We think the number of bicycle baskets per 100 riders is a good indicator of how far cycling has evolved in any given area. The fact they’re used on town bikes by people running errands demonstrates cycling as an unexceptional, inclusive and everyday activity – a world away from a sport. To promote this cycling utopia, we have a Basil wire basket to give away.
It’s little more than a simple wire basket with hoops allowing it to be hung on a luggage rack, but its distinctive milk bottle motif incorporated into its design make it a charming addition to any bike. The basket allows you to shop and then carry your shopping straight to your bike – doing away with the need for plastic bags.
Win a Basil bike basket
We have a black Basil bike basket worth £22 to give away. To be in with a chance of winning, simply leave us a comment at the bottom of this page and let us know what you would carry in your basket. We’ll pick a winner next week.
The ethical choice
The ETA was established in 1990 as an ethical provider of green, reliable travel services. Over 30 years on, we continue to offer cycle insurance , breakdown cover and mobility scooter insurance while putting concern for the environment at the heart of all we do.
The Good Shopping Guide judges us to be the UK’s most ethical provider.
Jamie Darby
I’d love to be able to carry more home from the supermarket 😁
TheCyclist
Flowers, shopping & baskets are all great on a bicycle. May I have one, please?
Joanne L
I would carry plants. I’ve done it with pannier bags and it tends to get messy, and plants can get squished. I’m definitely putting one of these baskets on my wishlist.
Paul M
Frequently popping out on our bikes to the local shop for milk so this would be ideal for carrying it home.
Nathan Shipley
I would carry my shopping! 🍞🧀🥓🥩🍪🍰🍫🍬🧃🍺🍏🍌🍊
Elspeth
I’m a student in Cambridge and I’d love one to carry my books and shopping around town.
Toby
I’d probably carry shopping and my daughters books and toys that she likes to take when we cycle anywhere.
Brian Ronald
I’d carry my new laptop, because I’m absolutely mental.
David Gray
Not sure if I do or I don’t want one of these. It might actually be good for visiting the allotment where I can chuck in some dirty potatoes and not worry about them messing up the inside of my panniers.
Pamela
Shopping in lockdown – its 4 miles to my local shop
Malcolm
Just the usual local shop in between the big delivery. Smoked salmon, caviar, truffles, champagne and a little special treat to finish.
sara garside
Ooh that looks absolutely fabulous for shopping at the grocers.
I have a pannier rack too. The panniers can get a bit disgusting in the bottom when shopping, so this would be great.
Please could you consider me for it.
Thanks
Peter Clark
I like to pick a few grocery items each day rather than do an out of town big shop. This would be ideal.
Mike
Just right for conveying groceries from my local shops half a mile away down a steep hill.
Ema
Nice looking basket and design 🙂
PabE
Perfect for sticking a picnic in and heading out for a ride, which will be even better when summer returns 😉
Will Bramhill
Hey, look, Mr Fawlty … now there are two Basils.
Karl Wallendszus
This looks like a great alternative to panniers for certain kinds of shopping, and much more flexible than a fixed basket.
Richard
Small dog could fit in this
Mike Croker
Stuff – probably bagged…
Steve
If I was lucky enough to win I’d use it to deliver things to people during lockdown.
Mark B
I’d carry all my shopping in one of these
Jane Gillie
I would have 2 of these baskets, one on each side of the bike and I would use them for shopping and going to the allotment and to my teaching job. As someone else mentions, everything would have to be bagged so it doesn’t fall through the gaps in the basket. If it rains, the bags need to be waterproof. Still, it looks like a useful accessory for life lived on a bike.
Liz MacGregor
Our daughter is a post-grad student and has just bought a bike for local shopping and exercise. A basket is on her wish list, to carry vital equipment she has to carry with her everywhere – Basil would fit the bill perfectly and would fit on her new (second-hand) bike.
David Curran
I can hear the bottles rattling merrily as I cycle along, with the food in a pannier on the other side, for a nice countryside picnic next spring / summer.
Steve K
Great for small amounts of shopping, or for carrying anything else …
My current basket is over 30 years old – and looks it!
Anne L-S
I’d probably use it mainly for groceries nowadays, the local shops or t he farm shop a bit further away. It would replace the panniers lost in the last house move, which used to carry an amazing variety of stuff …
robert p Griffiths-garrod
As the pubs are closed useful for bringing packs of beer home – more comfy than a backpack.
antvren
The trouble I have wriggling a full carrier bag into my rucksack – this’d sort the job!
Hilary
antvren, the trick is to put the carrier bag into your rucksack or pannier BEFORE you put the shopping in 🙂 (though if you’re at self-checkout you have to ask an assistant to approve the bags before you can start scanning)
Howard Cheesman
Help out local guy who has just set up a No Plastic wholefood shop in local Market where you bring your own containers. Using this,those afraid to venture out can order on-line and get a delivery. Feel sorry for him as he just set it up and then….. well you all know what happened!.
Bill
Eggs…But not all of them!
Patricia Richardson
Very handy when we all break free from these Lockdowns.
Nice ride to the park, for a nice picnic, and a couple of bottles of wine, just relax, and enjoy the day
Mmmmmmm
Frank Lee
Fresh flowers for my nearest and dearest 😍
Stephen Conrad
HOPE SANTA RESPONDS TO MY CHRISTMAS WISH LIST WITH THIS AT THE TOP AS I AM GOING TO LEAVE HAND SANITIZER OUTSIDE ALONG WITH A FESTIVE TIPPLE!
FT
I spend a lot of time cleaning things out of my panniers; this would be so much better!
Gillian
Great design, I’d love to give one a try please for my supermarket shopping trips.
Philip
Milk from the farm in the next village.
Gina
Bread, milk and cat food!
ChrisB
This carrier just might be the trigger to use the bike instead of the car to visit the allotment when I have stuff to carry there or back (or both).
Susan
It would be great for organic veg from Great Oak Foods in my new town of Llanidloes – the first place I have lived where the shops are an easy cycling distance – and on the flat!
Ewan Cushan
Love the idea of being able to shop, then hook it straight on the rack
Dee
It’s for my daughter, not me! She does my shopping for me after work since I have been ill this year. She loads up her rucksack with all my favourite foods and struggles home on her bike. She has been an angel in my time of need and it would be lovely for her to get a small reward after a difficult year.
Bryn Gwyndaf Jones
What a really useful idea.
I’ve had a stroke and walk with a 3-wheel walker and cannot carry a bag, but I could shop with this easily.
james
Looks a great addition to my cycle
kath
Great looking basket
I’d use it to carry my picnics
Carol W
Would be so much easier to clean than my pannier which is awaiting a deep clean after the contents of a veggie breakfast escaped the packaging 🙂
Andy
Groceries! And sometimes plants. Also small items of hardware from our local shop.
Annette Unsworth
This would be perfect for carrying my lunch and flask to work. I love complicated lunches 🙂
Su Gilroy
I would carry my shopping in this lovely basket – milk, obviously, in a bottle, and basil.
Rod Ismay
Hamdy storage and quick access for the toy handbells that I take to ring roadside at cycle races @bellsandbikes
Phil
Thank you I would carry donations from our neighbours to our local food bank
Stephen
I love the feature that it’s removable. Very practical for food shopping. ❤️
Howard Woods
Splendid for the weekly shopping trip
Richard Thompson
Shopping, yes. Plants from the garden centre – much less messy than in panniers. But I really want to carry bags with my vestments and service books to the church services I lead, saving using the car – helping the environment.
Lesley Carol
School books….and gin!
Craig
Safer for carrying fruit and vegetables than a rucksack. Very nice design.
Aniel
Roses to my girlfriend ..
Karen
Betty bike says where have you been all her life.
Mark D.
I’d use it for my heavy shopping. It’s good to get those low to the floor.
T D
Perfect for the shopping at the local farm shop a few miles away. Yes, please!
Lesley McAllister
I would love one of these to carry groceries in, to prove to those arguing you can’t do your shopping without a car that yep you can 🙂
Iain Shanks
A nice basket would be so handy for those quick shopping trips
Rod Hewson
This would complement my homemade willow pannier beautifully