Local shopping by bike with half a cat basket

On May 18, 8:24*pm, "ZBicyclist" wrote:
aquachimp wrote:
Hi,
It has been suggested to me that a cycling group might be
interested
in this. I had thought cycling groups were purely for the sportive
competitor types, rather than those as might use a bike for sheer
niffty convienence.
However, this being rec biclcles MISC, I'll gamble it might be
quite
appropriate afterall.

Anyhow, the same individual had also suggested I post my 'idea' on
instructables . com.

So I did.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Loca...with-half-a-ca...

This is pretty much the classic "milk crate on the back" solution,

Precisely!

but with two points of interest:

Hmmm.


1. This provides specific instructions for a way to attach it
securely to the rack.

Yep!

2. The half-a-cat carrier isn't as high as the milk crate, so it's
less likely to get in the way.

Yep! Less likely to get in the way to throw your leg over, and being
lower is easier to lift a heavy load into it. No high sides to have to
lift over.

The cat carrier half is really just a sort of tray, or seat onto which
a more portable carrier bag sits securely.

3. The half -a-cat-carrier is much lighter in terms of weight.
4. The cat thingy is much easier to cut and fashion as would be the
case for people with femininely rounder large bums than I have, or
awkward shaped rear racks.
5. The cat thing I used has a 'mouth' end which I've placed facing the
seat. I set the cat base a little away from the seat (don't want to be
sitting on it) That way I can get that bit more space lengthwise.
6.The cat carrier is more flexible and therefore less likely to damage
wallpaper, or other similar household decor.
7.The cat carrier, could, technically speaking, be kept intact so that
one has a cover to protect ones shopping in bad weather. The first
bike I rigged up was with that idea in mind, but in practise, no one
was cycling through such weather so the top half became available for
another bike. Somehow, nothing ever fell out through the rear facing
'mouth', which just goes to show the sides need not be high at all.
8. It looks a dam sight better than a milk crate.


Thanks for posting. *As it happens, I have an old cat carrier we
don't use anymore (because we have a fancier, more secure one now).
I might try this.

--
Mike Kruger
"You have to be careful if you are reckless." - Richard M. Daley- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

In article ,
aquachimp writes:

That is clever, but my lovely bride objected to my plan to halve the cat.
Well. imo, the only really 'clever' bit is the how-to-attach-(insert
item) -to-the-rack bit.

I just used zip-ties to affix a milk crate onto my own Pletscher
rear rack. It's actually quite a secure attachment.

wistfulness Good ol' zip-ties. Good ol' Pletscher rear racks.

I do like the length of the cat carrier. I think it would
facilitate transporting longer items such as shovels, mattocks
and other gardening/digging tools. As long as there are slots
in which to hook bungee cords and carabiners.

I've grown quite appreciative of my Leggero Max[tm] trailer.
It readily converts into a shopping cart, inducing wide-eyed
amazement in the faces of onlookers. I've mostly been using
it for trips to/from the laundromat, though. When shopping
I tend to do one-at-a-time rides to various specialty shops
distributed throughout the city, instead of one-stop shopping.
It gives me excuses to ride more. The milk crate is usually
adequate for that.


cheers,
Tom

--
Nothing is safe from me.
I'm really at:
tkeats curlicue vcn dot bc dot ca

On May 17, 7:36 pm, "ZBicyclist" wrote:
Ryan Cousineau wrote:

One need not resort to something as gauche as a half a cat carrier
to
go to market:

http://www.cynthiastwigs.com/

Yes, they are $60 wicker baskets. But I look at every one of them
with
lust in my heart, and keep measuring my 20 lb. dog.

Some years ago, I saw a large wire basket next to the curb. It was a
very large Wald front basket, like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Wald-Delivery-...me/dp/B0012E0N...

I asked Owen about it. He'd gotten it to have his dog ride with him,
but the dog had proven so energetic that Owen was throwing out the
basket before the experience killed him. Energetic weight high in
the front is hard to control.

I still have this in my garage. I've got a cat. No way is that cat
going on a bicycle.

My cats don't seem to mind riding on the back of my bike in a cat
carrier (with the top on and the gate closed.) When I take them on the
bus, they meow constantly. On the bike, they seem to enjoy the ride
(it's only about 1.5 km to the vet's office, which is where they tend
to be headed.)

I think they like the 300m through the park the best, as they get to
watch dogs and squirrels from the comfort of the cage. (They get
enough birdwatching at home due to feeders outside the front window.)

My friends at Time's Up! used these to run a carfree dog
rescue service in New York City:

http://www.things.org/~jym/bicycles/...ue-trailer.jpg

=v= Hey, my same friends just had a doggie pedal parade:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/txup/se...7604542482202/

_Jym_

My friends at Time's Up! used these to run a carfree dog
rescue service in New York City:

http://www.things.org/~jym/bicycles/...ue-trailer.jpg

=v= Hey, my same friends just had a doggie pedal parade:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/txup/se...7604542482202/

_Jym_

On May 19, 1:00*am, (Tom Keats) wrote:
In article ,
* * * * aquachimp writes:

That is clever, but my lovely bride objected to my plan to halve the cat.

In article ,
aquachimp writes:

I do like the length of the cat carrier. *

Hmmm 43 cm... is around 19 inches... plus a few more for under the
seat.
Just how short a shovel are you having to work it. Now if you want to
get, say a smallish kichen bin, the like of which are often crowding
the pavement (London areas) outside mostly Asian run household &
hardware shops, you could convert it into a sort of high set pannier.
Put it this way, if you've ever seen a gardeners truck with what looks
like a pipe standing up at one end with heads of brushes sticking
out... that the idea... but on a bike.
I had toyed with the idea of cutting a grove (curve) into the back end
of the cat carrier, yet not as deep as the front 'mouth' This way I
could get longer items to 'rest' into the grove.

An hinged tailgate might be just the ticket, and
an interesting project for a DIY fellow.

I don't know why ,
we've not had to carry longer items with the 3year old cat-carrier
base.
Anyhow, What's more they'd sit at an angle down to the seat, i.e. the
weight would head into the bike not away from it and therefore not
obsure the sight of the rear lamp.

I was thinking in terms of putting the heavy business ends
of the tools in the carrier, with the handles sticking out
rearward and upward. Maybe hang a red flag on the longest
handle end.

As for rear lamps, I have two -- a battery-powered one attached
to my milk crate (with zip ties), and a generator tail lamp
permanently fastened onto my rear fender. I've had no
problems with my sundry cargoes occluding them.

I may yet concoct a quick-connection system for a
generator-powered tailight (or two) on my trailer.


cheers,
* * * * Tom

--
Nothing is safe from me.
I'm really at:
tkeats curlicue vcn dot bc dot ca

On May 20, 4:12*am, (Tom Keats) wrote:
In article ,
* * * * aquachimp writes:

I do like the length of the cat carrier. *
Hmmm 43 cm... is around 19 inches... plus a few more for under the
seat.
Just how short a shovel are you having to work it. Now if you want to
get, say a smallish kichen bin, the like of which are often crowding
the pavement (London areas) outside mostly Asian run household &
hardware shops, you could convert it into a sort of high set pannier.
Put it this way, if you've ever seen a gardeners truck with what looks
like a pipe standing up at one end with heads of brushes sticking
out... that the idea... but on a bike.
I had toyed with the idea of cutting a grove (curve) into the back end
of the cat carrier, yet not as deep as the front 'mouth' This way I
could get longer items to 'rest' into the grove.

An hinged tailgate might be just the ticket, and
an interesting project for a DIY fellow.

I don't know why ,
we've not had to carry longer items with the 3year old cat-carrier
base.
Anyhow, What's more they'd sit at an angle down to the seat, i.e. the
weight would head into the bike not away from it and therefore not
obsure the sight of the rear lamp.

I was thinking in terms of putting the heavy business ends
of the tools in the carrier, with the handles sticking out
rearward and upward. *Maybe hang a red flag on the longest
handle end.

As for rear lamps, I have two -- a battery-powered one attached
to my milk crate (with zip ties), and a generator tail lamp
permanently fastened onto my rear fender. *I've had no
problems with my sundry cargoes occluding them.

I may yet concoct a quick-connection system for a
generator-powered tailight (or two) on my trailer.

cheers,
** * * * Tom

--
Nothing is safe from me.
I'm really at:
tkeats curlicue vcn dot bc dot ca

On May 20, 4:12*am, (Tom Keats) wrote:
In article ,
* * * * aquachimp writes:

I do like the length of the cat carrier. *
Hmmm 43 cm... is around 19 inches... plus a few more for under the
seat.
Just how short a shovel are you having to work it. Now if you want to
get, say a smallish kichen bin, the like of which are often crowding
the pavement (London areas) outside mostly Asian run household &
hardware shops, you could convert it into a sort of high set pannier.
Put it this way, if you've ever seen a gardeners truck with what looks
like a pipe standing up at one end with heads of brushes sticking
out... that the idea... but on a bike.
I had toyed with the idea of cutting a grove (curve) into the back end
of the cat carrier, yet not as deep as the front 'mouth' This way I
could get longer items to 'rest' into the grove.

An hinged tailgate might be just the ticket, and
an interesting project for a DIY fellow.

Kidly ignore the post just posted. google wanted me to type something
for verification purposes. But it may have ended up as the post.

Anyhow, I also dreamt up using a car bonnet hitch - release to
disconnect the end and a hinge at the seat end so that the cat carrier
base could flip over the seat that way it would keep it dry. I was
then thinking of attaching a solar panel to said underside to power an
alarm.

But that dream was purly for the 1st of April.

Then I considerd yet another way to avoid drilling etc and have an
instantly disconnectable carrier basket by glue some velco to the
underside of the cat carrier and thensimply wrap it round the rack
bits. Bit fiddly I think and not really as secure as the existing
system... but then... after 3 years, I'm wondering if the securely
attached method used is a tad over engineered.

Right I must fill in another google thing.



With the metal staps etc, you could attach a lot of other things, e.g.
an old and un used tool box... you know, those biggish plastic ones.

I don't know why ,
we've not had to carry longer items with the 3year old cat-carrier
base.
Anyhow, What's more they'd sit at an angle down to the seat, i.e. the
weight would head into the bike not away from it and therefore not
obsure the sight of the rear lamp.

I was thinking in terms of putting the heavy business ends
of the tools in the carrier, with the handles sticking out
rearward and upward. *Maybe hang a red flag on the longest
handle end.

As for rear lamps, I have two -- a battery-powered one attached
to my milk crate (with zip ties), and a generator tail lamp
permanently fastened onto my rear fender. *I've had no
problems with my sundry cargoes occluding them.

I may yet concoct a quick-connection system for a
generator-powered tailight (or two) on my trailer.

cheers,
** * * * Tom

--
Nothing is safe from me.
I'm really at:
tkeats curlicue vcn dot bc dot ca

On May 20, 8:18*pm, aquachimp
wrote:
On May 20, 4:12*am, (Tom Keats) wrote:



In article ,
* * * * aquachimp writes:

I do like the length of the cat carrier. *
Hmmm 43 cm... is around 19 inches... plus a few more for under the
seat.
Just how short a shovel are you having to work it. Now if you want to
get, say a smallish kichen bin, the like of which are often crowding
the pavement (London areas) outside mostly Asian run household &
hardware shops, you could convert it into a sort of high set pannier.
Put it this way, if you've ever seen a gardeners truck with what looks
like a pipe standing up at one end with heads of brushes sticking
out... that the idea... but on a bike.
I had toyed with the idea of cutting a grove (curve) into the back end
of the cat carrier, yet not as deep as the front 'mouth' This way I
could get longer items to 'rest' into the grove.

An hinged tailgate might be just the ticket, and
an interesting project for a DIY fellow.

I don't know why ,
we've not had to carry longer items with the 3year old cat-carrier
base.
Anyhow, What's more they'd sit at an angle down to the seat, i.e. the
weight would head into the bike not away from it and therefore not
obsure the sight of the rear lamp.

I was thinking in terms of putting the heavy business ends
of the tools in the carrier, with the handles sticking out
rearward and upward. *Maybe hang a red flag on the longest
handle end.

As for rear lamps, I have two -- a battery-powered one attached
to my milk crate (with zip ties), and a generator tail lamp
permanently fastened onto my rear fender. *I've had no
problems with my sundry cargoes occluding them.

I may yet concoct a quick-connection system for a
generator-powered tailight (or two) on my trailer.

cheers,
** * * * Tom

--
Nothing is safe from me.
I'm really at:
tkeats curlicue vcn dot bc dot ca- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Sorry about that last post... I blame google latest "for verification
puposes pleas type in the charactors you see in the picture belo etc
etc.

And now i've ran out of time. grrrr