Collapsible Bicycle Basket

When I was in Copenhagen in the spring my rented bicycle had a wire basket on the back. I found it very useful for just dumping stuff into and going: groceries, a newspaper, a bottle of water, a sweater. And it worked well because the bike had a low crossbar, so I didn’t need to swing my leg over the back.

Here at home I’ve had pannier bags over my back wheel for the past couple of years. And while they’ve been convenient for hauling things around, the need to unbuckle and untether them has been awkward; they’re probably more useful for long-distance cycling where strapping things in securely is more important than ease-of-access.

Because my home bicycle has a high crossbar, a Copenhagen-like solution, with a full wire basket tethered to the rear carrier, wouldn’t work, as I’d always be banging my leg into it. Dan suggested I look at the Swagman Phatt Folding Basket from Mountain Equipment Coop; it looked promising, but I wanted to get something locally, and so I ordered something similar from MacQueen’s on Queen Street in Charlottetown. It arrived yesterday, and it’s exactly what I was looking for. Here’s a short demo video [[Catherine]] and I shot this morning that shows why it’s so great: