Mountain Biking - Do you use racks in your MTB?

And if you do, what kind of racks and how much cargo can you carry?

I use a rear rack, panniers and trunk bag when I use the bike to do the groceries. I load it up to 50lb and handles really good. I have a cheap Delta rack, two Nashbar panniers and a Nashbar trunk bag.

Problems I found so far:

- Rack is fixed (not a post rack) and every time I take it out to go for a normal ride, it is a pain in the a$$. And I don't like the look of a MTB with a rack...
- I'm not sure that post racks can handle 50lb or more.
- Trunk is very small !! are they all this small ?

Nope.

I personally have never found post racks to be impressive. I like a rack I can depend on and not have it pull my seat crooked.
Blackburn makes a good lightwieght one that doubles as a fender. The wieght is almost unnoticable but I have yet to see one fail(and I have done an occasional passenger). As far as the looks go, ya just gotta decide what its worth to ya. I like the capability, and think the look is not half bad, but thats my take on it. 4 allen bolts is not all that big a deal either, if your frame has the threaded eyelets.

4 allen bolts is not all that big a deal either, if your frame has the threaded eyelets

If you take it out and put it back in every weekend on an aluminum frame... I'm afraid to ruin the threads or get them loose. Maybe I should use a drop of a weak loctite.

Never.....forget that. If I do anything, it will be a rack on my road bike.

Never.....forget that. If I do anything, it will be a rack on my road bike.

Whoa! Never! My road bike is an Enzo Ferrari of roadbikes, a Colnago, and that would just be sacriledge. I'm in the process of building up a new bike now, and the old frame will be resurrected as a commuter/park/loaner bike. That one will have a rack, but I think the only people that make one that will fit is Old Man Mountain. Sweet racks, just spendy...

If you commute on your mtn bike, I'm sure all the folks who say "never" here would change their mind :) I dislike backpacks in the summer between the sweat and the center of gravity and all that. I run an OMM Red Rocks on an old Marin Team steel hardtail with an old Marzocchi Z2 on the front. I have a front rack for it too when touring.

Post racks don't seem that sturdy to me. most of them do have 25lb limits on them. Carradice makes some fancy saddlebags that are more well supported than a post rack.

Jay

Jay, have you tried bike trailers? I think it is too much, but still an option...
I would like to carry up to 100lb, but using front racks are hard to handle, plus their capacity is not that great.

I'm gonna end up tying my radio flyer wagon with a rope to the seat post ;)

Nope, I have not tried bike trailers but for my commute, it is not viable.

1)I put my bike in my cubicle, trailer would be way too much space.
2)I do not pack that much to work, I just use one carradice Super C pannier which is way more than enough on most cases.

I can pack everything that I need in my panniers for self supported touring without even putting anything on the top shelfs because I have a lot of backpacking gear and small ones at that. Plus to get to the trailhead from where I live, I do have to go by some really bad roads with almost no shoulders, a trailer would be too much invitation to be hit, IMO.

Yes, a front rack/panniers may not be for everybody, you do have to get used to the steering/inertia that comes with it.

Jay

If you commute on your mtn bike, I'm sure all the folks who say "never" here would change their mind :) I dislike backpacks in the summer between the sweat and the center of gravity and all that.
Not me. I do commute on one (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?p=545751#post545751) of my MTB's and I really like my messenger bag.

If you commute on your mtn bike, I'm sure all the folks who say "never" here would change their mind :) I dislike backpacks in the summer between the sweat and the center of gravity and all that. I run an OMM Red Rocks on an old Marin Team steel hardtail with an old Marzocchi Z2 on the front. I have a front rack for it too when touring.

Post racks don't seem that sturdy to me. most of them do have 25lb limits on them. Carradice makes some fancy saddlebags that are more well supported than a post rack.

Jay

I would still say never.

I guess I should clarify my statement, commuting on a MTB on MTB trails in the woods. I commute through the woods using a MTB and I originally used a backpack. Besides getting sweaty in the summer time, it was a pain because all the weight was on me, making me a bit top heavy and harder to control. Then I got a rack for my MTB and my commute.

For me, I don't consider a messenger bag a backpack, unless I have the wrong definition of a messenger bag.

Jay

I use racks and bags when I go shopping because 50lbs+ in over my shoulders is not very comfortable, especially when riding for a long time.

Another time I use racks is when I carry my heavy Dell laptop and stuff to work. I enjoy the ride if I get the weight out of me.

I would definitely use the rack on a roadie, but I don't have one. My MTB is my only ride.

Other than this, the rack goes to storage...

I guess I should clarify my statement, commuting on a MTB on MTB trails in the woods. I commute through the woods using a MTB and I originally used a backpack. Besides getting sweaty in the summer time, it was a pain because all the weight was on me, making me a bit top heavy and harder to control. Then I got a rack for my MTB and my commute.

For me, I don't consider a messenger bag a backpack, unless I have the wrong definition of a messenger bag.

JayMy statement was more in regards to the rack idea. If I had to commute through the woods to work (that would be kick ass) I wouldn't want the weight on the bike as it would make it harder to control on technical sections.* This is part of the reason I use a Camelbak when riding trails.




*(See Newton's First Law of Motion)

The inertia would not be my concern for trails. I have endoed far more with a backpack than a racked load. The problem comes in what the load is and if it can tolerate the unfriendlier forces of a trail. It can be debated as well, and was proven by my friends a lot of times, that a good rack on an mtb can literally save your butt. Truly literally. As in fall off the saddle or try a descent to low behind the saddle and not feed the tires in a personal manner. I am not saying that is grounds for installing one.
As far as the threads wearing out, I would tap and insert Heli-coil inserts in the eyelets if my aluminum frame had them. The helicoils are essentially a steel thread in the form of a spring,so you would have the durability of steel and actually more load ability, since the load face of the threads is larger on the aluminum side. Front Racks are out of the question as far as anything I have is concerned. The disadvantages outwiegh the advantages, as well as they are not compatible with suspension(that I have found). I fully agree with the summer statement, as temps around here are 55 in the morning commute and 100 or so in the afternoon in july/august. To ride in a simple jersey is hot enough, to ride with a back covering of any sort is torture.

Heli-coils are too complex... I guess I could use a longer allen screw (or bolt?) from the other side, so the threads stick out about 1/2". Then I can put the rack on it and tighten it with a wing nut. This way I can take it out anytime with no tools.

It is going to look weird though...

As long as the wingnut could develop the torque and there is clearance in the lowers. I always carry an allen tool as standard equipment anyhow so tools is a moot point.

If you commute on your mtn bike, I'm sure all the folks who say "never" here would change their mind :) I dislike backpacks in the summer between the sweat and the center of gravity and all that. I run an OMM Red Rocks on an old Marin Team steel hardtail with an old Marzocchi Z2 on the front. I have a front rack for it too when touring.

Post racks don't seem that sturdy to me. most of them do have 25lb limits on them. Carradice makes some fancy saddlebags that are more well supported than a post rack.

JayStill wouldn't. LoL. I'd get another bike before hand.

Why do people so intently avoid racks? Is it like the taboo about barends on riser bars? When I spent a lot of time in asia, almost every bike had a rack of some sort or another and the ones that didn't were really odd and frowned on. Just an interesting culture note.

If I had one, it would be twisted and mangled like a patch of ivy after a couple of minutes. No thanks.

I had one on my old bike, which I took apart. I have no interest in putting the rack on my new one, I rarely used it and it doesnt even fit on this one.

I avoid them because it is impractical for my bike.

Why do people so intently avoid racks? Is it like the taboo about barends on riser bars? When I spent a lot of time in asia, almost every bike had a rack of some sort or another and the ones that didn't were really odd and frowned on. Just an interesting culture note.
Because I refuse to carry that much crap on my bike. If I ever needed to haul more than what I can fit in a messenger bag I'll get a trailer.

Or a car :P

Why do people so intently avoid racks? Is it like the taboo about barends on riser bars? When I spent a lot of time in asia, almost every bike had a rack of some sort or another and the ones that didn't were really odd and frowned on. Just an interesting culture note.

I guess it is not cool.

I admit that riding a bike with a rack and carrying nothing looks kinda odd, hence I take it out. However, it is stupid to struggle with bags while you could use racks. It is also a safety issue when riding on roads.

I was riding my bike on a road with LOTS of cars and busses. The max speed was about 15/20mph so I could keep up with the traffic and take the place of a car. I was carrying something like a messenger bag and it fell off my shoulder getting stuck in the rear wheel. My bike stopped in a fraction of a second and when I look behind me, I see this HUGE bus that could barely stop a couple of inches behind me. I was lucky that day...

After this experience, I only use backpacks or racks. I never hang anything from one shoulder or carry loose stuff. Messenger bags: NEVER!

I also realized the barends on riser bars is not cool either. If it weren't for my barends, I would have fingers to be writing right now.

Too much city driving... better get on the trails :rolleyes:

After this experience, I only use backpacks or racks. I never hang anything from one shoulder or carry loose stuff. Messenger bags: NEVER!

Thousands of bike messengers are wrong? :rolleyes:
I don't worry about my bag falling I have a cross strap that secures it in place quite nicely as it makes a diagonal T shape across my body

Thousands of bike messengers are wrong?

I just said I never use messenger bags. I assume bike messenger don't ride bikes in the same position as I do. :D

I ride a GT Zaskar with the seat post very high and a flat bar, so I'm practically horizontal (...not really, say 45deg). There is no way for me to carry messenger bags in this position.