's easy-access and adaptable. Roll-top or flap-top bag in a basket/rack frame with freed up bar space - the randonneurs knew it made sense decades ago. Now riders who ride rather than ITT or weenie over weight have done the same thing. I guess you could start the whole hipster/cool/wannabe stuff on it but let's face it, the casual bike touring thing appeal to more people than an ITT or race so it follows that it'll become the more presentable, aspirational side of things and we're all drawn to what looks nice to us. If the basket bag becomes an identifier for that and becomes popular, well it's no suprise. It's the off-road or high volume version of what rando bikes have always used.

is it simply not a way of looking a little different or perhaps trying to stand out?

Maybe, but no more than any decision we make about bike colour, jersey vs shirt, lycra vs baggies ... denim vs leather? : ) I'm a liar if I ever say everything on my bikes is pure function. Some of it is about style as style of bike goes with ride attitude and I love bikes as things as much as I love riding. Fast light bike for fast rides, luxury bike for longer rides with the luxury of time, burly and tatty bike for rugged trips?

[Bearbonesnorm]

Maybe, but no more than any decision we make about bike colour, jersey vs shirt, lycra vs baggies ... denim vs leather? : ) I'm a liar if I ever say everything on my bikes is pure function. Some of it is about style as style of bike goes with ride attitude and I love bikes as things as much as I love riding. Fast light bike for fast rides, luxury bike for longer rides with the luxury of time, burly and tatty bike for rugged trips?

Ahh, don't take what I said to mean that it's a bad thing.

[jameso]

^ Nah, not from you - just read with past comments or threads in mind where some things get a bit of a tough time if related to hipster/cool etc

[sean_iow]

^ Nah, not from you - just read with past comments or threads in mind where some things get a bit of a tough time if related to hipster/cool etc

Are you allowed to attach a mug to the basket

I'd not be likely to take one on a bikepacking trip but for popping to the shops a basket/rack that attached easily would be a real asset. Early on in lock-down I was at the local shop to pick up a pint of milk for my mum when I spotted they had loo roll in so without thinking I bought a 6 roll pack. Once outside the shop I remembered I was on the bike... I only had a tiny rucksack for the milk so had to ride to my mum's with 6 rolls of loo paper down the front of my windproof

[jameso]

Are you allowed to attach a mug to the basket

I think I'd hang a cowbell on one - like a Timberbell, but more committed.

[lune ranger]

Are you allowed to attach a mug to the basket

Hand carved kuksa or maybe just an ox horn mug