Bicycle Mechanics - Can't fit a rear rack on my road bike?

I know it's not really mechanics per se but does anybody know what I can do about this? I picked up a rack for $10 thinking they all fit universally. It has eyelets on the dropouts for the screws, and I was going to use p-clamps for the seat stays. But it seems that the seat stays are angled too high and it doesn't give the rack enough space to line up properly. I am not sure what to do - I'm running out of options, so maybe I could buy a special rack that mounts on the eyelets, then onto the downtube... if they exist?

http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/8413/img0982o.jpg

There are brackets you can pickup at your LBS ,or can be order thou them from QBP . the brackets come in three sizes depending on the tube sizing of your frame . some new racks come with the brackets too . the eyelets on your frame (bike ) are met more for fenders than they are for racks but lot of people still use them for racks.

There are brackets you can pickup at your LBS ,or can be order thou them from QBP . the brackets come in three sizes depending on the tube sizing of your frame . some new racks come with the brackets too . the eyelets on your frame (bike ) are met more for fenders than they are for racks but lot of people still use them for racks.

Are you talking about the silver things jutting out of the rack? that I should be getting a very short one, right? that way it should just barely reach the seatstays...

Are you talking about the silver things jutting out of the rack? that I should be getting a very short one, right? that way it should just barely reach the seatstays...

My rack has longer ones, which I clamped together around the seat stay. It looks slightly slap-dash but works well.

There are brackets you can pickup at your LBS ,or can be order thou them from QBP . the brackets come in three sizes depending on the tube sizing of your frame . some new racks come with the brackets too . the eyelets on your frame (bike ) are met more for fenders than they are for racks but lot of people still use them for racks.


Are you talking about the silver things jutting out of the rack? that I should be getting a very short one, right? that way it should just barely reach the seatstays...

bikeman is probably talking about p-clips. They look like this in the wild

http://www.cambriabike.com/Images/product/JANDD_RACK_CLAMPS.jpg

and like this on a bike (not the arrows but the black clips that are used for mounting the rack)

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r181/cyccommute/IMG_0278draw.jpg

You are going to need 4 of them - just like above - because it doesn't look like your bike has the braze-on for racks or fenders on the rear triangle. This will also move your rack up and back which isn't a bad thing.

The rack stays - the silver bits - also adjust in length to fit the bike. Undo the bolts on the top of the rack to move them.

You might be SOL with the geometry of that rack combined with the short seat stays of that bike. However, here's a solution for you that doesn't use p-clamps. All you need to do is check that the rack can clear the geometry of your bike and that it has center mount holes (which yours does).

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-KiuMkUV6kxE/TjHKQAHjtiI/AAAAAAAAAM0/npgQTWYS-TU/s912/IMG_20110728_163425.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-7DxnJhIwi4o/TjHKKd-suyI/AAAAAAAAAMw/DwwzALXJUss/s912/IMG_20110728_163438.jpg

In a related note, if you'd like I could sell and ship this rack to you. I'm planning on upgrading to a Jandd Expedition anyway.

You can always try the Arkel Randonneur Rack (http://www.arkel-od.com/us/all-categories/bicycle-bike-pannier-rack/arkel-randonneur-rack.html)

Wait what? See those four screws on top? Use an adjustable wrench on the underside and a screw driver on top, unscrew each pair a little, and slide those silver metal things backwards.
Bend them as needed to reach the braze-ons if there are any. If there's no brazeons on your seat stays, use P clamps from a hardware store or bike shop.

You might be SOL with the geometry of that rack combined with the short seat stays of that bike. However, here's a solution for you that doesn't use p-clamps. All you need to do is check that the rack can clear the geometry of your bike and that it has center mount holes (which yours does).

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-KiuMkUV6kxE/TjHKQAHjtiI/AAAAAAAAAM0/npgQTWYS-TU/s912/IMG_20110728_163425.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-7DxnJhIwi4o/TjHKKd-suyI/AAAAAAAAAMw/DwwzALXJUss/s912/IMG_20110728_163438.jpg

In a related note, if you'd like I could sell and ship this rack to you. I'm planning on upgrading to a Jandd Expedition anyway.


That looks great and seems to match my situation perfectly. even if I pushed the things back, there would not be enough clearance for P clamps to properly mount. One thing though, what did you mount the metal to? I'm confused as to what it's screwed onto.

That looks great and seems to match my situation perfectly. even if I pushed the things back, there would not be enough clearance for P clamps to properly mount. One thing though, what did you mount the metal to? I'm confused as to what it's screwed onto.

The stay is captured behind the brake.

I see two cures.

1. Slide the current stays back further and/or drill new holes in them so they line up with the seatstays and use p-clamps to hold them.
2. Use the brake bolt mounting technique as shown in reducedfatoreo's pictures. i've mounted racks on a couple of bikes that way and it's a very satisfactory method. Brackets to use this method should be available from your LBS or could be home made from some strap steel or could be made by "customizing" one of the current brackets.

It worked perfectly! Thanks!!! Wow that's the kind of solution I was hoping for :thumb:

http://img694.imageshack.us/img694/588/img0988ry.jpg



...it's slightly curved to the back, but it's satisfactory to me:P. (I tried to curve it forward a bit more after the pic was taken)

bikeman is probably talking about p-clips. They look like this in the wild

http://www.cambriabike.com/Images/product/JANDD_RACK_CLAMPS.jpg

and like this on a bike (not the arrows but the black clips that are used for mounting the rack)

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r181/cyccommute/IMG_0278draw.jpg

You are going to need 4 of them - just like above - because it doesn't look like your bike has the braze-on for racks or fenders on the rear triangle. This will also move your rack up and back which isn't a bad thing.

The rack stays - the silver bits - also adjust in length to fit the bike. Undo the bolts on the top of the rack to move them.

If it was my bike I would do this^^^^^ (People judge you by how your bike looks:p.)

Hmm I think I have the same bike as you. 89 Nishiki Sport?

There is #3 strut, in the center.. goes under the brake bolt.

OTOH another rack may fit better..

Hmm I think I have the same bike as you. 89 Nishiki Sport?

not sure... I bought it listed as a 'nishiki modulus' and I imagine it's from somewhere around that time period. Are they good bikes? :p

off-topic-esque: I just wish I had a tiny bit more of clearance in the rear when it's equipped - I can't step further back on the pedals without nudging the panniers with my heels. I might have to make some kind of modification to let me slide the panniers further back on the rack without going into my spokes....