Being able to get any type of load off your body and onto the bike will make your riding experience comfortable. There are solutions out there for your gear carrying problems and when the gear is lightweight the solution shouldn’t be too complicated.
Supporting you and your family to SMILE when you ride.
What is a Lightweight Load?
To follow are some examples of what a lightweight load is. To give you an idea in kilograms most lightweight carriers will be restricted to a maximum of 7 to 10kgs.
Examples of lightweight loads
- round town errands and you need a place for your handbag/wallet
- simple one bag food shopping, takeaways, milk etc
- commuting to work
- taking the kids for a bike path adventure and you want to pack a lunch or have a place for jackets/jerseys
- multi day back country trail riding where the lighter the load the easier the ride will be, these loads are often placed all over the bike
Bike Carriers – Placement & Weight Options
You will discover as you use your bike to ride more places, more often that the need for carrying stuff with you can interfere with how you enjoy the ride. To stop any barriers getting in the way when you are choosing to ride your bike or not, use a bike carrier.
When attaching a bike carrier to a bike you have 2 options – front or rear. Rear carriers are traditionally more popular as having weight at the back of your bike doesn’t interfere with your ability to steer, which front loads can do. In saying that if you are a competent rider and your loads are going to be light, using a front carrier can be a simple, easy to use option.
We like to split bike carriers into 3 categories according to the strength and therefore the ability to carry weight. World/long distance/across country touring requires the heavy duty, carry lots type of carrier capacity. Mid weight carriers will see you through most reasonable carrying situations in both the town and 2 to 3 day touring environments (see The Best Rear Carrier for Town/Commute Riding). Lightweight carriers are for simple loads and give you a great alternative to carrying things in a backpack.
Front Lightweight Carrier/Basket
Our first choice for around town riding when you want to carry simple lightweight loads is the PDW Front Carrier. It has a load capacity up to 7kg. The carrier attaches around your handlebars and is easy to mount.
One of the most important features of the PDW is the sturdy design. Made from 10mm aluminium tubing with a 25x15cm inside space.
When carrying lightweight loads in this type of carrier you will need to enclose them by simply putting them in a bag. This carrier can be bought with a water resistant roll down bag.
Thule Tour Rack – Front or Rear
The Thule Tour Rack is a lightweight front or rear carrier option that can be used for any type of riding but is really well matched to back country bike packing on mountain bikes. This carrier is compatible with full suspension mountain bikes because of its unique clamping attachment system. These clamps are tightened to the rear seat stays or the front forks of your bike.
The weight limit of 11kg on the rear and 10kg on the front is all you need when exploring remote country trails or for simple day rides.
The Tour Rack is a New Zealand designed product that was brought by Thule in 2017. Since them Thule has designed a range of pannier bags to be used with the rack. These panniers have a 7kg limit on the rear, 6kg on the front and are a great addition to widen the ways to use this carrier. However, for backcountry mountain biking, you simply need a dry bag attached with bungy cords/straps and you will have a secure, dry way of carrying minimal gear.
This carrier can be fully removed in a quick amount of time by simply unlocking the tightened clamps. Another feature of this locking mechanism is that it makes the carrier impossible to remove from your bike without the key. This gives you security when leaving the bike unattended.
Safety
When you have a loaded bike you must ride within your capabilities and consider the effect of extra weight e.g. brake earlier to stop. Also the distribution of this weight should be as even as possible so that your balance is not greatly affected.
Riding causes vibration up through your bike with some surfaces providing more vibration than others. Vibration can loosen screws on your bike. Please check all attachment points of your carrier regularly for any loosening.
Your bike riding success is different to others… use our stories and support, get the right solutions.
Carrying Gear Buying Guide
Use the full range of gear carrying options to get the right solutions for you and your family.
Ride More Places
Carrying Gear Stories & Support
A collection of stories that will help you learn about carrying bike gear. All on an easy to navigate page.
Rear Carrier for Town/Commute Riding
What should you look for in a rear carrier to be used around town and for commute riding?
Recreation/Trail Riding - Am I Safe?
When you go out for a ride what will keep you safe? Do you need to plan or prepare in a better way? Lets find out.
Bike Path Riding Stories
Stories in Bike Path Riding support you to learn about riding a bike in different environments. So you can successfully choose to ride more place, more often.
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