Ground Score Cooler To Pannier

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I found this soft sided cooler alongside the road earlier in the week. Pictured below strapped to the handlebars with a belt/strap thing I also found so I could get it home on the rackless, basketless, bike I was riding.

Hauling my ground score home.

I brought it home with the intention of turning it into a pannier.

Soft sided cooler with zippered outside compartment.

First up was to stiffen the back of the bag that would rest against the bikes rack. Looking the bag over I noticed it had an exterior compartment and I could place and mount the back in this compartment and not have to put any holes in the main cooler compartment. This would make the compartment useless but I preferred this over puncturing the main compartment.

For the back I decided on this aluminum sign I had stashed away which just happened to be a perfect fit as it was. I would have to bend the sign to get it in the exterior compartment and then flatten it back out once it was in.

Natural gas sign will be the back/stiffener of the bag.

I drilled holes in the back plate and the bag’s exterior compartment to attach the rack mount hardware. I taped washers and nuts to hold them in place over the holes. Not pictured I also drilled holes for a bottom mount.

Tape to temporarily hold nuts in place.

For the rack mount hardware I used these wire clamps which hook nicely over the rear racks that I have on a few of my bikes. I intentionally mounted them where the bags handle attached to lessen the chance of the fabric ripping..

Aluminum sign in place and the clamps mounted. The clamp temporary bent out to access screw.

I bolted a strap across the bottom and attached a couple of bungee cords to keep the lower portion of the bag snug against the rack.

Yesterday I loaded it up with food and a few other items to take to my parents. I bounced off a few curbs on the way and everything stayed in place.

I don’t know that I’ll use it that much. I already have 2 sets of panniers and I don’t have faith that this would keep food items frozen or fresh on a 30+ minute ride home from the grocery store in high or low temperatures. Making it though gave me something to do on a windy day I didn’t ride.

Side note… since my previous post about this bike. I swapped out the handlebars. I also cut off all the cable stops which were from it’s former life as a multispeed, hand braked mtb.