The Outdoor Life: Nantucket Bike Basket Co.

Today we had the most beautiful day! We met my sister and brother-in-law at the Farmington Valley Greenway (part of the Rails-to-Trails East Coast Greenway). I love the easy riding because I’m the one pulling the baby bike trailer! My 17-month-old sits in a trance most of the time while we’re out bike riding… or asks for cookies. One or the other. Either way he is happy.

With bikes, baby trailer, and my new bike basket, we set off for an eight mile ride through tunnels of green, splashed with golden sun. Now, if when I say bike basket, you imagine a flimsy plastic thing with a fake flower glued on the front… rewind and erase that mental movie.

My new bike basket from the Nantucket Bike Basket Co. is hands down the highest quality basket I’ve ever owned, let alone the highest quality BIKE basket!

Nantucket Bike Basket Co. is a New England company in Brookline, Massachusetts. The owners, Tom and Kristin McCann, a father/daughter team, are world travelers who spent much of their time in Asia learning the basket business. I loved reading their story about how they created a solution for bike stores that were desperate for quality bike baskets.

I first saw NBBC bike baskets at my local bike shop, and fell in love with the beachy, summery look. Now all I need is a bell and a mirror, and I’ll officially have turned my road bike into a beach cruiser!

What makes the Nantucket Bike Basket unique is their hand-selected materials – the owners have actually travelled and lived in the areas of the world where the materials come from. They don’t settle for just any basket weave. Oh no, they have perfected a special rolled rim particularly durable for bike baskets. Most bike baskets don’t last long, because their rims are flimsy, like decorative household baskets. Because bike baskets get a lot of bumping around, wear and tear, this kind of rim just doesn’t last and soon you’re throwing the basket away. But not the baskets from the NBBC team! They design their baskets and then skilled craftsmen hand-weave each one! This is a company that really cares about craftsmanship!

Nantucket Bike Basket Co. baskets are so pretty, you can use them in your house when you’re not riding! Our winters in Connecticut are too harsh for biking, so this winter, when I hang up my bike, I’ll set my bike basket in the kitchen filled with fun magazines for a little winter browsing and memories of summer riding!

My rectangle shaped basket comes from the Tuckernuck collection. I love the sturdy rattan weave, which is extra-thick, making it one of the most durable bike baskets on the market. Also the weathered coloring reminds me of driftwood…so pretty! The basket is deep and spacious and can hold up to 13 pounds (other basket weight limits vary)! I loaded it up with our cameras (for easy access if I wanted to stop quick and take a photo), and the diapers and snacks for baby! Plenty of room to spare.

Some of the Nantucket Bike Baskets are covered to keep your goods protected, or pack a picnic lunch! Oh, and sooo adorable – they have pet bike baskets! Now you don’t have to leave your pooch at home – they can ride up front in style!

With my new bike basket, I won’t have to wear a backpack and get all hot and sweaty just to go down to the store for some bread, or take packages from my Etsy shop to the post office. I’ll stash my goods in my new basket, and away we’ll go. Everyone will wonder – where did I get such a lovely bike basket? And I’ll tell them!

If you live in a town where you can easily bike to shops and amenities, a NBBC basket is a must have. Children will love adding storage to their bikes. The Gull and Buoy Collection (isn’t that name SO clever!?) of child-sized bike baskets will even fit little tricycles!

Do you use a bike basket? Do you have fond memories of bike baskets as a child?

Buy it: The Nantucket Bike Basket Co. only sells wholesale, so you’ll have to find your local retailer (seriously, if they don’t carry NBBC baskets, BEG for them!). Their bikes retail anywhere from $15 (child’s basket on sale) to $150 for the pet baskets. NBBC even offers a selection of wire bike baskets, and some baskets come with a quick release system.

Win it: The Nantucket Bike Basket Co. has generously offered to give ONE reader a Tuckernuck rectangle basket like mine (ARV $50). Please take a moment to visit their Facebook page and say thank you and check out their celebrity sitings of Nantucket Bike Baskets!

Disclosure: I was sent a product to facilitate this review, and was not compensated in any other way. All opinions are 100% my own.