General Cycling Discussion - accessory configuration opinions?

this is a 15 inch hybrid. as you can see, bec of size/angle issues, as well as bike rack fit (note attachment of rack to the seat post, not the bike frame), it's hard for a silly person like myself to accept this setup. this is a small sized seat bag already, enough to squeeze in 2 tubes, and a loose patch kit with tire levers.

when the bag is empty, like it is pictured, i can put a finger in between the bent up edge of the rack and the bag, squeeze down on the suspension seat, and i wouldn't hurt my finger at all. however when the bag is full, and there is no vertical give in the bag, i can see how contents (spare tube/phone/tools/whatever) could be damaged in addition to damaging the metal components on the bottom of the seat. plus, i think it just looks awful.

should i
1: look for a rack that doesn't bend up as much or at all? this would be the simplest solution, but i haven't found one in shops or on the web yet. why must they all bend up like that anyway? it's not an attachment to frame issue.

2: try to bend the rack cage and rack plate down?
3: just use one of those 'mini cooler' bags mounted onto the rack? and accept that i can't put a bare essentials bag on my bike? i already have one of those , but don't want to use it ALL the time.
4: accept the lopsided setup, and don't put damageables in the bag. would you accept this setup?
5: bone surgery to lengthen legs, raise seatpost?

please no 'lose the hybrid, get a real bike' comments. for nyc, and my purposes, a hybrid is ideal.

I have that same pack actually. Try this remove the bag from your seat run the "belt" (the part that attaches to the frame rails and run that part trough the raised forward section \_____ then attach the velcro part that was around your seat post to the seat rail. Or... see if the bag could be mounted to that \_____ section sideways.

I know this may be a crazy question, but is it possible your rack might be on backwards?

With the shock-absorber type seatpost, do you really need all that softseat thing? A standard road-type seat would move the bag up about 2".

I understand the type of bike fits your riding invirmonent, and agree.

But that seat is not an advantage. Maxie spring 3"thick foam seat are not an aid to anything. If you ride serious there are better seats out there for you, your butt deserves better. And it will fix your problem.

Most LBS have a box full of replaced seats that sell cheap and most often retradable until you find one you like.

Good luck.

Hi,
sure, you can get a different rack. There are many different kinds, Tubus makes a small rack that weighs about half the one you have on your bike. It also has no lip.
There are alternatives. You could get a rack pack, which would sit on top of the rack, and have a lot more capacity. Amd,of course, you can get panniers which have enough space for groceries.

Find a bag that fits in the triangle. They attach to the top tube and the seat tube. You might be able to figure out how to attach the one you already have in this spot.

Originally posted by Soberone
Find a bag that fits in the triangle. They attach to the top tube and the seat tube. You might be able to figure out how to attach the one you already have in this spot.

Good idea, but since your present bag is not well-suited to triangle mounting, you may want to explore another option, such as bending the rack's mounting straps to rotate it forward (nose-down). I use the same rack and the same bag as you, plus a rack-mounted "bike bag."

Originally posted by mike
I know this may be a crazy question, but is it possible your rack might be on backwards?

I believe that is the correct way... it is set up the same as my rack on my commuter...


there are several different types racks out there with very little or no lip. I use a trek rear rack which has very little lip.