Bike Bucket Panniers for All

 

This post is nothing but a shameless plug, although it is for a good cause. I’m a member of a local bicycle advocacy group called IndyCog, a fact I likely have mentioned before.

Well, one of my roles with this group is to run their Bike Bucket Program, which involves building and selling panniers made from re-purposed Kitty Litter buckets.  This program is dual purposed: first, we use it as community outreach to encourage people to use their bikes to commute to work or to run every day errands. Second, it is a fundraising effort for IndyCog, although I tend to think purpose #1 usually seems to take priority over #2.  

 

Anyway, I hold workshops throughout the year where a person can build their own set of buckets. I also sell pre-made sets of buckets at various local events and on the IndyCog website. As luck would have it, the first workshop of 2013 will take place this coming Saturday at A1 Cylcery on the west side of Indianapolis. Full details may be found here.

While perhaps somewhat odd looking, the buckets are actually quite durable and functional. They attach securely via rubber covered j-hooks and a bungee retaining cable to a rear bike rack. I have been using my set for three years with no problems through all sorts of weather and have carried everything from my work clothes to files for work.  A friend of mine actually used his for several bike packing trips. Yellow not your color? Well take heart, we also have green.

Bike Bucket Panniers in action: This morning on the Monon Trail.

I’m not sure where the people who glance at this blog live, but if you are in the Indy area Saturday and would like to get into bike commuting while supporting cycling in Indianapolis, Bike Buckets are a great first step.