Utilize Carabiners to Make the Most of Your Bike Ride

Carabiners are generally used for climbing, or for securing keys or other everyday objects (never to be swapped!), but could they be used on bikes? BikeHacks.com, of course, didn’t invent the carabiner, but they were the first to see its potential as a tactical bicycle implement… Or was that that turtleneck? Either way, these two simple alternative carabiner uses will have you carrying one around even on days that you’re not rappelling off of a mountain.

Seriously though, never mix a climbing carabiner with a “gear-use” carabiner. Nothing good can come of that.

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The first use is this “pannier hack,” which uses two carabiners to attach a bag not meant for bicycle usage to a rack on your bike. Although shown on the back of a bike, I could see this used just as well on the outside of a front basket or even on the inside to secure your gear. On the other hand, you could probably just put the bag in the basket.

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A second bicycle carabiner use seen on BikeHacks is to secure a gigantic chain used to lock up your bike around your waist. An important upgrade here is the jean material used to keep the chain from ruining the user’s shirt.