Magnetic Basket Rig for Road Bikes (Removeable & Foldable)

During the quarantine, I had lots of free time and was picking up new hobbies left and right. I wanted to attach a basket to my bike to make grocery shopping and food deliveries easier. However, I ride my bike often without the need for a basket. Removing and reinstalling zip ties every time seemed too tedious. I tried finding something online but couldn't find anything that suited my needs. So just like how we all got a little insane while quarantined, my crazy brain found a solution.. MAGNETS!

Step 1: Designing the Components

I decided to go with two components; a base plate that attaches to the rack, and platform that attaches to the crate. The crate would slide on top of the base plate to attach to the bike. So I went ahead and got a few sheets of plywood from home depot and cut them up, (poorly), with a cheap hobby saw.

Step 2: Sliding Track W/ Magnets

After a quick stain, I attached a few rare earth magnets I found on Amazon. Since I didn't have any power tools, I tried my best with sand filler to smooth out any cosmetic mistakes, (there were a lot lol).

Step 3: Base Plate Fitting

I had to custom fit the design for this particular rack as I wanted a firm stable grip on the bike. I got some mending plates and wing nuts to secure it in place, and added some foam and soft velcro to prevent any scratches on the rack.

Step 4: Crate Attachment

I found a great folding/collapsible basket from London Drugs by Lotus Crates. This part was much easier than the base plate as I only needed to drill four holes to secure them in place. I went with a collapsible basket as it stores away quite nicely when not in use.

Step 5: Installation Kinks

Upon testing the rig, I noticed friction issues due to the stain and clear coat that I used. So I decided to install a thin sheet of plexiglass to smoothen the installation.

Step 6: Testing It Out

At first, I designed these components as I went out to buy materials, so this was definitely a guerilla style build. I added a long Velcro Strap to attach to the rack, but I eventually decided that I needed to add some extra features.

Step 7: Additional Support

Through testing, I realized I could've redesigned the crate attachment but I didn't want to throw what I made away in the trash, (or maybe I was just too lazy to build another piece from scratch lol). So I decided to add extra support structures as well as additional holes for bungee attach points.

Step 8: More Features!

I noticed that some grocery shoppers brought their own strollers instead of using the store provided ones. So I figured, why not attach some wheels?! (low key decided to put my sisters cat in the rolling crate for a ride.. pics available upon request lol).

Step 9: Food Bag

Another reason why I made the rig was to make food deliveries a bit easier. Carrying an extra large food bag combined with an aggressive riding style wasn't great for my neck/back on long shifts. So I got a roll of Reflectix, black ductape, and velcro from home depot and got crafty!

Step 10: From Grocery to Food Delivery

Since the basket was collapsible, I thought to myself.. why not make the food bag collapsible too? That way, I can carry pizzas! I also added a divider, as well as a drink holder :)

Step 11: Final Thoughts

If you've made it this far I know what you're thinking.. This is absolutely ridiculous! Magnets?! C'mon bro..

I admit, there could've been an easier way to achieve this.. and perhaps, a more affordable way lol, (if you have any design suggestions, please let me know in the comments!). But hey, in my defense.. I had a lot of free time during the quarantine and I was itching to make something! So thank you for checking this out and hopefully this project will inspire you to make something so ridiculous purely just for the fun of it!

Check out the full video here!