Touring - Panniers racks and carbon stays

Hello all. So many bikes seem to have carbon stays nowadays. Does anyone know any way that rear racks can be safely attached to these bikes? Or if there are good pannier alternatives? I only need it for lightish loads e.g. 5kg (10lb) per pannier.

(Sorry if you also get this post in the commuting forum)

Thanks Zie

Some newer racks attach directly to the seatpost only, but for the most part they don't work with panniers since there are no rack struts to keep the panniers away from the wheel. However, I did see one of these racks, perhaps Delta, or Topeak, at REI recently and it had some rigid tubing that hung below the rack on each side to prevent the panniers from swinging into the wheel. There are also some more traditional racks designed for bikes without eyelets and traditional seat stays that use various adapters to attach, but have no idea how they work.

Another option would be to use a rear rack pack instead of panniers - some of them are fairly large now, and combined with a front handlebar bag, might do the trick. Remember to keep the loads light with this setup as it will affect your handling. One reason Panniers work so well is because they keep the weight low. Even with that, loading rear panniers too heavy can also cause problems. Oh, and remember if you decide to try panniers on a road-racing style bike which has shorter chainstays, that you may run into a problem with your feet hitting the bags at the heel. Touring bikes generally have longer chainstays for that reason.

If you have not made a bike purchase yet, you may want to consider a bike that is more traditional in the sense that it is not a full-blown loaded touring bike, but still has mid-length chainstays and relaxed geometry, perhaps steel for a good ride, and it might even come with rack eyelets! Something along the lines of the Bianchi San Remo (not sure if still made) or a cross bike.

I would go with the seatpost rack, Delta makes one like this. You can get it at nashbar (http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=112&subcategory=1079&brand=&sku=1665&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=)

Because it's mounted high, there shouldn't be a problem with heel clipping like on a more traditional rack. I would be leery of mounting onto a carbon stays for the following reasons. Without brazeon fittings you are going to have to use either P-clamps or Band Clamps to attach the rack to the stays, and I really wouldn't feel comfortable putting carbon fiber into compression that way. Also, any impact onto the rack is going to be concentrated onto the CF, and since when CF fails it does it in a spectacular sort of way. (not good)

The down side of the seatpost mount is that they are a bit heavy in comparison to a more traditional rack. They also have a rather limited weight limit, but based on what you stated your needs were, it should do fine.

One definate plus, especially on a 'sporting bike' is that you can put it on and off in just a minute. When you want to take the 'sporty bike' out for a long ride where you need more than can fit into your jersey pockets, toss it on. When you're done, off it goes again. I'm almost considering getting one for my Motobecane, for those times that I want more than I can easily carry in the pockets.

If you get one, let us know how it works out....

Steve W.
Who is totally ticked off at SharePoint Server at this moment.

Thanks for the advice and solutions mtnroads and Mentor 58.

I guess my fear is that panniers on bikes with carbon stays might cause the stays to fracture even if technically a rack can be fitted. Does anyone know anything about this?

I wouldn't be concerned if you go with a seat post rack that can mount some small panniers on it. I tend to the cautious side, and I wouldn't hesitate to do that. The only thing that would get me nervous would be trying to mount something to the CF stays themselves.

Just my 02 on a Monday Night.

Steve W.
Who is trying to read the monitor over the cat asleep on his desk

I'd go with a rack mounted to your seatpost as well.

However, you'll want to be careful there, too. If you have a very light aluminum seatpost or a carbon seatpost, you'll have to exercise some caution when mounting a rack. Having your seatpost fail due to a stress fracture where the rack mounted wouldn't be pretty.