Friday evening and I wanted to get a funky handlebar basket on our old Puch Bergmeister commuter bike as it needed some cargo carrying ability. Seems like quite a trend to build Porteur Bikes these days, but with most Porteur racks costing about a hundred bucks and the fact that it severely limits some riding agility, I opted for something a bit different, if not cheap and the Velo Orange Porteur Bars demand some appropriate styling. | It is fun finding items like the basket in these photos at thrift stores. A whopping two dollars landed this beautiful wicker basket with rope handle and leather trim. This is a very simple method and any solid wicker basket will work. This DIY project has turned out exceptionally well with the basket being a bit elongated with a shallow round shape providing some aerodynamic quality without skimping on capacity. A rare quality with most handlebar baskets. | Prior to installing it might be a good idea to clean and clear coat the basket for durability. I have some Valspar Clear Coat I have used successfully on several outdoor wood working projects and is perfect for this as it dries instantly. Next, simply thread the Hook and Loop Velcro through the wicker and wrap it around atl least two places on the handlebars. |
We placed a gallon water container in the basket with the basket proving more than able to support and carry the load. I am confident this basket could safely transport ten pounds efficiently and look good doing it. I look forward to running some grocery and other errands with it over the weekend. Will add photos of my fun filled rides, now that I have a basket for it. Cheers!