Mountain Bike With Basket: Yes Or No?

Interestingly, many individuals travel on mountain bikes rather than specialist commuting bicycles. Some have no idea what they're missing out on, while others just love the appearance of a mountain bike and its ability to tackle any terrain.

I focus on the second group. My mountain bike is a hardtail that has seen more tarmac than trails. For the past couple of years, the bike has been a reliable form of transportation to and from work. 

I had to make several adjustments to optimize my commute during that time. This reflection may lead to mountain bike with basket: Yes Or No?

Install Basket On A Mountain Bike

Stiff mountain bikes are uncommon anymore, although they were common decades ago.

The first mountain bikes, now called vintage, were either completely rigid or had a dubious suspension fork.

If you own a rigid vintage MTB, consider yourself fortunate in front carrier installation since these bikes can handle all main front basket types.

1.1 Baskets With Support Struts

Some front baskets are attached to the head and handlebars.

This basket will not work with a front suspension fork. However, it will function perfectly with a rigid MTB.

In this scenario, a benefit of vintage MTBs is that their forks frequently feature fender eyelets that may be utilized as connection places for the basket's support struts.

Even if the fork doesn't have additional mounts, the struts can be connected to the front wheel axle or the fork legs with P-clamps.

Those two strategies, however, have drawbacks:

If the struts are attached to the axle, you'll have to handle them the next time you move the front wheel to change a punctured tire.

The setup will not be as steady as it may be if you use P-clamps.

As a result, using a fork with rack/fender mounts is the ideal solution.

1.2 Quick-release Baskets Attaching To The Handlebars

Most commuters love the rapid-release baskets because of their unique functionality. These baskets should ideally be attached to the stem.

They are simple to mount and uninstall from a technical standpoint. The Ohuhu Bike Basket, for example, is lightweight and can also be used as a shopping basket.

The Apollo Bike Basket with Handles, made of removable steel half-mesh, is also a good option. The basket includes retractable handles that make it simple to transport.

The main drawback to this front bike basket is that stems are not included. Sadly, the weight capacity of these rear baskets is only 11 pounds on average. What are the advantages of a front basket?

The major advantages of front and rear baskets are easy to access your goods and that your load is always visible.

For these factors, most individuals carry their rucksack and major bag in front baskets.

1.3 Baskets Attached To A Front Rack

A rear basket attached to a separate front, the rear rack is the final option.

Installing a front and rear rack is the first step in the setup.

For a rigid fork, there are two major types of front racks.

The first (seen below) is a small front rack that hooks to the V-brake mounts and has a smaller weight capacity than a standard front rack.

The majority of racks of this type are designed to handle up to 9kg/19.8lbs of goods.

On the other hand, full front racks are attached to the fork's rack/fender eyelets and then to the handlebars or fork crown.

You can carry more weight with a complete rack than any other choice. However, the increased capacity comes at a cost: the rack's increased weight.

After installing a front rack, you may add a basket to it.

1.4 Install The Front Basket On A Mountain Bike With Suspension

The amount of front baskets that may be fitted on a mountain bike is severely limited by suspension forks.

Suspension forks are incompatible with any front baskets that employ support struts.

Installing such a basket on a suspended MTB will prevent the fork from working properly. Furthermore, if the struts are too thin, the fork will sink and bend them.

Handlebar baskets do not conflict with the suspension fork's function. Therefore, they may be used on current MTBs.

However, there's one obstacle that you will face – the attachment clamps of some baskets are too small for MTB bars.

The thickest component of most MTB bars is either 31.8 mm or 25.4 mm.

Keep in mind that the connecting points on your basket are large enough for your bars before buying it.

Throughout the day, I bought a basket with small clamps after the incident and had to buy something else.

Video: Bike Basket On A Mountain Bike Install And Review

Conclusion

Is it possible to add a basket to a mountain bike? Yes, you certainly can. You may utilize many baskets if you have a sturdy mountain bike type.

As you can see, attaching a basket to your mountain bike is probably not too difficult. Whatever MTB style you have, you should be able to locate some appropriate solutions for your bike and the items you want to carry.

If you own a modern hardtail, you can add a basket to your bike, but there are only a few baskets to select from.

Furthermore, you can have your bike rack at the front or back of the vehicle. If your bike lacks fender eyelets, you can install bike racks with clamps if you want to utilize rack-mounted baskets.

Hopefully, you liked learning about some of the baskets and accessories available.

Let us know in the comments section, especially if you've made your own basket. Share this post with others if you want to help them identify easy methods to equip your MTB with a basket or luggage rack.