Mountain Biking - Options with racks, for full suspension bikes?

I am looking at getting a full suspension bike. but before I do I want to sus out what options there will be for racks.

I know seat post racks are available, but dont think these can hold much weight. Although I have seen someone who has used peices of wood to strengthen their rear rack on a full suspension bike. Has anyone here done anything like that? Can you get seatpost racks that hinge so that they can move freely if an upward force is applied?

I also know that you can get a racks for the front, but I am looking at getting a Cannondale prophet with a lefty fork, so I am guessing that I probably couldn't attach a rack to the front of that.

What other options might there be?

Honestly it's hard for me to say, I looked at the pic on Cannondale's page and can't say for sure if a trunk rack will fit.

http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/05/CUSA/large/5ve1brn.jpg

Prolly the top tube adapter will not work either, there's not enough room at the stem area to get a good grab IMO.

I'll say that the best solution is a roof rack (with or without the front wheel) or a hitch rack that holds the bikes on the wheels intead of the frame.

Also the lefty fork will limit the type of roof mount, there are adapters out there; check with your lbs.

Something like this
http://www.thuleracks.com/thule/images/products/916.jpg

http://www.thuleracks.com/thule/images/products/594.jpg

http://www.thuleracks.com/thule/images/products/599xtr.jpg

You get the idea.

Woa! I am having no luck with terminology in this forum. When you said roof rack I was rather curious as I have never heard of a roof rack for a bike! But then I saw th images you attached.

I mean the things that you attach to your bike to attach bags to.

sscomp-Do you mean a rear rack to carry stuff on the bike,or a rack to carry the bike.This Blackburn rack-seatpost-is fairly cheap,and works ok.The claimed limit in kinda low-maybe 10-15 lbs-but I suspect it will hold 20+lbs easily enough.The balance of the bike will be different,but it should work ok.I could hang some sort of panniers or a basket on this rack.Luck,Charlie

Ahh, sorry.

Don't think that the bike has mounts for a rear rack, usually the least expensive hardtails are the ones with the threaded holes on the frame to allow the installation of such thing.

A setpost mounted rack is your only option.

This is more like what you are talking about right.

http://img433.imageshack.us/img433/8264/rearrack13wb.jpg
http://img433.imageshack.us/img433/2981/rearrack22fz.jpg
http://img433.imageshack.us/img433/1112/rearrack38la.jpg

I realize that this is a cheap bike that this is on but, I made the front parts to attach the rack on the bike. It only took a couple of hours to make them by hand and they are made out of aluminum barstock.

LOWNDRAGON-Nice adaptation.I can't really tell how you attached the front most supports to the rear triangle-it looks a bit like hose clamps??
SSCOMP-You could adapt a seatpost rack-find a way to attach it to the rear triangle rather than the seatpost??
The easiest thing might be to use a seatpost type rack.Just make sure you have a sturdy seatpost-thick walled aluminum,not CF like the bike I quickly installed this rack one.You should be able to load-overload it to 20-25 lbs-no problem other than the effect on handling.Luck,Charlie
If you hung baskets from the rack,you would have less effect on stability-handling,but more total wt,so less carrying capacity.
What do you plan to carry that would exceed 15 lbs or so??

I have a Trek interchange seatpost rack that will hold 25 lbs. and a bag the will clip right into the rack without straps. I can't see any other options except a backpack.

phoebeisis
LOWNDRAGON-Nice adaptation.I can't really tell how you attached the front most supports to the rear triangle-it looks a bit like hose clamps??


Thanks, they are parts that came with the Bor Yueh rack I got from Nashbar.

I have a Topeak MTX BeamRack seatpost rack for my full suspension MTB. It holds up to 20 pounds.