I have been thinking for some time now about some sort of basket for my back rack. I have been riding with a backpack a lot and it can get sweaty. The problem for me is that I need some sort of basket has a low profile because of how I store my bike in my apartment. Reader Gene might just have solved my problem. He sent along the following text and pictures.
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For the past month or so I had been wanting to add some sort of basket to the rear of my bike. While I appreciate the utility of a milk crate, I really didn't like the way they looked all that much and wasn't inclined to steal one. My wife and I checked out some antique stores to look for old baskets or wooden boxes, but everything there is pretty expensive for what they are. When we passed the checkout, I saw a mail sorter/office basket on the counter and mentioned that something like that would be perfect. We decided to hit an office supply store on our way home.
While looking around at Office Depot, I happened upon several baskets and trays but nothing seemed to be exactly what I needed. Ultimately, I wanted something big enough for a standard-sized backpack. Lo and behold, I saw a collapsible plastic crate priced at a mere $7 and thought that it might work perfectly.
I took it home and attached it to my bike rack with bungee cords. While the crate worked as I had hoped, I wasn't crazy about the bungee cords. It was stable but not as secure as I would have liked. My solution was to drill holes in the bottom of the crate and to run cable/zip ties through the holes that I then fastened to the rack. It works perfectly. I drilled about four more holes than I actually needed, but they'll serve as drainage when it's outside on a rainy day while I'm at work.
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