What can you transport by bike, without a cargo or trailer?
Professional life, school, shopping, children's activities, leisure activities, etc.: everyday activities can generate a lot of loads and volumes to transport by bike, just like cycle touring. It's not always easy to optimize your bike trips with a load! While cargo bikes and trailers are solutions, it is not always possible or desirable to use them. However, it is possible to transport a multitude of equipment on a classic bike, thanks to a few tips and accessories. From strollers to musical instruments, including parcels and school bags, find out what you can take on your bike, depending on how you use it!
Family use: from childcare equipment to school bags
The stroller and childcare equipment
Is it possible to transport a stroller on a bike? The answer is yes!
A stroller can be placed upright on a specific luggage rack support such as Steco Buggy Mee, or in an open bike bag such as the Bakkie Light, which can also accommodate a compact foldable stroller. This makes it easy to transfer a baby from their bike seat.
It is even possible to attach a cosy or a travel cot!
Balance bikes and small bicycles
While a balance bike or children's bike may bring joy to toddlers in the park or on walks, their little vehicle can turn out to be quite cumbersome once the energy has been used up... Transporting a balance bike on a bike is nevertheless possible, in particular thanks to the open support of the Bakkie Light bag, attached to the luggage rack or its extension.
Similarly, towing a child's bike becomes possible by fixing the wheel in the adjustable support of the bag! Perfect for when you're feeling a bit tired at the end of a bike ride with the kids...
🚲 Want to know more? Watch this video to see how to tow a 16-inch child's bike !
Schoolbags
If you take your children to or from school by bike, you know that the space needed for bags and schoolbags becomes crucial, especially when there are several of them and the box of a cargo bike is not always enough...
Placed on a luggage rack at the front or rear of the bike, vertically in the storage bag of a bike bag or horizontally in an open support, transporting a well-loaded primary school bag will become child's play!
Photo credit: Crealens
Grocery shopping
A trip to the supermarket, grocery store or market? Groceries can be easily stored on board! Clip-on shopping bags, a removable basket, a wooden crate or generous bike bags with a handle to carry them, and that's it. Eggs and strawberries had better watch out...
Professional use and bike commuting
When cycling to work, the first things we need are often the equipment we need to ride serenely in all conditions: rain gear to take out in case of downpours, a bike repair kit, but also a coat or warm clothing, spare clothes and a helmet once we arrive at our destination.
In addition, professional equipment, whether light or substantial, also regularly needs to be carried on our steed.
Office business
A bicycle bag remains the most practical piece of luggage for keeping your belongings handy, storing them and also carrying them, particularly for valuables that cannot stay in a basket.
Thus, office files or a large laptop can be transported with confidence thanks to the padding of certain bicycle bags that can accommodate fragile loads. Not to mention a backpack containing everything you need for the day.
Photo credit: Weelz
A keyed top case, attached to the luggage rack of your bike, can also be very practical for keeping your personal belongings safe.
Boxes, crates and parcels
Some professions require transporting larger volumes or loads: crates for a market gardener, a rack of glass bottles for a restaurateur, or beehives for a beekeeper, for example. Using an open support, fixed to the luggage rack or handlebar, attached to a bike bag or not, makes it easy to consider all this!
For other uses, this type of open support, rigid or flexible, can be used to accommodate a backpack or to carry a folding bike .
Furthermore, it is not uncommon to have a package to deliver, or to collect from the relay point: fixed in less than two minutes in a bag designed for this purpose or using adjustable straps, the most varied sizes and volumes will easily find a place.
Sports, leisure and hobby use
During the week, on Wednesdays or weekends, sports, leisure and extracurricular activities take over for young and old. While cycling often saves time getting there, the equipment can sometimes be cumbersome.
The sports bag and activity equipment
To avoid being bothered when pedaling while loaded, it is very practical to have a solution to store your sports bag during transport. A basket at the front or back, an open bike bag or attachment to the luggage rack will make journeys easier.
Do you do an activity that requires a lot of equipment and still want to transport it by bike? No problem! Tennis rackets, golf or climbing bags, inflatable paddle boards or kite surf boards and other equipment can all fit on a simple bike.
Musical instruments
Whether it's an amateur hobby or a real professional activity, one might think that transporting a fragile and bulky musical instrument by bike would be like a balancing act... However, it turns out to be quite possible!
Special order with the addition of an eyelet to pass the endpin of a double bass through.
For example, to transport a guitar in a bike bag, it will be placed vertically in the support of the Bakkie Light , protected by its cover or in its case. A strap will press the case against the bike at the bottom while another will stabilize the neck at the top. Thanks to its padding, the bag support will prevent any bolts or protruding parts of the luggage rack from punching the body of the instrument.
🎸 Click here if you need a video tutorial on how to transport a guitar by bike !
Hiking and cycling equipment
Cycle touring is a leisure activity in its own right and requires the ability to attach accessories and equipment efficiently, quickly and practically. A lightweight tent can be placed in an open rack, items can be placed in waterproof or waterproof panniers on the front wheel, while the rear luggage rack can accommodate larger loads or less conventional volumes. Are you going by bike to reach a destination to go hiking on foot? Your pair of walking shoes and your backpack will easily find shelter for the time it takes to pedal!
💡 Tip: FixPlus straps allow you to quickly and efficiently attach a bunch of accessories to your bike!
So, whether it's for regular trips, regular tasks, but also for leisure and cycle touring, it's possible to carry on your bike a multitude of equipment and materials necessary for our daily lives. And hey presto, thanks to a few good accessories, your bike turns into a trunk without needing a cargo bike box or a trailer!