Customer Reviews

Topeak MTX Rear Bicycle Basket

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

There are two considerations for front-mounting baskets like this: The quality of the basket itself and the quality of the mechanism which attaches the basket to the bike. As far as the former, the Topeak basket is great. It offers a fine mesh which is strong and will not snag the things you put in the basket.

However, the attachment is not very good. The attachment works in two ways. First it grips the handlebar. This holds the basket in place, but it does not keep it from tilting down when you put something somewhat heavy in it. To keep it from tilting down, the basket comes with a little wire that wraps around the handlebar stem. The problem is that it is JUST a little wire. It is not strong enough to secure the basket. If you're like me, you will sometimes carry books in your basket. If the bike is just stationary, the basket will hold the books. However, if you are riding, and you go over any kind of bump, the little wire won't be able to handle the jolt. The wire will break and the basket will tilt forward (which makes it unusable).

Even though the wire broke, I am still using this basket. I found a way to rig it with some nylon rope. It wasn't too hard, but it was a pain.

In short, I would not recommend this basket unless you will only carrying virtually weightless stuff or unless you want to spend some time figuring out a better way to attach the basket.

I know someone who has the "Cycle Force Quick Release" basket. It has a much stronger mechanism for attaching the basket. The basket is pretty nice, too (though not quite as nice as the Topeak one). Overall, it is probably a better bet.

I purchased this basket for its compatibility with my topeak explorer rack. Topeak generally has good products but this basket fell short. It is made of very thin wire mesh which dents and bends with the slightest stress. The handle is unpadded and very thin and bent the first time that I used it. It was easy enough to bend back in to shape, but the fact that it bends so easily makes it pretty much useless. The basket does transport stuff on your rack, but I wish I had just strapped a plastic crate on and saved myself $20. The quick/track idea was good, but not very well executed on this particular item.

I used this with the Topeak Fixer 6 for MTX Rear Basket and Topeak Explorer Bicycle Rack with Disc Brake Mounts on a women's Giant mountain bike. As I stated in the review of the Explorer, if you plan on using this on a women's bike or a small frame you will have issues with the basket hitting the seat. You will have to push the rear rack back so that the basket clears the seat. The placard that comes with the basket shows a bike seat raised to a ridiculous height just to clear the basket (I'll try and scan it for you to see.)

As other have stated, the handle is useless. Put a 15 pound weight in the basket and the handle bent and came off. Not to double up, I'll just say that I totally agree with T. Shih's review below.

When mounted on the rack using the Fixer 6, I found that the basket tends to flex and bend around a bit more than I like. With a backpack full of college books you are looking at a wobbly basket. I don't think it will come off (hope not), but I think the movement will end up breaking some welds.

Could be better, but it looks better than a milk crate.

I bought this basket because I have a Topeak Explorer Rack and wanted to use it for when I go shopping or need to carry more than usual on my commute to school. I needed a basket to use with my rack, and since this basket uses the MTX mounting system, it works perfectly with compatible Topeak racks.

Pros:
As a basket, the utility cannot be denied. Also, the basket is pretty sturdy. It's very easy to install and remove and there is a removable handle built into the basket.

Cons:
It's not really a one-size-fits all design and the handle is too whimpy for any significant weight. I have a 21 inch bike and the basket fits on with ease. My friend has a 14 inch bike and the top of the basket interferes with her seat. As for the handle, it begins to give under only the weight of my cable and u-lock. Another flaw is that the basket will not sit flat on the floor, since the rail mounting system sticks out. There are two little feet on the front of the basket, but that only stabilizes the front of the basket. There are no feet on the back so it has a tendancy to wobble when put on the floor. Finally, while I say the basket is pretty sturdy, it's not very rigid. After putting my locks in the basket for a semester, I've noticed significant bulging and dents.

Overall Impression:
It's not very expensive and it holds quite a bit of stuff. Also, Topeak has pretty good customer service so if the mounting area ever does break, they will replace it for free. I bought it because I needed and basket and it's a lot more elegant than using a milk crate secured with zip ties.

I don't know what they were thinking. The bracket attaches to the handle bars, but there is no third point of attachment, so it forms a pivot or hinge. Even if you screw it down tight it will still sag until it hits your front wheel or fender. I am going to put something between the stem and the back of the basket to keep this from happening, but you would think they could have figured this out themselves.

The basket itself is nice and the quick release is well engineered. But given the choice, I would not have bought it after watching it slowing sag away...

After extensive research in the bicycle basket area, I chose this model and I'm very happy I did! This basket is a great value for the price. I had it installed at my local bicycle shop, because my computer had to be moved and I didn't want to fiddle with it, but it seemed to be an easy enough task. The best feature is that the basket comes off if needed. It's extremely easy to just slide this off and on. There's even a lift up handle so you can carry the basket around, which I do at garage sales and markets! When I originally opened the box, I thought the basket was huge, but once it was installed and used, I've decided that it's just right! This basket has a smaller mesh design, so you don't have to worry about smaller things falling through it. I think it's also a nicer shape, more rounded, than the standard square models. This model is both stylish and functional. I'd definitely recommend this!

i was totally excited for the large size & small mesh of the basket, but the thing was off of my bike within a week. it lost a screw, which made the basket slide down & hit my tire.
the assembly instructions were nonsensical (pictures only) & the unit as a whole is not sturdy enough to handle it's own size.
i am now sans-basket. again.

I had one of these on my bike for about six months. During that time:
- the handle fell off and got caught in my spokes (ouch!)
- the basket got several large holes in it from regular usage

Before the holes and the missing handle, it was a nice basket

I would not recommend this to anyone.

Everyone seems to have such low opinions of this basket. I think its great. Put 10 books in it and the handle sags, but thats more weight than its designed to carry. With a 12 pounds, a good shake will bend the handle so that it must be bent back. Who shakes their basket? I haven't had any bulges appear from regular loading or had a problem with the basket wobbling around. It seems very secure to me, though I am using it on a Trek 1000. A mountain bike instead of a road bike may have more shake in the basket simply because the rider is not staying on smooth surfaces. The attachment of the basket with the included mount onto the Topeak Super Tourist DX is solid. If you get this basket to get groceries you wont be disappointed. If you want to haul bricks or university text's you should invest in one or two panniers since you have the rack already.

The biggest selling point for this basket is how it easily attaches to a Topeak MTX rack and is quickly removed.

However, the handle leaves something to be desired. It is very weak and bends when you have a gallon of milk in here. Topeak could have gone a couple extra steps and make some niches/holes for bungee cord net hooks. A net can be hooked, but if there was a specific place for the net's hooks, the net could be placed over the basket faster.

The basket without the handle is a very solid structure, but DO NOT rely on the handle.