Touring - Axiom Journey Rear Rack- It's Cheap But Is It Of Decent Quality?

Bikeforums.net is a forum about nothing but bikes. Our community can help you find information about hard-to-find and localized information like bicycle tours, specialties like where in your area to have your recumbent bike serviced, or what are the best bicycle tires and seats for the activities you use your bike for.



PDA
Ziemas
04-19-05, 01:41 AM
I'm looking for a new rear rack to mount on a Kona Sutra that I'm building up. I've come across the Axiom Journey, which is really cheap at $17. The Axiom site lists the rated weight at 70kg! Does this sound reasonable to you? To me it sounds too good to be true!

Does anyone have any experience with this or other Axiom racks? Thanks.

http://www.axiomgear.com/racks_rear/journey.php

amaferanga
04-19-05, 02:15 AM
70kg sounds unreasonable. Maybe that's the breaking load and not the load limit for day to day use. The Tubus Logo rack (possibly the best there is) is only rated to 40kg and I'd bet my house on it being stronger than the axiom rack.
Magictofu
04-19-05, 08:37 AM
For an aluminum rack, it does look solid. I went for the more expensive 'Tour du Monde' from Axiom which is rated at 150kg. I bet the screws would break before the rack does but then, I won't test the limits of that rack. I also think Axiom exagerate the solidity of their rack. The 'Tour du Monde' for instance seems to be of the same material as the Tubus but is rated much higher...

I think manufacturers' load rates are not standard and might have more to do with the type of warranty they offer. Note that oversized tubings, like on the 'Journey' sometimes need larger hooks on your panniers...

brokenrobot
04-19-05, 09:09 AM
Lots of Canadians recommended it before my tour; I didn't find one, and bought a Blackburn instead - which broke. I'm now using a hollow-tubing Topeak, which seems VERY strong, but which I'm told will weaken badly if I ever lay the bike down and crush the tubing.
jnoble123
04-21-05, 08:11 AM
I use the Tour du Monde rack also. I've been using it for touring for about a year now without problems and I've been using it for about two years as a commuting rack year including in ice and snow without problems. So far it's worked out well for me although I did have problems mounting an Ortlieb Classic rear pannier on it. Arkel's, Vaude and the newer Ortlieb's work well.

I like them enough that I have three of them now on various bikes.

If the rated value is actually correct and assuming that some other dependancy wouldn't fail as a result of using the rack at it's full rating it would be interesting to add some BMX foot pedals and a comfortable seat for those times when you might want to take a non-pedaling passenger along for a ride.

~Jamie N
www.bicycletouring101.com