Looking for examples of late 1970s - early 1980s rear racks
03-11-13, 06:44 PM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Looking for examples of late 1970s - early 1980s rear racks
Can someone point me in the direction of some examples of the styles of rear racks that were commonplace in the late 1970's - early 1980's? I'm looking for something that's more or less consistent with the period from which my 1982 road bike was manufactured, and I'm not really coming up with much on my own other than the ubiquitous Pletscher style racks on my own.
03-11-13, 06:51 PM
#2
rain dog
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I think Jim Blackburn were the standard. From a 1981 catalog (not my scan):
Via: https://randalputnam.wordpress.com/20...tures-in-1981/
Via: https://randalputnam.wordpress.com/20...tures-in-1981/
03-11-13, 06:51 PM
#3
Senior Member
Blackburn
Came in black and silver. Front and back. Some attached to brake bolts, some to frame. There were low-rider versions, too.
Older models say Jim Blackburn. Newer ones (including current production available at your LBS) just say Blackburn.
I love 'em.
edited
P.S. - posted at the same moment. Great scans. That's them.
Came in black and silver. Front and back. Some attached to brake bolts, some to frame. There were low-rider versions, too.
Older models say Jim Blackburn. Newer ones (including current production available at your LBS) just say Blackburn.
I love 'em.
edited
P.S. - posted at the same moment. Great scans. That's them.
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1959 Hilton Wrigley Connoisseur (my favorite!)
1963 Hetchins Mountain King
1971 Gitane Tour de France (original owner)
* 1971 Gitane Super Corsa (crashed)
* rebuilt as upright cruiser
1971 Gitane Super Corsa #2 (sweet replacement)
1980 Ritchey Road Touring (The Grail Bike)
1982 Tom Ritchey Everest
(replacing stolen 1981 TR Everest custom)
1982 Tom Ritchey McKinley (touring pickup truck)
1985 ALAN Record (Glued & Screwed. A gift.)
1959 Hilton Wrigley Connoisseur (my favorite!)
1963 Hetchins Mountain King
1971 Gitane Tour de France (original owner)
* 1971 Gitane Super Corsa (crashed)
* rebuilt as upright cruiser
1971 Gitane Super Corsa #2 (sweet replacement)
1980 Ritchey Road Touring (The Grail Bike)
1982 Tom Ritchey Everest
(replacing stolen 1981 TR Everest custom)
1982 Tom Ritchey McKinley (touring pickup truck)
1985 ALAN Record (Glued & Screwed. A gift.)
Last edited by LeicaLad; 03-11-13 at 06:53 PM. Reason: dueling posts
03-11-13, 06:54 PM
#4
Senior Member
Here are some pictures of the original rack that came with my 1982 Nishiki Cresta:
It's made of aluminum and was a bit flexy with fully loaded panniers. I think it is a Jim Blackburn model. If you are carrying a lot of weight, consider a cromo or stainless steel rack.
Edit: we must have posted at the same time. Great scans.
It's made of aluminum and was a bit flexy with fully loaded panniers. I think it is a Jim Blackburn model. If you are carrying a lot of weight, consider a cromo or stainless steel rack.
Edit: we must have posted at the same time. Great scans.
03-11-13, 07:03 PM
#5
feros ferio
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Back then I was using a Pletscher mousetrap (in fact, that is still my all-time favorite rack, and one graces my Peugeot), which I think was still readily available new in the late 1970s.
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"Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." --Theodore Roosevelt
Capo: 1959 Modell Campagnolo, S/N 40324; 1960 Sieger (2), S/N 42624, 42597
Carlton: 1962 Franco Suisse, S/N K7911
Peugeot: 1970 UO-8, S/N 0010468
Bianchi: 1982 Campione d'Italia, S/N 1.M9914
Schwinn: 1988 Project KOM-10, S/N F804069
"Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." --Theodore Roosevelt
Capo: 1959 Modell Campagnolo, S/N 40324; 1960 Sieger (2), S/N 42624, 42597
Carlton: 1962 Franco Suisse, S/N K7911
Peugeot: 1970 UO-8, S/N 0010468
Bianchi: 1982 Campione d'Italia, S/N 1.M9914
Schwinn: 1988 Project KOM-10, S/N F804069
03-11-13, 09:06 PM
#6
Senior Member
Vetta was another rack found on bikes during that time.
Got several types out in the shed, get some pics up for you.
Got several types out in the shed, get some pics up for you.
03-11-13, 09:45 PM
#7
Senior Member
Looking at the online Miyata catalogs, the top of the line Miyata 1000 came standard with front and rear Blackburn style racks, at least as far back as the 1981 model year. 1983 saw the Miyata 610 and 210 touring models come fitted with standard rear racks.
https://www.miyatacatalogs.com/
https://www.miyatacatalogs.com/
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03-12-13, 04:38 AM
#9
Phyllo-buster
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Cheap and very similar. https://www.mec.ca/AST/ShopMEC/Cyclin...cling-rack.jsp
03-12-13, 09:17 AM
#10
Senior Member
they are pricey, but for a truly classic and vintage-looking rear rack, nothing beats the Nitto Campee series:
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Check out www.djcatnap.com for articles on vintage Japanese & French bicycle restorations, components and history.
Check out www.djcatnap.com for articles on vintage Japanese & French bicycle restorations, components and history.
03-12-13, 11:26 AM
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Pletscher was the only thing commonly available in the 70s afaik. Blackburns are much better and arrived in the 80s. You can find them on ebay.
03-12-13, 11:53 AM
#12
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Blackburns were available as far back as the mid '70s. That said, I have a Plestcher on my '75 Fuji... Been there since new.
03-12-13, 12:05 PM
#14
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The former designer/founder of Eclipse, Shaun Jackson, just died back in January in a horrific biplane accident in Sarasota, Florida. He was a very talented designer/professor and a close friend of a friend.
https://art-design.umich.edu/people/detail/shaun_jackson
https://art-design.umich.edu/people/detail/shaun_jackson
03-12-13, 12:12 PM
#15
Fat Guy on a Little Bike
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I'm so sorry to hear that. It's a great rack - if more people made bags for it, it would still be around.
03-12-13, 12:39 PM
#16
What??? Only 2 wheels?
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Jim Blackburn. Light, strong. Well made, good fitting. Hands down better than a Pletscher. I've owned both. Still have some Blackburns.
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Real cyclists use toe clips.
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03-12-13, 02:42 PM
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I have a set of front and rear Showa alloy racks, in near mint condition, sitting in The Old Shed. Believe they are late seventies or early eighties...
I was thinking of installing them on my Motobecane Grand Jubilee but probably will never get to it.
I was thinking of installing them on my Motobecane Grand Jubilee but probably will never get to it.
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03-12-13, 06:22 PM
#18
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Okay, here are some shots of racks that could have been found on bikes during that time.
If anybody is interested....regular Blackburn.
Vetta from Italy
rat trap Pleasher that came on a Austrian clubman
A Jim Blackburn
Another Vetta not pictured is a dead ringer for the JB
If anybody is interested....regular Blackburn.
03-12-13, 06:30 PM
#19
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I always liked the way the Rhode Gear racks looked back in the early 80's.
They just looked more modern and cleaner designed than all the other racks I saw back then. Not sure how well they worked though, but there sure looked good....
They just looked more modern and cleaner designed than all the other racks I saw back then. Not sure how well they worked though, but there sure looked good....
03-12-13, 10:09 PM
#21
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I have a set of Eclipse front panniers and two corresponding racks (all currently in use). Some of the hardware for securing the lower part of the pannier to the rack is missing, so I'm improvising with mini bungee cords.
03-12-13, 11:38 PM
#22
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Cheap and very similar. https://www.mec.ca/AST/ShopMEC/Cyclin...cling-rack.jsp
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03-13-13, 07:20 AM
#23
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"Jim Blackburn virtually invented the aluminum rod rack in 1977. It’s what put us on the map, and in the race to carry things on bicycles, we’ve never looked back.
We use aircraft-grade aluminum, exclusively, along with the finest mounting hardware and thoughtful attention to detail like strategically placed tie-down points and integrated splashguards to help ensure your stuff arrives in good shape. Just like you."
Pletscher gets my vote for the worst rack ever.
We use aircraft-grade aluminum, exclusively, along with the finest mounting hardware and thoughtful attention to detail like strategically placed tie-down points and integrated splashguards to help ensure your stuff arrives in good shape. Just like you."
Pletscher gets my vote for the worst rack ever.
03-13-13, 10:11 AM
#24
What??? Only 2 wheels?
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I wouldn't know about worst ever; there must have been some pretty bad racks made through the years. But back then if you asked an LBS clerk they always pointed to the Pletscher as the best. After using one for a few years I never understood that. The spring-loaded clamp wasn't shaped to hold anything useful. The vertical struts were riveted to the storage surface, which meant not so much lateral stability. That let them swing up flat for storing the rack when it was off the bike, but what's the value of that to the user? "This rack is great when you take it off the bike!"
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Real cyclists use toe clips.
With great bikes comes great responsibility.
jimmuller
Real cyclists use toe clips.
With great bikes comes great responsibility.
jimmuller
03-13-13, 11:48 AM
#25
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The Pletscher on my 20 is possibly its most redeeming feature. The rear clamp holds a ubolt perfectly, or a jacket, a brief case, lap top...or a bottle of wine. I can leave the clamp down and use bungees like with any other rack. It holds panniers. Maybe the shorter struts on a 20inch wheel bike help with stability, but the rack is probably the single best thing about the bike.