Commuting - rear rack missile launcher

okay, that is what it might end up looking like.

i'm a photography/painting double major student and I am required to take multiple drawing courses. Currently I carry a tube by strapping it to my rear rack with bungees. If my rack is full I strap it vertically to my USPS pro cycling team backpack w/ a single crossways bungee. if both rack is full and backpack has no capacity for strapping anything to it, I make two trips.

How do messengers transport (multiple) mailing tubes while carrying other packages? Surley someone has run into this issue before. I was thinking maybe some sort of permanant larger diameter fixture that allows for tube stowage or sheathing. any thoughts?

I found one for a front rack.

Messenger bags can be good for this sort of thing. You can lay the tube across the bag and cinch the top flap down. It works whether the bag is full or not, and you can probably carry several tubes at a time -- though I haven't tried this specifically. I know it's not precisely what you had in mind, but it's something to think about anyway.

Maybe an Xtracycle (http://www.xtracycle.com/) conversion would do the trick?

I would think a couple of larger hose clamps mounted to the struts on your rear rack would give you dramatically more tube carrying capacity. I would probably rig it so the tubes were carried vertically since that will keep your bike length the same and probably avoid hitting things on turns. Depending upon your rack I would gues you could mount 2 tubes vertically and possibly 4 if you can use all the struts. Good luck and let us know what you rig up.

Crud. I wanted a rear rack missile launcher and maybe a few other 007 goodies. *pouts*

Hub mounted tire shredders and an oil slick thingamabob would be cool.

http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/2004/d/hagemeyer.htm

I've been looking for an excuse to get a trailer. Sounds like you have one. Get one of those nice long models and with some modifications and lots of bungy carry a dozen tubes.

Somewhere I saw cargo trailers that were as long as an SUV. With one of those you could carry a large canvas flat.

Hub mounted tire shredders and an oil slick thingamabob would be cool.

The oil slick thing is easy. Rig up a bottle of cooking oil off your rear rack, with a hole in the bottom and a hose running from an airtight cap to a valve on your handlebar. Just open the valve and say goodbye to those S.P.E.C.T.R.E. henchmen drafting you. Motor oil might be more effective, but cooking oil is cheap and friendlier to the environment!

I found one for a front rack.
His briefcase is toast when he launches that missile.

How about a grocery pannier? They are open topped. You could fit a dozen tubes vertically in one grocery panier. I just carried a tennis racket to work today in my new Trek Interchange grocery pannier. One issue with these things is heal strike. I had the pannier slid all the way to the rear of the rack and had some occasional heal strike on the commute this morning. My bike is a fairly compact geometry MTB with 26 inch wheels. Overall it wasn't too bad. I managed to get all my tennis gear to work on a bike for the first time. It's supposed to rain this afternoon, so I may be out of luck. Oh well, at least I got to do a trial run with the new pannier. :)

How about a grocery pannier? They are open topped. You could fit a dozen tubes vertically in one grocery panier. I just carried a tennis racket to work today in my new Trek Interchange grocery pannier. One issue with these things is heal strike. I had the pannier slid all the way to the rear of the rack and had some occasional heal strike on the commute this morning. My bike is a fairly compact geometry MTB with 26 inch wheels. Overall it wasn't too bad. I managed to get all my tennis gear to work on a bike for the first time. It's supposed to rain this afternoon, so I may be out of luck. Oh well, at least I got to do a trial run with the new pannier. :)

That gives me an idea. You could use a series of PVC tubes, each about 3' long, and strapped together vertically in groups of 5 on either side of the rack, like panniers.

A quick trip to the hardware store is all you need....

Chrome Mess bags (http://www.chromebags.com/metropolis.php) are actually built for this. They have adjustable straps at the bottom of the flap for carrying such tubes.

i wasn't aware the straps at the bottom of the messenger bags were for this, but I still would be worried about lateral slippage. I also have a Jannd Hurricane Andrew (http://www.jandd.com/detail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=FANDRW)that proves less than comfortable when carriying 20+ pounds of books with a single shoulder strap.

i have made super cheap cardboard box and bungee pannier racks in a similar attempt to carry large objects, but heel strike kept them from being functional.

a trailer or xtrabike conversion is out of the question as I shoulder my bike up all sorts of stairs several times a day on the fly. I absolutely have to have the fastest possible carrying and locking solution as I already arrive just after the nick of time to class.

dobber's fishing pole carrier design looks very appealing, but heavy for my needs. maybe i'll fabricate some sort of quick release clamps that attatch directly to the presentation/mailing tube anchored to the struts of my Blackburn EX-1 Expedition Rack (http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=&subcategory=&brand=1110&sku=13179&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=). Hose clamps would be unfriendly to the tubes. Maybe velcro with some rubber gripping backing combined with just the end cap to a giant PVC tube ziptied to the bottom of the strut. I will definelty base the design off the fishing solution. Probably this sunday i'll have time to fashion something.

i want to say it was the mid-90s movie Little Rascals that had a rocket assisted soapbox racer. something like that might work when i'm really late to class. or i could just launch them at cagers that try to run me down, but then i'd need a lot of rockets. :D

Crud. I wanted a rear rack missile launcher and maybe a few other 007 goodies. *pouts*

Data Junkie, a "Literally" rocket scientist that was on the team that built the motor for SpaceShip One had a prototype rocket mounted on the back of his bicycle. Worked fine. The smoke and flame would cure any tailgaiter. A tank of hydrogen peroxide and a modified catalytic converter would be safer and still give a good controlable thrust.

damn. that chrome metropolis bag is crying out to me: BUY ME!! it's not even what i need, but it looks so damned good. i have to resist.

I use a Chrome metropolis bag with a drawing tube strapped to it. I carry a chess set and board in the tube and have no problems with lateral movement of the tube. Its a pretty heavy set so I imagine that paper will only be easier. If I had to do multiple tubes i would velcro stap the tubes together then use the Chrome staps and clips to the bag.

Tubes are unhappy for paper/drawings. I put my drawings in a normal portfolio, put the porfolio through the two straps of my backpack, and then put on the backpack normally. The porfolio is is held in between my back and the bag and the papers don't get curled up.

okay--post didn't go through--let's try again.

scientists presenting posters at conferences use tubes with shoulder straps--easier to do than fiddling with your bike. You could make one in a jiff with a couple of old inner tubes and some duct tape and/or bolt/nut/oversize washer combo.

You could also look towards some of the fly-fishing kits out there (LL Bean, Orvis, Cabelas, etc.). Their rods typically break down and are carried in tubes--often attached to packs or vests made for the purpose.

Make a Sling for this Tube?

I have seen several carriers for short surf boards on the back of beach cruisers. If a flat boogie board can be carried why not a watertight portfolio? Check any coastal bike shop in southern California.