cheeken

I feel like this is a really stupid question, but I haven't been able to a) find an answer or b) attempt my own methods without almost killing myself.

I have an old road bike (Peugot) that I'm trying to turn into a commuter/errand rig, so, I figured I'd throw a milk crate on the rack in the back. I did, it attached fine, sturdy and all that. But now I can't get on the bike.

I'm serious, I can't get my leg to swing over the milk crate in the back without *seriously* tilting the bike over, likely spilling whatever cargo I've placed in the milk crate. Am I doing this whole mounting thing wrong?

I've thought about mounting it like a horse, where I step onto one pedal first and then, as the bike's going a little bit, swing my leg over...but then, how the heck do I dismount?

In summary, stupid question, but how do you get on your bicycle when you've got a big milk crate/trunk on your rear rack? I just don't get it.

10 Wheels

I lean the bike over, get in front of the seat, then pedal away.
Never did the leg swing thing even as a kid.

skijor

I was expecting a punch line.

Just limber up/stretch, then go over the TT.

no1mad 

It helps if the contents are in some sort of bag, before going into the crate. Then use a cargo net to help keep said contents in the crate.

I tried using a crate for while. Still use for those times I need to get gas for the lawnmower. Bungee the crate to rack, then bungee the gas can to the crate.

Of course, I'm also riding a rigid mtb/hybrid with a sloping top tube...

Bioflamingo

I try to find something to stand on while I mount my bike if I have a large load on the back. Usually I walk my bike to the edge of the street and then I stand on the curb, giving me 4-6 inches more clearance than what I'd normally have.

mikeybikes

How I do it.

Bionicycle

About twenty years ago I had a friend that could get around having a cooler, or large object on his rear rack by standing beside the bicycle (non-drive side) slightly in front of the seat and he would kick his right leg up and over the handlebars (drop bars).

Side note… I tried it once, only once and nearly killed myself. He made it look easy, I found it was not. There are a lot of things to get your leg hung up on.

I’ve found a way around this problem as I have gotten older… It’s called a Step Through frame, or in my case a Mixte. It’s personally saved me several trips to my orthopedic surgeon. Just a thought…

Best of luck to you.

shouldberiding

Get one of those cheap Nashbar grocery bag panniers next time they go on sale.

barturtle

Foot over toptube, in front of seat. I have to do this when I have my rear mounted waterbottles in place for long-distance rides.

jputnam

Likewise, just step over ahead of the seat. That's how I take my welding cylinders to be filled -- I don't own a truck, and for safety/liability they won't fill acetylene cylinders if you're carrying them enclosed in a car.

gerv 

Just let those handlebars tip a little lower. Or practice the top tube leg lift. Or get a mixte.

Arcanum

I don't usually have a problem getting on the bike. It's getting off with something large on the back rack. That was a small part of my motivation to get a dedicated cargo bike. Falling off a stopped bike when your feet aren't even clipped in place makes you feel pretty silly.

I have a lot of trouble reliably, safely stepping over the top tube. Something about the size of my feet and how long my legs are makes it pretty hard to get my foot over. It's even worse if the bike is heavily loaded so tilting is difficult.

dbgray21

i swing my leg over the handlebars. it's considerably lower than my seat. but then again people have said i have a lot of saddle-to-bar drop on my commuter.

Mr Danw

why not hang the crate on the side of the rack with two "s" hooks and a bungee to keep the bottom from flopping around. You can play with the positioning so you can get a leg over and still avoid heel strike.

Cyclaholic

I nominate this thread for the coveted "Thread title of the week" award.

Doohickie

I use panniers or the metal baskets that sit where the panniers hang. It's lower slung and not so tough get on.

Maybe Ford can design a bike with a little "man step" built in.

travelmama

+1. I have relatively long legs for my height so I can swing one around the front to get on the saddle but for the most part, I just lean the bike one way to straddle the bike.

sci_femme

For inspiration:


https://www.lifeskate.com/photos/unca...ellmann3_2.jpg

hairnet

for some reason this has become the "hipster" way to mount

Wake

Hipster, heh? I'll be 65 in March. My arthritis won't let me swing over the seat any more, so I have to go over the bars. I do ride a Sputnik for commuting, but I wouldn't call myself a Hipster!

cheeken

Sweet!! And it's only Sunday!

So, it seems that there are a lot of leg over the handlebars supporters, which, frankly, is something I've never considered, just because it seems so...theatrical, I guess; like I'm enacting some never-seen Monty Python sketch.

I guess I could put the milk crate in a different location...seems logical.

Perhaps I'll just push the bike forward, get it going, and then run up behind it, plant my hands on the seat, and vault forward, spread eagle, like the cowboys used to do to get up on their horses.

Well, thanks all for the help, anyway....at least I've got a few more options (although I'm not sure they're any less awkward/problematic)

hairnet

I'm not kidding. I've had other cyclists give me weird looks for mounting this way and I've heard others making fun of hipsters for mounting like that because hipsters think it's cool. It's absurd

AndrewP

Stand beside the crate and swing your leg forward over the top tube. As your foot passes over, move the bike backwards so you are just in front of the saddle when your foot reaches the pedal on the other side of the bike. I learnt to do this when I had my daughter on the back.

Pscyclepath

The way I teach it in the League Traffic Skills and Commuting classes:

Stand on the left side of the bike. Place your right hand on the saddle and reach across the bicycle with the left hand to grab the right end of the handlebar. Lean the bike towards you until you can easily step over the frame and then start raising the bicycle and shifting your feet until you are astride the frame. You may have to make two steps to get all the way over the frame.

As for spilling what's in the crate, I usually keep the stuff back there containerized in some sort of box or plastic bag... it's much better than having loose junk rolling around back there, and potentially falling through the holes in the bottom of the crate.

Stray8

Just tilt the bike, bend your knee in completely and try to clear your foot in front of (or over) the milk crate as you mount.

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