Customer Reviews

Wald 3133 Q-R Bolt-On Front Handlebar Bike Basket

5 star:		(62)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

After getting a new "comfort" bike (the type you sit upright on, Novara Mia) for my wife we wanted to outfit it with a basket. We got the Topeak and while it was a great basket it had a lousy plastic mount that made it almost worthless. So I started shopping around for something with an all metal mount. Since the bike has front shocks attaching anything to the fork was not an option.

We tried the Wald 3133 for several reasons.
First it is an all metal assembly. You can torque it down without fear of breaking anything.
Second it has a quick release mount. That was important.
Third it had a bracing component and that component indexed off the upper handle bars vs the center tube. When you turned there was no rubbing on the frame.

I was a little unclear how it mounted to the bike and even more unclear about how the basket attached to the mount. Here is how it works.

The mount attaches to the bike at three points. Two points on the handle bars. You get metal clips and rubber pads that fasten around the tube of your handlebar. There is a slot/tab on the back that holds one side and a screw on the other. Getting it evenly spaced is the hardest part of assembly.

The mount has two wire tubes that make up the bulk of it. There is a metal wire strut that attaches to those two tubes that forms the support piece. This strut can slide up or down on the mount to account for different sizes of bikes and positions. However one way or another your probably going to end up with a slight tilt to your bracket. Under load the force is transferred through the strut to the handlebar.

So now that you've got it mounted my next question was how does the basket attach to the mount? It turned out to be very easy and simple. At the bottom of the mount are two hooks that clearly attach to the wire of the basket. At the top there is a metal loop (kind of like a compressed screw eye). If you look carefully at the handle on the bracket there is an extension on one side of the handle. To attach the basket to the mount you hook it up on the bottom and then with the handle upright you slide the extension into the loop and then turn the handle down. This rotates the extension down locking the basket to the loop and on the frame. Simple, efficient and all metal.

The carrying capacity of the basket seems pretty good. We made a run to the grocery store and got 3 quarts of milk/juice and a few other things. It held them without problem.

Being simple and all metal it can (and has) taken some abuse. Since hooking it up to my bike its taken a few falls while parked, of course the front tire ALWAYS rotates so that the basket takes the direct hit. The basket is a bit bent up but still 100% functional, the mount is fine. I don't think I would have said the same for one of those plastic mounted baskets.

UPDATE 9-12-10
years of service and its still going strong. Have one on my bike and one on my wifes. The only thing I have to add is that if you are going over rough terrain or hit a really nasty pothole the shock can cause handle to bounce up high enough to detach. I've had it come loose a few times, the bottom hooks have always held long enough for me to stop and fix it but it something to be aware of. The solution is as simple as a twist tie, rubber band or clip to keep the handle from flying up.

I bought this basket to go on the front of my mountain bike, which I also use to go grocery shopping and for other various errands. It fits comfortably on the front of my bike, and comes off easily for shopping and when I go riding on back trails (the basket stand is minimal and doesn't impede rough riding). I did have to remove my front reflector because the basket stand takes the space, but that was easily placed higher up on one of my handle bars.

I'm not sure why some reviewers say their baskets fall off--the handle of the basket locks it into place when down, and there are 2 hooks on the bottom of the basket holding it in place. The only way that basket is coming off is if the handle is up and the basket is lifted off the hooks. The only suggestion I have is to wrap the handle with some cloth or something--it's thin and can hurt your hands when full of heavy groceries/items. Other than that, it's a great little basket! If it works on my cheapo mountain bike, it should work on anything.

It's my 2nd basket, first one got stolen with a bike :(
I ride to work, I carry my lunch and a bag, bottle of water, can put more staff and secure it with bungee cord. I was able to install it all by myself!

This basket is made in America. (Its always nice to see we still make some stuff here). Build quality is pretty good, not great. I noticed there were a couple spots on the basket that slipped through quality control. A bad weld in front, leaving a sharp spot on the end of one of the spokes where it wraps around. A little sanding with a metal file fixed this. And there is another spoke that is slightly bent and welded at an angle, simply cosmetic. Both minor problems, but I noticed them right away, so you would think that someone packing this would have seen this right away as well. So much for American workmanship.

Putting it on the bike took all of 5 minutes. Very straightforward, all you need is a philips screwdriver and a set of pliers or adjustable wrench to hold the lock nuts while tightening.

The basket is a little smaller than the typical grocery store basket, but I wouldn't suggest taking it off the bike to use in the store as it has a single handle which mounts in the middle. So you'll have a balancing act to perform if carrying by the handle as any heavy object on one side will tip the basket. Also, the holes are rather large in the basket, so it should be used to carry things that are already in bags, small items could easily fall through. I never planned on removing it from the bike so this isn't a problem for me. I suggest putting a small luggage lock on the basket to keep it from being stolen when unattended (clipping the handle in the downward position prevents the basket from being removed).

My main purpose for this basket was to be able to make quick trips to the local grocery store, video store, etc. leaving the basket on the bike, and for that it is perfect. A two handle basket design with mesh screen would be better for anyone wishing to use this basket off the bike to carry stuff. Just my 2 cents.

This product must be installed correctly to operate correctly(Obvious, huh?). I originally didn't study the examples given and just installed it to however it seemed to work and I had the same complaint as the negative reviewer: The bottom bar that pushes against the headstem would just fall off(I positioned such that it was tilted downwards) causing the basket to smash right into the front tire! After I looked at the pictures(Like the one at the top of this page), it became apparent the bottom bar is suppose to tilt upwards where the headstem meets with the handlebar and after reconfiguring it, it has never fallen off and is pretty sturdy. It's also VERY convenient for trash(And other more endearing objects), like when you're going through the late-night drivethrough(It's happened before!). Also, my handlebars are much thicker than the bicycle's handlebars in the picture so the supplied handlebar mounts and screws didn't really work and it would've taken a thinner and much longer screw to mount it: instead, I just used solid core wire laying around and wrapped it really tight. The mounts are still not completely "grasping" the bar, but it's solid enough to work. I have a 2008 Diamondback Response moutain bike so maybe it's not meant for newer mountain bikes in general? Or Diamondbacks specifically? Or, specifically, responses?

Another note of caution is that the basket's handle is supposed to be in the pointing-up position when placing it on the rack, push in firmly and it should pop in, and then lay the handle to the side and it secures the top part of the basket. It appears like it should be pretty obvious, but I can understand how something like that can be missed since ... well... I don't remember it being in the instructions.

What a great basket! I recently decided to make cycling my main mode of transportation, so I needed something that would hold a bunch of stuff (lunch, my oversized purse, a hoodie), and this fits it all. Also, I like that I can take it off to go shopping. It's very sturdy, and easy to decorate (gold spray paint, a reflector and fake geraniums spruce mine up)! Ride on!

This basket is very simple to insall and use. No need to empty the basket, just lift off and carry with you. Great for picking up a few things at the store. I bring can bring the basket into the market with me so I don't over buy. I was impressed with the prompt shipping and quality.

Works great for a mobility scooter. I had to make a few brackets to fit my wife's scooter design, but this basket works great.

The build quality is pretty solid - HOWEVER. If your handlebars are wider than average, it's not going to mount. This will not mount to a GMC Denali Road Bike. It mounts where the knuckles are which is almost an inch wide. The included hardware won't do it. But for cruisers and most bikes with 5/8 of an inch, it's a very nice looking basket.

This is my first review of an Amazon purchased product. I would first like to thank the people who reviewed it before me, those reviews really helped.

I spent about a month looking for the ideal basket. It amazed how expensive they can be and, in the case of some, how impractical. I looked at several websites, bike stores, and a couple of big box stores. After reading the reviews here I decided upon this one and am very thankful.

I highly recommend it if you are looking for a basket that can be used as a grocery basket or fit a grocery bag in it, can fit a lap-top in it, or a backpack, is more rain-safe then most, is easily removable, and sits beneath the handle bars so as not to get in the way of lights, reflectors, hand-breaks, etc. This basket's price here was far more reasonable then many less practical baskets. I was also happy that it came with all the attachment pieces and good directions to attach it. Plus, it does look really cute. I commute to work on my bike daily and it has held up very well.

The minuses I saw in several reviews should be discussed. For one reviewer there wasn't a very comfortable handle to carry the basket when it got full and heavy, that reviewers advice was to tie some cloth around it. Another reviewer said it bounced when he rode it making a bit of racket. I had one occasion of this when I hit a giant pot-hole but, other then that it has been quiet and stable in my experience with it.

So, if you are looking for a moderate size, removable basket, at a good price, this might be just what you are looking for....