Tried a smaller front basket and my steering finally makes sense

I always ran a giant Wald 139 basket up front, figured more cargo room was better. Last week I swapped to a tiny $15 wire basket from a garage sale, just big enough for my lunch bag. Turns out the big one was making my steering feel heavy and slow, especially in crosswinds. Now I turn way sharper and the bike feels balanced again. Anyone else notice a big difference after downsizing their front load?

2 comments

2 Comments

jade314d ago

Yup. I swapped from a Wald 137 to a little 5 dollar folding basket from a thrift store maybe two years ago and it totally changed how my old touring bike handles. That big basket sits way out front and catches every gust of wind like a sail, making the front end feel all floaty and unpredictable. With the tiny basket right over the wheel, the steering is quick and planted, no more wrestling the bars in a crosswind. I only carry a small bag for essentials now and honestly I don't miss the extra space at all. Less is definitely more when it comes to front loads in my experience.

victorcoleman14d ago

Feel you on that @jade3. I had a big wire basket on my commuter for like a year and finally ditched it for a smaller setup strapped to the rack. So much better in the wind and the steering feels way more dialed in now.