yellow bike with basket and pom pom garland

3 Methods for Installing Bike Baskets

Different styles of bicycles need distinct types of bike baskets. And each requires a specific sort of attachment. This can be a bit confusing, but we’ve got you covered! By the time you’ve finished reading this blog, you’ll be a bike-basket-installation expert.

1. Straps 

dahalia bike basket

 Straps are bands or belts designed to secure a basket to a bicycle’s handlebars or rack. They are available in vegan and leather types and have a metal buckle and eyelet for adjustment. These straps are particularly compatible with wicker baskets, like our Nomad bike basket. It’s lightweight but sturdy enough to hold a heavy load.

How do you attach a basket using straps?

dahalia bike basket

 

  1. Gather your pair of straps and thread them through your wicker bike basket.
  2. Then, guide the leather around the bicycle handlebars.
  3. Tighten using the buckle and eyelet until the bike basket is firmly in place (and doesn’t wiggle or rattle).
  4. And voila — you’ve got a nifty new basket attached to your bike.

2. Hooks and Clips

Hooks are metal pieces that latch onto the edges of the basket and then hook onto the bike frame or rack. Clips, usually made of plastic or metal, grasp the basket’s edges, securing it in place on the bike. Both methods are excellent approaches for installing metal baskets.

How do you attach a basket using hooks and clips?

  1. Attach the bracket by sliding it over the handlebars. Then, clip it around the part of the head tube where the handlebars are attached.
  2. If the bracket comes with holes and bolts, secure using a screwdriver.
  3. If not, clip the basket onto the bracket. Do so by placing the basket’s handles down until they clip into place over the bracket.

Don’t panic if your hook-on bike basket doesn’t have a bracket. Often, the basket comes with the bracket already attached. This means that if you attach the basket to the bike how we instructed you to attach the bracket, you’ll be golden!

3. Clamps 

little girl on yellow bike at the beach

Clamps resemble small, sturdy grips that hold the edges of the basket firmly in place. A basket is often made with a clamp attached to mount using this attachment.

Note: The clamp isn’t available to attach a basket to the front of the frame. It would have to connect to the head tube, so the clamp would have to be on the side of the basket rather than the bottom. This angle for the clamp would make it less stable.

How do you attach a basket using a clamp?

  1. Take the clamp attached to the bottom of the basket and tighten it around the bike frame until it doesn’t move.
  2. That’s it, and your basket is secure.

This installation method surely makes the perfect detachable basket. When you don’t need it, it slips off in an instant.

Basket Carriers

colourful teal bike pink jumper yellow trousers and basket

Sometimes, baskets need carriers. A carrier is meant to carry your belongings. It can make your basket sturdier, which means it can hold additional weight.

Carriers can take the form of seats for your basket to rest on. They can be attached diagonally from the headtube to the basket or the rear rack above the wheel. You can use them alongside our other attachment methods. The most common form of carrier is the bike rack, and depending on the rack style, it can sit at the front or rear of the bike.

Now that you know everything about bike basket installations, it’s time to put our teachings into practice!

Browse our selections, including kids bike baskets, in case you haven’t found the one yet! Should you have any questions, feel free to contact us.

Up next on your reading list: DIY Bike Basket Ideas

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