Touring - Best rack for Trek 520?

Decision is made and I've just ordered a new 520. I want to swap out the rack and put fenders on it. What is the best rack and what is the group's take on fenders? Thanks.

fenders are a must....I use plastic and they haven't broken with lots of use....also go with a TUBUS!! I love my cargo rack. Spendy but so nice.

Decision is made and I've just ordered a new 520. I want to swap out the rack and put fenders on it. What is the best rack and what is the group's take on fenders? Thanks.

I've got Freddy Fenders (with the little mud flaps) that come from Planet Bike and the Jannd Mountaineering rear rack on my 520. The rack that comes with the 520 is not very sturdy at all.

Consider Bruce Gordon racks as well... more money but trouble free for life.

Hi,
I have SKS fenders on both my bikes. Very light. Got a Planet Bike rack ($25) on my commuter. It weighs about a pound. Most racks weigh 1.5 to 2 pounds. The Planet Bike rack isn't as rugged, but the one on my wife's bike I used for 2 years before putting it on her bike a year ago. My take is that they're great for the money. My fancy bike has a Tubus Fly ($80). It weighs 12 ounces..... It's not designed for heavy loads tho....prob not what you want. But it's the lightest rack I've ever seen. Most rack packs won't fit on it. I think somebody makes one that would fit, but I forget who.

SKS chromoplastic fenders are excellent. They come with a quick-release fitting to avoid jamming the stays.

I don't understand all the fuss about the Trek rack, My 520 rack has given me flawless performance on several tours. I use the Arkel GT-54's and load them up with 50+ lbs with not one hitch! Save your money on the rack and put it towards good paniers.

I agree w/ MichaelW: SKS are great. I also have a Topeak Tourist rack, spring loaded. I weigh 180 lbs. and stood on top of the mounted rack (while the bike was being held stable, of course), and to my surprise, it held my weight. A very tough rack. A 520, SKS fenders, and Topeak rack works very well for me. But I'm sure there are others that would work as well. Try many before you decide.

Cheers

I don't understand all the fuss about the Trek rack, My 520 rack has given me flawless performance on several tours. I use the Arkel GT-54's and load them up with 50+ lbs with not one hitch! Save your money on the rack and put it towards good paniers.

It could be that there is a quality control problem. The one I got on my bike ('03 model) just didn't look or feel very sturdy. OTOH, you are the first person I recall bragging about the strength of the original rack on the 520.

I transferred the Trek rack to my commuter/mtb (very little trail riding, no crashing). After a few weeks of using it only occassionally for holding a day pannier with a jacket and food, it broke near the rear stays. I'm glad I was not using it on a tour. I've heard others report similar problems. My Jannd Expedition rack has held up very well for one two-day tour, a couple 100-mile day tours, and several rides in the 50 mile range.

I have Arkel t-42s and the small handlebar bag. Those I like.

I also have the Jandd expedition on my 520 - the stock rack had too much lateral flexibility. I have a 17" frame, and the rack stays are really long on that size - just too much flex in the front of the rack. My friend manufactured a rack stiffener from a steel tube that he bent and crimped. It really helps a lot. I don't think folks with larger size frames have this issue.

I also have the "custom" Blackburn lowriders in front, and they hold the paniers OK, but they are worn half way through from a piece of the panier hardware banging against them. I'd say that it's partly the panier's fault - Lone Peak small paniers, that just have a piece of elastic with a hook on the bottom, so they bounce around a bit. Annoying.

The bike has 2600 touring miles on it now, with that setup. I wish I had had time to find steel racks for it. When these wear out I'll get the Bruce Gordon or Tubus ones.

Planet Bike fenders.

Anna

The Jandd Rear Expedition rack was redesigned in, I think, 2003 to make them stronger. Check Jandd's website. These are the very best of the many aluminum racks.

Anything that will help you stay more comfortable in bad weather will increase your endurance and enjoyment. Fenders really help at a small weight penalty. I have SKS P-45 Chromo Plastic fenders on my 520. Cost about $35 and they look good.

The rack that came with my 520 was not only less than sturdy looking, but it was also installed crooked. lol.

For fenders the Planetbike ones are pretty sweet. I just setup a touring bike for a customer yesterday and was pretty impressed with how the fenders were constructed at that price level. One thing though, if you do get these, use the mounting clip to attach the top of the rear fender to the rear rack... it sags and isn't very stable otherwise, but if its setup right they seem rock solid.

The rack I installed was a Pyramid rack for about $20, and I sat on the thing (155lbs--to demonstrate the construction to the customer) and it didn't budge. Its not particularly light or flashy looking but seems plenty sturdy.