General Cycling Discussion - Finally picked up my new ride... Now for a rack & fr fender?

Well, I went by the lbs and picked up my Trek 7300 today. Darn traffic! It was dark by the time I got home so all I had time for was a quick jaunt down the block to the highway and back. No way I was going to tackle the rush hour frenzy on the highway without lights!

I decided to stay with the stock 48/38/28 chainwheel for now. The granny seems certainly low enough for day riding around here, even for HalfHearted. If I get a chance to tour this fall I'll put a Deore crank and 44/32/22 chainrings on it then.

I need a rear rack, and I noticed that there are threaded bosses on the dropouts and near the top of the seat stays. Any recommendations for a good rack that will fit properly without busting my poor flat wallet? Does one have to order a Trek rack to find one that fits the top bosses (as opposed to clamping to the seatpost or seat tube), or are the dimensions for those pretty standard across makes?

Does anybody make a lightweight plastic front fender that will fit the suspension fork, maybe by attaching to the hole at the top of the crossover on the lower part of the fork (where the factory reflector is mounted)?

Does Regis color his hair? Is that your final answer? Enquiring minds want to know...

John

I am impressed with the rack I got fom perfomance. SOme ahve said otherwise but I like it's design.. it doesn't have the culy Q that meets the down tubes 3 or 4 inches from the bottom mounting position.. both down tubes go to the mount... in my opinion that's stonger :)
Here's a pic.. and they are on sale.. you can get their epic panniers and the rack for aound 55-60 dollars... they have also redesigned the mounting system.. two bolts hold each hook on. Check it out but DO NOT click on the combo offer.. it's cheaper to oder the ack and the bags sepeately.
Doughttp://www.performancebike.com/product_images/400/00_9715.jpg

Thanks for the reply Doug. I must be missing something. What keeps the rack from moving fore and aft (rotating around the mounting eyelets)?

Is the spindle supposed to go through the big holes? No, that can't be right 'cause the smaller bolt hole would need to be above that. Sure wish the performance site showed a picture of the thing mounted on a bike!

John

Doug,

Am I just not seeing the whole thing? Does the rack have front brackets for the seat stay that just don't show up in the photo.

Ie. is is something like this?

Yep that's it exactly. The mounts that ... well mount near the seatpost are adjustable in order to level the rack.
Doug

Thanks Doug, looks like what I'm looking for.

John

I use Topeak Defenders on my commuter I found mine for about $11 apiece about 6 months ago so good deals can be found.
http://www.topeak.com/store/graphics/defender.JPG please note that the "superlight" fenders are shown and I have the normal version

The best racks have 3 struts, and appear to be triangulated from all sides. This is the Blackburn Expedition style, but my cheapo copy has worked well for years. Some racks have a solid plate top to keep mud off, but if you have fenders, you should avoid these. It is much easier to attach elastic chords onto an open top.
SKS make a good range of fenders. Get the closest fitting one you can, or you will be carrying a big parachute.

Almost any rack will fit a 7300. They all come with various sized extenders that are bolted to the braze-ons on the seatstays. The various lengths allow you to choose a size that will yield a level rack on your particular bike.

I prefer steel racks, personally. I have a Topeak Explorer (I removed the spring clamp) on my touring bike that used to be on my 7300. But you could look at Blackburn (or the Blackburn knock-offs sold by Performance and Nashbar), or some very fine models from Jandd. Look for one with three struts per side if you plan to use it with panniers.

I had Esge full fenders on my 7300 (the rear one fits underneath the rack); these too moved to my touring bike. Full fenders are far more effective than any other kind, but if you have a front shock you won't be able to use one there, so you'll probably have to settle for one of those MTB things, with which I have no personal experience.

Planet Bike makes some affordable and well-respoected fenders of both types. Maybe you could mix and match.

RichC

Thanks guys. Guess I'll start hitting the web sites now that I know what to keep an eye on.

John