Rear pannier baskets

[a l l y]

I've recently got my trusty bike out again, after letting it sit languishing
in the shed for several years. When I bought it, about 20 years ago, I got
with it a couple of removable back pannier wire baskets, which hook very
simply on to their own rear carrier. They're brilliant for carrying shopping
in, and being baskets rather than bags, you can overfill them with stuff and
hold it all down with a couple of bungees. I love them, but sadly they're
beginning to show their age. The rear carrier itself is terribly rusty, and
the baskets are worn and chipped, with the elastic cord that holds them in
place starting to sag and lose its elasticity.

I desperately want to buy new ones, but no-one seems to have them these
days. I can't even replace the back carrier, as it has an extra little
horizontal bar halfway down, to which the aforesaid elastic cord clips. None
of the new ones I've seen have this thing. I've seen some lovely front
baskets, and a few that sit on top of the rear carrier, but none of these is
as good as my old rusty efforts.

Any ideas? At a push I could make new baskets myself from cane, (I work with
cane for a living) but I can't see how I could get them to clip on as easily
without a nice new rear carrier of a similar design as the old one. And I
really don't want to have to make my own bike baskets if I can help it! A
friend with a bike took one look at mine and said she'd love to have some -
surely someone's still making them?

ally

 

[Rob Morley]

In article <[email protected]>, a l l y
[email protected] says...

> Any ideas?

Get them shot blasted and powder coated, and make up some new elastic
cords.

 

[a l l y]

"Rob Morley" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> In article <[email protected]>, a l l y
> [email protected] says...
>
>> Any ideas?
>
> Get them shot blasted and powder coated, and make up some new elastic
> cords.

Lovely idea. I have a nasty suspicion this might cost somewhat more than
buying a new set, though (if they were available)!

ally

 

[Bob Johnstone]

You could get a new basket for your rack from here:
http://www.hembrow.eu/bicycle.html

They're not made from wire, but I expect they're more attractive made
from willow!

Bob

 

[Rob Morley]

In article <[email protected]>, a l l y
[email protected] says...
>
> "Rob Morley" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > In article <[email protected]>, a l l y
> > [email protected] says...
> >
> >> Any ideas?
> >
> > Get them shot blasted and powder coated, and make up some new elastic
> > cords.
>
> Lovely idea. I have a nasty suspicion this might cost somewhat more than
> buying a new set, though (if they were available)!
>
Well, faced with the choice of paying through the nose or having none
.... ;-)
I suspect your panniers are an extinct European thing that never caught
on over here, so if you can figure out what they're called in their
native land you might be able to dig some up on the appropriate eBay
site.

 

[Tony Raven]

"a l l y" <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:

> I've recently got my trusty bike out again, after letting it sit
> languishing in the shed for several years. When I bought it, about 20
> years ago, I got with it a couple of removable back pannier wire
> baskets, which hook very simply on to their own rear carrier. They're
> brilliant for carrying shopping in, and being baskets rather than
> bags, you can overfill them with stuff and hold it all down with a
> couple of bungees. I love them, but sadly they're beginning to show
> their age. The rear carrier itself is terribly rusty, and the baskets
> are worn and chipped, with the elastic cord that holds them in place
> starting to sag and lose its elasticity.
>
> I desperately want to buy new ones, but no-one seems to have them
> these days. I can't even replace the back carrier, as it has an extra
> little horizontal bar halfway down, to which the aforesaid elastic
> cord clips. None of the new ones I've seen have this thing. I've seen
> some lovely front baskets, and a few that sit on top of the rear
> carrier, but none of these is as good as my old rusty efforts.
>
> Any ideas? At a push I could make new baskets myself from cane, (I
> work with cane for a living) but I can't see how I could get them to
> clip on as easily without a nice new rear carrier of a similar design
> as the old one. And I really don't want to have to make my own bike
> baskets if I can help it! A friend with a bike took one look at mine
> and said she'd love to have some - surely someone's still making them?
>

Not metal but you could try these pannier baskets from REI in the USA -
they will ship to the UK and they are not expensive. They will also fit
on any standard modern rack.

http://www.rei.com/OM/style/733820?cm_mmc=cse_bizrate-_-datafeed-_-
product-_-na&mr:referralID=38350bfe-88ca-4642-bc5d-2dd15056a2f1

http://www.rei.com/shared/help/intl_order.html

Alternatively you could try adapting some of these metal front baskets:

http://www.onyourbike.co.uk/adie-mesh-basket-black-metal-bracket-p-
642.html

--
Tony

" I would never die for my beliefs because I might be wrong."
Bertrand Russell

 

[vernon]

"a l l y" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Rob Morley" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> In article <[email protected]>, a l l y
>> [email protected] says...
>>
>>> Any ideas?
>>
>> Get them shot blasted and powder coated, and make up some new elastic
>> cords.
>
> Lovely idea. I have a nasty suspicion this might cost somewhat more than
> buying a new set, though (if they were available)!
>
> ally
You are likely to be pleasantly surprised at the cost of shot blasting and
powder coating. Neither process is labour intensive. You can also choose a
nice new colour for the baskets.

 

[Rob Morley]

In article <[email protected]>, vernon
[email protected] says...

> You are likely to be pleasantly surprised at the cost of shot blasting and
> powder coating. Neither process is labour intensive.

Tell that to the bloke in the filthy spacesuit when he comes out of the
shotblasting booth.

 

[Bob Johnstone]

Tony Raven wrote:
> Not metal but you could try these pannier baskets from REI in the USA -
> they will ship to the UK and they are not expensive. They will also fit
> on any standard modern rack.
>
> http://www.rei.com/OM/style/733820?cm_mmc=cse_bizrate-_-datafeed-_-
> product-_-na&mr:referralID=38350bfe-88ca-4642-bc5d-2dd15056a2f1

There are similar panniers available elsewhere, as described in the
Velovision from September last year:
http://www.exacteditions.com/exact/browse/399/442/1952/3/34

Out of the two that he looks at, Peter Eland clearly prefers those made
by Clarijs:
http://www.clarijscovers.com/

Bob

 

[a l l y]

"Bob Johnstone" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> You could get a new basket for your rack from here:
> http://www.hembrow.eu/bicycle.html
>
> They're not made from wire, but I expect they're more attractive made from
> willow!
>
What a great website! Thank you. They are indeed much more attractive than
my old wire ones, even when they were new. Now, I can actually make baskets
myself. (I do mainly cane seating, but have done the odd bit of basketry
too. www.situpon.co.uk ) I only have cane, rather than willow, but that site
has given me all sorts of good ideas. Now filled with inspiration I shall go
off and design some new panniers....

ally

 

[a l l y]

"Bob Johnstone" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Tony Raven wrote:
>> Not metal but you could try these pannier baskets from REI in the USA -
>> they will ship to the UK and they are not expensive. They will also fit
>> on any standard modern rack.
>>
>> http://www.rei.com/OM/style/733820?cm_mmc=cse_bizrate-_-datafeed-_-
>> product-_-na&mr:referralID=38350bfe-88ca-4642-bc5d-2dd15056a2f1
>
> There are similar panniers available elsewhere, as described in the
> Velovision from September last year:
> http://www.exacteditions.com/exact/browse/399/442/1952/3/34
>
> Out of the two that he looks at, Peter Eland clearly prefers those made by
> Clarijs:
> http://www.clarijscovers.com/
>

Ooh yes, I love these colourful things! Probably not as strong as my old
ones, mind. I often take awkwardly shaped parcels to the post office in my
panniers - so long as I can hold them securely with a couple of bungees it
doesn't matter how much they stick up. Some of my parcels might damage these
things.

Thanks for all this useful info, guys. I didn't find any of this when I
tried googling.

ally

 

[vernon]

"Rob Morley" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> In article <[email protected]>, vernon
> [email protected] says...
>
>> You are likely to be pleasantly surprised at the cost of shot blasting
>> and
>> powder coating. Neither process is labour intensive.
>
> Tell that to the bloke in the filthy spacesuit when he comes out of the
> shotblasting booth.

Don't have to. I've been that man

 

[Rob Morley]

In article <[email protected]>, vernon
[email protected] says...
>
> "Rob Morley" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...

> > Tell that to the bloke in the filthy spacesuit when he comes out of the
> > shotblasting booth.
>
> Don't have to. I've been that man
>
I don't envy anyone that job. I did enjoy the spray booth.