Eight Uses For The Surly Junk Strap

The Surly Junk Strap is essentially a super long (48″) nylon toe clip strap. Toe clip straps are those straps which wrap around the rear edge of a pedal, through the eye of the toe clip and are cinched down to hold the rider’s foot in place. Not too many people use this type of pedal system anymore but the design made it easy to adjust the straps while riding and it was very secure. The same simplicity and strength makes these almost indispensable for bike touring and bikepacking.

1.) Lashing things to other things

Forget your super sweet Revelate Designs Viscacha seat bag? No problem, use the Surly Junk Strap to attach a dry bag to your seat post.

Use the Surly Junk Strap to hold a Frost River Saddlebag higher and to lash on extra accessories, like river shoes.

Or maybe you like a beefed out sag wagon like the Bike Hermit and need to attach a water tank to the back of your Three Feathers Pinecone trailer.

2.) First Aid

We’ve all got that one buddy, you know the one who sends it a little too hard? The one who’s always going over the handle bars and ending up in the E.R…

Use the Surly Junk Strap, in combination with a triangle bandage from your first-aid kit, to fashion a sling for your accident prone friend.

3.) Make a handle to carry your bike

4.) Six Pack Carrier

Who doesn’t like to ride their bike to pick up their favorite six pack at the local watering hole. Use the Surly Junk Strap to strap your beer down to a rear Tubus Logo Evo rack and then create a shoulder strap so your tasty beverages are never out of reach.


5.) Rack Stabilizer

When you’re out in the Owyhee Canyonlands it’s not easy to get down to Bike Touring News to fine tune your rack. The Surly Junk Strap can be used in a quick pinch to prevent drag from your front rack.

6.) Clothes line

After a long day of riding nothing feels more refreshing than a dip in that creek next to the patch of dirt you’ll call home for the next 12 hours. Use the Surly Junk Strap as a clothes line to hang up your towel and wet clothes for round two the next day. (Hint: two junk straps work best for this)

7.) Bike Lock

Minimalists will appreciate the use of a Surly Junk Strap as a lock to secure* your bike on a quick errand. Run it through the wheel and frame and around a post or bike rack. In a high traffic, high visibility area, like the front of a grocery store, the drug addict looking for a quick jack will be dissuaded long enough for you to get back.

*Disclaimer, any thief with a bit of time will be able to haul your bike off, we do not recommend this as a long term solution.

8.) Fruit Carrier… okay so maybe we’re reaching with this one, just buy the dang strap already

Every self respecting cyclists needs to be able to carry their favorite fruit while touring, ours is pineapple 🙂