Bicycle Mechanics - Can I attach seat stay rack buttons on a commuter?

My quick release rear rack weighs about 3 lbs. It figures with that long 2" thick tubing the manufacturer has to use to give it stength. I have to use one because my Univega doesn't have those seat stay buttons where i an use a standard rack.

Is there a rear rack made that doesn't require those buttons and isn't seatpost mounted? Can I have some buttons welded/ brazed on? Where would I find frame buttons? Thanks for any help :eek: :)

Do you mean the braze-ons near the top of the seat stays that accept the small bolts at the front of the rack? You can use P clips from the hardware store as there is very little load taken at these points. You should bolt the bottom of the rack directly into the drop-outs. If you frame doesnt have tapped holes there for fork and fenders, you can use P clips but you would have to be careful not to overload the rack.

Quite a few racks come with the optional hardware to attach directly to the seatstays, which in most cases are the aforementionde p-clips. Some have two metal plates which would clamp around the stays.

Or maybe an Old Man Mountain might do the trick if you have cantilevers

http://www.oldmanmountain.com/rear_rack_page.htm

Do you mean the braze-ons near the top of the seat stays that accept the small bolts at the front of the rack? You can use P clips from the hardware store as there is very little load taken at these points. You should bolt the bottom of the rack directly into the drop-outs. If you frame doesnt have tapped holes there for fork and fenders, you can use P clips but you would have to be careful not to overload the rack.

P clips from the hardware store

Nuts and bolts section at Home Depot ? Any specific model brands of rear racks recommended for this sort of conversion? :)