Comments on: I ♥ my Wald Front Basket

By: Tim K

Tim K — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 20:15:08 +0000

Hey Mark – sorry for the late response. Thanks for sharing the scary rack experience. I actually had a similar issue but mine was the bracket that mounts the rack to the canti posts. It’s actually cracked on both sides. Luckily I was already using a support strap between the top of the basket and the steerer tube.

Your failure makes me think it’s good to get this info out there. So far the actual cheap-ass rack has held up fine, it’s their hardware that that leaves much to be desired.

I’m still a huge (HUGE) fan of the front Wald, but prefer to keep the load light (bulky is OK). Most of that is due to handling, but I gotta admit I won’t trust the crappy rack with heavy loads until I beef up the hardware.

By: Mark

Mark — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 22:58:36 +0000

Last spring, when considering a front basket for my bike, I found your blog. I ended up with a setup identical to yours, except I used a smaller Wald atop the Nashbar rack. I love it too, and used it all summer. Several weeks ago, the metal strap between the fork and the rack broke. Not fun. I’ve since made a stronger strap and will support the rack with a nylon strap between the basket and the handlebars when carrying a heavy load. You can see pictures here:
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?602859-Scary-basket-failure

Thought you might be interested.
Cheers!

By: Dexter Darkness brings Danger « Car Free Days

Dexter Darkness brings Danger « Car Free Days — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 07:41:14 +0000

[...] lights. But in my real life I sport a cheap-ass 3 AA, 1 watt LED Lowes flashlight lashed to my Wald rack with a piece of inner tube next to a small white blinky. The lights are powered by rechargeable [...]

By: Vintage-bicycle Mike

Vintage-bicycle Mike — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 13:22:31 +0000

Well, I have two large “side loaders” (the brand is “Ortlieb”, and they are water-tight), really intended for long-distance cycling. I nearly always use one to pack the groceries in. It really works great!
Having a basket in front like on the picture is neat, too; expt. it makes the bike want to swerve and becomes a bit uncomfortable if you put something heavy in there.

By: Tim K

Tim K — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 22:49:38 +0000

The mounting is easy. The basket has two clips on the bottom — I flipped those under the rack rails and threw on a couple zip ties — easier to figure out when you are looking at the rack than it is to describe — and it’s been good to go for ~7 months now. I’ll probably replace the zip ties because they don’t hold up to UV real well. Stainless hose clamps would probably be ideal.

I don’t carry real heavy stuff in it — maybe a six pack of beer and a jacket. It works great for that. I don’t know if I’d trust the zip ties for much more, but that’s OK — much more weight would probably mess with the steering quite a bit. Hope that helps!

By: Steve

Steve — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 22:35:23 +0000

I’ve been looking at the same Wald basket on amazon. How hard is it to mount to the rack and how secure is it? Thanks for any feedback. Your setup looks like just what I’m after.

By: David

David — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 20:52:27 +0000

Nice night photos, the front basket is very handy I particularly like the way the rack is mounted.

By: Perfect for the Spatially Challenged « Car Free Days

Perfect for the Spatially Challenged « Car Free Days — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 05:05:07 +0000

[...] make matters worse, I don’t have a front basket, I don’t carry extra straps for loading up the snap deck and the big one – I’m a [...]

By: NY Times ♥’s Portland Bikes « Car Free Days

NY Times ♥’s Portland Bikes « Car Free Days — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 22:11:19 +0000

[...] About Car Free Days ← I ♥ my Wald Front Basket [...]