Touring - Tubus cargo or a Nice Rack for my new LHT?

I am trying to decide which of these 2 racks to put on the back of my LHT. I can get the Surly rack for less, but I am aware of the reputation Tubus racks have. Any opinions?
Thanks,
Mike

As I understand it, the Surly racks are made by Old Man Mountain racks--which are very nice racks. I think the Surly rack is heavier. Wayne at The Touring Store is a great source of info about Tubus racks. I'm thinking about a Cargo or Vega for my Cross-check--can't decide which is more important to me, capacity or light-weight.

I had no idea Surly racks were made by OMM. I have OMM rear racks on my mtb and commuter, and quality and construction are first rate just as the Tubus. I also have the Tubus Vega on my LHT. For heavy loads I can always mount the OMM Red Rock on my LHT, if needed.

As I understand it, the Surly racks are made by Old Man Mountain racks--which are very nice racks. I think the Surly rack is heavier. Wayne at The Touring Store is a great source of info about Tubus racks. I'm thinking about a Cargo or Vega for my Cross-check--can't decide which is more important to me, capacity or light-weight.
You have incorrect information. The Surly racks are made in Taiwan.

I was curious where they were made when I saw the MSRP of $140. I wrote Surly and was told that they were "made in a family run business in Taiwan." I'm not sure how "family run" plays in to it (sounds like a justifcation to me) but Taiwan is Taiwan.

You have incorrect information. The Surly racks are made in Taiwan.

I was curious where they were made when I saw the MSRP of $140. I wrote Surly and was told that they were "made in a family run business in Taiwan." I'm not sure how "family run" plays in to it (sounds like a justifcation to me) but Taiwan is Taiwan.

Fair enough, my LBS, which is a Surly dealer, took my suggestion to look into OMM racks. When I last spoke to them, they said they liked the racks and were suprised to find out thta OMM makes stuff for Surly. Maybe I misunderstood them. Certainly for what Surly wants for those racks they should be made in the US. If they were made by OMM then the price would make more sense. If they aren't made here or in Europe then they are pretty pricey.

To answer the OP, I'd go for the Tubus. I have both a Logo and a Cosmos which I'm very happy with. Both of these racks are the same design, but the Cosmos is stainless steel.

The two main reasons I'd go for the Tubus over the Surly are;

1) The Logo has a very low center of gravity, which provides for a more stable ride, especially over rough ground.

2) Tubus has an excellent guarentee program and will ship you a rack wherever you are for free if yours should break within the warentee period. (It's either 3 or 10 years, I have cards stating both.)

EDIT: The Tubus site states a 3 year warentee period.

I also would go for the Tubus. I almost bought the Surly but heard it comes w/ a bag full of bolts and parts which are needed to make them fit. Very few parts involved w/ the Tubus and it is a no brainer. It's great how you can bend the stays to make them work. If you go through Wayne at the Touring store, you will also save about $30 per rack.

NOt sure how much this will help as I have yet to install, let alone use these but: I am building up a new bike now and have bought a Nice Rack for the rear and OMM Ultimate for the front. I would have liked a Nice Rack for the front too but it appears incompatible with discs. The rear Surly is impressive and looks very strong. It is hugely adjustable and the bag of bolts is nothing to worry about if you are half-way competent with an allen key. This puppy is going to carry a ton with confidence. The OMM I am a little skeptical about. It attaches at the dropouts. That has me wondering about several pain in the butt scenarios. Otherwise it looks skookum.

I also would go for the Tubus. I almost bought the Surly but heard it comes w/ a bag full of bolts and parts which are needed to make them fit. Very few parts involved w/ the Tubus and it is a no brainer. It's great how you can bend the stays to make them work. If you go through Wayne at the Touring store, you will also save about $30 per rack.
It's amazing how much good information you can glean from these boards, but it's equally amazing how much mis-information gets around too.

Tubus are indeed excellent racks, but ask "LollyPop" on this forum if they can break! You can also ask Lolly about the Surly, as he's using one of them on the front. No, the Surly's aren't made by OMM and they are made in Taiwan. "Made in Taiwan" doesn't make a product good, bad or ugly, just that it's made in Taiwan. Made in the U.S. doesn't make a product gold either. The quality of the Surly racks is impeccable and they are rock solid.

Now, as for the "bag full of bolts and parts which are needed to make them fit"; those parts aren't to make the racks fit, but the racks are engineered to fit ANY frame or fork setup that you have--even front shocks. If you have a pretty-much standard frame and fork with braze-ons and eyelets, then you don't need many of the parts and you can open up a hardware store after mounting the racks. But if you don't have all the braze-ons, eyelets, or have front suspension, then you'll appreciate that bag of nuts and bolts.

BTW, you can get the Surly racks for about $90 each at Alfred E. Bike (http://www.aebike.com).

I opted for the Surly's on one of my favorite bikes. They're "nice racks". Take a look here (http://www.daystarbotanicals.com/bicycles/index_exp.html) and here (http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/journal/page/?o=sx&page_id=30234&v=54).

Ted Phelps
discovery06.crazyguyonabike.com (http://discovery06.crazyguyonabike.com)

I am trying to decide which of these 2 racks to put on the back of my LHT. I can get the Surly rack for less, but I am aware of the reputation Tubus racks have. Any opinions?

Opt for the Tubus. The Tubus are a very strong rack, with triangulation built into them that makes them quite sturdy. They are cleaner looking as well. Not so bulky.

No, the Surly's aren't made by OMM and they are made in Taiwan. "Made in Taiwan" doesn't make a product good, bad or ugly, just that it's made in Taiwan. Made in the U.S. doesn't make a product gold either. The quality of the Surly racks is impeccable and they are rock solid.

My beef isn't with products made in Taiwan, it's with the very high MSRP for a product made in Taiwan. I have several frames made in Taiwan that I like a lot. All were around $400. Fair enough. I just don't understand why a rack made with less expensive Taiwanese labor would be more expensive than a comparable rack made with more expensive US or German labor. To a certain extent I think you are paying a premium for the Surly name.

I just got a Nitto Rear Rack from Rivendell and the thing is like a rail road tressle. Looks real strong, and beatuifull to boot. $126 @ RivBike.com

I've got the Tubus Cargo on the back of my LHT, and the Tubus Tara up front. Fit like a dream, look good, stong as 2 day old coffee, and not bad looking for cargo racks. If you go with Tubus, you may want to talk to Wayne at TheTouringStore.com , He is great. Just be prepared to chat for a bit, he wants to make sure you get exactly what you need.

Steve W.

Like Mentor58, I also have a LHT with a Tubus Cargo on the back and a Tara on the front. My LHT isn't fully built up yet (!) so I haven't been able to take it for a loaded ride but I can tell already that they're massive strong. They feel (especially the Cargo) like an extension of the frame. I threw 4 bags (Arkel GT-54 and T-28) on and it was just begging for a loaded ride. Despite not having any brakes yet, I was still tempted... ;)

Oh yeah, and talk to Wayne at TheTouringStore.com, good guy! He'll set you up.
Maybe I should have just quoted Mentor's post?

To answer the OP, I'd go for the Tubus. I have both a Logo and a Cosmos which I'm very happy with. Both of these racks are the same design, but the Cosmos is stainless steel.

The two main reasons I'd go for the Tubus over the Surly are;

1) The Logo has a very low center of gravity, which provides for a more stable ride, especially over rough ground.

2) Tubus has an excellent guarentee program and will ship you a rack wherever you are for free if yours should break within the warentee period. (It's either 3 or 10 years, I have cards stating both.)

EDIT: The Tubus site states a 3 year warentee period.


Just to clarify, Surly's rear rack is height adjustable to the point of being even lower than the Logo. They also have a excellent warrenty.

Richard (Tubus and Surly rack owner owner)

Just to clarify, Surly's rear rack is height adjustable to the point of being even lower than the Logo. They also have a excellent warrenty.

Richard (Tubus and Surly rack owner owner)
I think you've misunderstood my post. Look at these photos of both the Nice Rack and Logo. With the Nice Rack you mount your panniers to the top of the rack.

http://aebike.com/images/library/catalogs/soc/p350X350m/RK0102.jpg

With the Logo you mount your panniers to the bar below the top of the rack, so your panniers are mounted at about the level of your rim.

http://www.thetouringstore.com/TUBUS/Logo/Tubus%20Logo%20Rear%20Bicycle%20Rack%201.jpg