Rack Damage
08-22-04, 02:05 PM
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Rack Damage
As can be read in the commuting forums, I had a little incident with my bicycle. My Tubus Cargo rear rack along with my rear rim sustained the brunt of the damage.
I took the steed into one of the local bike shops and asked him if the rack was damaged. He glanced at it and said no, but I'm still in mild doubt. So since I have no pictures, I ask, "Where is damaged typically sustained on racks during normal use, or rather where is the most stress put?"
The Tubus rack is tubular chromoly, and the damage it sustained in my crash happend on the rear-most stay, mostly on the bend between where the tube becomes the stay and the platform. Here is a picture of a Tubus Cargo https://www.peterwhitecycles.com/tubus_racks.asp#Cargo. Most of the damage was scrapes, but a few dents have me concerned. Picture a tin can that has been slightly pinched, or crimped, and you can get the general idea. Though I stress slight - it is not as if the tube is completely caved in or even a quarter way caved in.
The rack is strong, and it took a considerable blow to cause even this damage, probably the force equivalent to a solid wacking with a hammer. I only worry because the rack was expensive, and was new. I guess the only way to really tell if it is structurally sound is to go for a few hundred mile tour with a heavy load, or perhaps just heap my panniers with 75 pounds of firewood.
I took the steed into one of the local bike shops and asked him if the rack was damaged. He glanced at it and said no, but I'm still in mild doubt. So since I have no pictures, I ask, "Where is damaged typically sustained on racks during normal use, or rather where is the most stress put?"
The Tubus rack is tubular chromoly, and the damage it sustained in my crash happend on the rear-most stay, mostly on the bend between where the tube becomes the stay and the platform. Here is a picture of a Tubus Cargo https://www.peterwhitecycles.com/tubus_racks.asp#Cargo. Most of the damage was scrapes, but a few dents have me concerned. Picture a tin can that has been slightly pinched, or crimped, and you can get the general idea. Though I stress slight - it is not as if the tube is completely caved in or even a quarter way caved in.
The rack is strong, and it took a considerable blow to cause even this damage, probably the force equivalent to a solid wacking with a hammer. I only worry because the rack was expensive, and was new. I guess the only way to really tell if it is structurally sound is to go for a few hundred mile tour with a heavy load, or perhaps just heap my panniers with 75 pounds of firewood.
08-22-04, 06:13 PM
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I bet it's ok. If it did crack, I think you would be able to continue even fully loaded. Just my opinion based on the design. It looks like the other 2 pairs of stays would be carrying much of the load. Those welded connections are where you might suspect the rack to fail generally. (Cheaper racks break there sometimes). So if the rear stay does break, you might then want to replace at that point, but I think you would still be fully operational. Oh, because its steel, probably it could be welded if you're touring Africa or some place where blacksmiths are more common than bike shops.
08-22-04, 08:16 PM
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As the above guy said, I wouldn't worry about scrapes. Check for cracks near the bolts (i.e. down near the dropouts and up near the seatstays) and check the welds between various structural elements. Also check the dropout eyelets for damage (though I would doubt it).
You could wiggle the rack on the bike to see if there is any abnormal looseness or cracks that open when you wiggle it.
You could wiggle the rack on the bike to see if there is any abnormal looseness or cracks that open when you wiggle it.
