Dog bike basket: front, rear or a bike trailer?

Front, rear or a trailer?

On the handlebars you can see your dog the whole ride. Handlebar baskets are small: the Trixie handlebar basket measures 48 x 34 x 40 cm, the Beeztees Xoex 40 x 25 x 30 cm. The weight of a basket at the front hangs on your handlebars, so it is meant for small dogs.

On the rear rack there is more room and the handlebars stay free. The Duvo+ Provence wicker basket measures 35 x 55 x 49 cm, and Duvo+ gives a maximum of 13 kg in the product name. You can't see your dog while riding, so check whether the basket has a hood or bars.

A bike trailer runs on its own wheels behind the bike, which is why it takes a heavier dog. Trixie sells its trailer in sizes: the S up to 23 kg, the M up to 35 kg and the folding XL up to 45 kg.

How heavy is your dog, and what can the bike carry?

There are two limits. The first is the maximum of the basket or trailer itself, which the maker states: 13 kg for the Duvo+ basket, or 23, 35 and 45 kg for Trixie's trailers. The second is what your bike can carry. Under the standard ISO 11243 the maker classifies a rear rack by the maximum load it is made for and marks it; look on the rack or in your bike's manual. Weigh your dog together with the basket and stay under both limits.

Not every bike maker gives a maximum for the handlebars. If in doubt, check your bike's manual or ask a bike shop. The same goes for an e-bike: the limits are in the bike's manual.

Size: does your dog fit?

The sizes in the product names are outside measurements. Measure your dog sitting and lying down: from chest to rear, and from the floor to the top of his head when he sits. He should be able to sit and turn around without hanging over the edge. A basket that is a little roomy is easier on the road than one that is just too small.

Look at what comes with the basket too. Trixie supplies its willow front basket with a cushion and a hood, and also sells a bike basket with bars. A removable cushion is easier to wash.

Fitting to the handlebars or the rack

A handlebar basket hangs from a bracket that clamps to the bars. The bracket is sometimes sold on its own, like the Trixie handlebar holder, which helps if you want to use the basket on a second bike. Check that it fits the diameter of your handlebars and leaves room for brake cables and lights.

A rear basket clamps onto the rack. With a quick-release you lift a basket off in one go; Ferplast sells a quick bike adapter for dog baskets separately. Check the product data for which basket and rack it fits. A trailer comes with its own coupling. How and where it attaches is in the trailer's manual.

When does a trailer make sense?

A trailer makes sense when your dog is too heavy for a basket or when you ride longer distances. In a trailer he can lie down. Look at the inside size, the weight the maker states and whether the trailer folds for the car or the shed.

Some trailers turn into a stroller when you uncouple the bike. The Duvo+ 2-in-1 dog bike trailer is a trailer and stroller for dogs up to 30 kg, according to Duvo+. For Trixie's small trailer there is a jogger conversion.

Comparing prices

Bike baskets and trailers are under crates and travel, next to the brands Trixie and Duvo+. Every size and version has its own EAN, and Tassvi compares them one by one, so you see prices for exactly the same basket or trailer.