Just purchased this Surly Straggler that came with a front rack. I wanted to find a bag that didnt also require a Wald basket or one that sits on the rack and didnt look to big for it. Came to find out that that is easier said than done. I looked around my shop and saw the box that my framing nails came in and it was the perfect fit. Spray painted it black and lined the interior with rigid foam from an old pelican case. It's easy enough to reach while riding and fits all my carry along needs. Tacky? Maybe. Ugly? Not sure. Cheap? Definitely.
Probably not my forever solution but was a fun weekend project.
by runawayhound
15 Comments
Practical? If yes, then that should be enough.
Damn nice. I was trying to figure something like this for the top deck on my wife’s Oldman mountain
Antelope and my Blackburn outpost. Both front racks. Oldman Mountain is more flat . My Blackburn is curved up. Great for nalgene or round bundles. But I like your setup as well. I’ve got a box of screws I think, is going to have a new place to be stored. Great idea and waterproof….
Nobody gonna be looking at that bucket with all those stem spacers on there 🦒
>Is this DIY front bucket tacky? Genius? Xbiking?
Yes!
I don’t like it… Because I love it!
– Paul Hollywood
Could add a tennis ball as a dog deterrent. Throw it at em and they usually go after it
How removable is it? Id love it if its something I can easily swap out for a larger basket. But using this as my permanent storage setup would feel limiting. All that being said, this looks sick and definitely in the spirit of xbiking 😎🤙
I dig it.
Only problem I see is that your coozie doesn’t have a can in it
Geniosity.
I believe it’s perfect.
Nothing tacky about cool, quiet utility
Good for repurposing something you already had around. I have no criticism of the aesthetics. It looks practical, and it looks clean and lean. We all can’t buy perfection from Swift or Velo-Orange or Portland Design Works.
I probably would have looked around for a bigger version, and one with the lid permanently attached/hinged. And I would have likely lined it with felt, not space stealing foam, unless I was actually planning on transporting fragile items.
If it works for you, two thumbs up.
I like it a lot because it’s innovative and original. Yes, it does need some more modifications to call it finished.
I am not much of a front basket person myself. However, this is more appealing. It’s like having a rear truck in the front of your bike.
What front rack are you using ?
Then put cat litter boxes for panniers if you need a rear rack