Topeak MTX Basket Rear Review

Spacious, durable rear bicycle basket.

After using a cool city bike equipped with large basket for 80% of my urban travel while spending a few months in Sweden last year, I made a vow to use my bike more often when I returned to Seattle. With Topeak’s MTX Basket Rear, I am living lighter on the planet, getting more exercise, and saving money!

Plenty of Space

I’m really enjoying being able to use my bike instead of my car for nearby errands that feel too close to drive to but a bit too far away to reach on foot. Topeak’s MTX Basket Rear is spacious and deep, with lots of room for such bulky items as a bag of groceries, my wetsuit and open water swimming gear, or a gym bag. 

I’ve used similar baskets that worked well for bags, but Topeak’s MTX Basket Rear is also very useful for hauling and protecting loose items. The wire mesh design has a diamond-shaped pattern with holes small enough to prevent most small items (including my removable front light, a multi-tool, or a pair of gloves) from falling out of the basket. This is pretty important to me because I’m not always careful about packing my gear; sometimes I forget to zip my daypack. I just toss my bag into the basket without making sure things aren’t falling out. The depth of the basket and the wire mesh work together to make up for my laziness. Even my keys and lip balm stay in the basket.

Easy to Use

Once I arrive at my destination, usually the grocery store, I can remove the basket from my Topeak Explorer Rack using a simple clip that’s part of Topeak’s MTX QuickTrack® System. Once the basket is released, it’s easy to slide it off of the rack. I use the removable handle to carry the basket into the store and use it to collect my groceries. Perfect. In addition to this type of functionally, I appreciate the option of removing the basket to prevent theft. Since my destinations are often stores or my friends’ homes, taking my basket inside with me is not a problem. 

The Topeak MTX Basket Rear is made out welded metal wire and weighs a little more than three pounds. I don’t feel like it adds weight to the bike in terms of making me work harder, but it does add some bulk, making maneuvering the bike into bike racks and parking spots a bit more challenging. Having a rear basket also makes mounting and dismounting harder. I wasn’t prepared for that because the last bike I used with baskets was a step-through style. My new bike has a bar across the frame, and I’m used to swinging my leg over the seat to get on and off. It’s harder to do that with a rear basket, so I’ve been working on lowering the bike to one side to make it easier to step over the bar.

The Topeak MTX Basket Rear comes with assembly instructions, but I have to admit that I had a bike shop install the rack and basket since my bike was due for a tune-up just as the items arrived. Because the basket is so large and deep, users will need to figure out correct placement of the rack so that the basket isn’t too close to the seat. It wasn’t a problem for me since I’m tall and have my seat raised just a bit higher than the edge of the basket.

Bottom Line

I’m really enjoying being able to travel by bike for more errands and activities. The Topeak MTX Basket Rear is simple to use and remove, and it allows me to carry a variety of bulky items with ease. 

Details

Dimensions: (15.9” x 13.2” x 9.5” or 40.5 x 33.5 x 24.1 cm)

Volume: 1430 ci  / 23.44 L 

Weight: 3.37 lb or 1530 g

Color: black

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$54.95 on amazon.com