elbows

I busted my Blackburn rack the other day, carrying a load of groceries home -- the two struts on the left side separated at the bottom where they're welded together. I got home fine (in fact I didn't realize the rack had failed until I took the panniers off), but now I'm in the market for a new rack.

The Blackburn only lasted about a year and a half of intermittent use, so I'm looking for something a little sturdier as a replacement. But all I can seem to find are Blackburn (or other brands at a similar price point), and Tubus. I'm sure the Tubus racks are bombproof, but they're a little pricey just to haul groceries.

Is there anything in between?

late

Hi,
that sounds like a manufacturing defect. I'd start by callin gthe shop
where you got it. Some bike companies stand behind their products, it's worth
a call.

I used cheap racks for decades and never saw one fail. A $25 rack should carry groceries for you for decades.

flipped4bikes

Blackburn has a lifetime warranty on their products. I agree with late, not a normal thing to happen. Send it back to them and I'm sure they'll replace it no charge...

squeakywheel

That's the problem with lifetime warranties on cheap stuff. "Mail it back to them". How much does it cost to mail a bike rack? What are the odds they will send one that lasts longer than the first?

I wouldn't spend $10 to mail a $25 rack back to the manufacturer with the hope that they send me another cheap rack.

That's just me. I can see both sides of this issue, though.

Edit: I have two Blackburn racks which I like. If one of them busted, though, I'd be looking for a better one.

legot73

I got a Delta rack from REI for $28 that is much stronger than the Trek rack on my old bike, which is similar to a Blackburn. When I say stronger, it is much harder to flex the struts together than the other rack, which tells me the alum is thicker. The rack decking is thicker, too, and has lots of holes for securing bungies.

Emerson

Tubus or Old Man Mountain are two very sturdy racks. Old Man Mountain racks start at around $40 from the Arkel website.

Banzai

I'm a big fan of my Trek interchange rack. Very sturdy, and the thicker "tubing" on it makes it look like a designed in part of my bike. Haven't had any problems with it.

dbuzi123

A while ago I had a blackburn rack that failed after another bike bumped into it (I was just riding along...), anyways I took it back to the bike shop and they gave me a new one for free. It still felt week and flexy so I upgraded to Jandd Expedition rack. Extremely sturdy and I like the extra length.

ken cummings

If you would like to see some $$$$$ racks try www.bgcycles.com Offset to keep bags out of the spokes and braze-ons for fender stays. I expect to pass mine on to my brothers grand children.

Ltspdpc

I will agree, this is a sweet setup, and not expensive. The packs have quick releases and plenty of room and features

KnoxBreezer

I've been pretty happy with my Tubus Cargo rack. It's served very well so far, but I've only had it a short while and never had a heavy load on it (just found an easy route to my local Home Depot, so it'll be put to the test soon!). They are kinda spendy, but construction quality and fit are top notch, this seems to be the kind of rack you'll only buy once.

Talk to Wayne at www.thetouringstore.com he'll hook you up!

squeakywheel

One caveat. The Trek Interchange grocery pannier doesn't fit on the matching rack because the hollow tubes are oversized. The quick release latch can't close around the large tube diameter. They fit fine on my Blackburn rack with normal diameter solid aluminum tubing.

Edit: I'd give the Trek Interchange rack points for being light. Also, the matching trunk bag mounts really quickly. On the other hand, I don't think it is in the same league as the racks from Old Man Mountain or Jandd in terms of robustness and weight carrying capability. In otherwords, I think the Trek is fine for commuting, but not sturdy enough for touring. Just my opinion.

bkrownd

I get the Back Trails racks from Target, because they're one of the few that still have the spring-loaded rat trap.

garydhatch

If it is just a weld that let loose you could find a local welding shop and have the rack repaired.

elbows

The good news is that I bought the rack from my LBS, so I can take it back there and hopefully they will replace it under warranty.

Failing that, I'll probably try the Old Man Mountain racks.

Thanks for the suggestions.

Bklyn

Wow. I use a Blackburn to haul my kid to daycare everyday. It's rated at 40 pounds, plus the thing is about 5 years old? (Used it for the first child, though not as regularly.) You think this has a limited lifespan? It would be a real drag to bust a weld and lose your groceries; it's another thing entirely to have the rack fail when it's supporting a child seat and a very nearly 40-pound child. Think I should swap it out to the bike that only will carry panniers? Do Tubus racks work those child carriers?

elbows

For what it's worth, my panniers stayed on even with the weld broken. I thought I heard a noise from the rear wheel area, and it felt like the weight was shifting around in the panniers more than usual, but I didn't realize what had happened until I got home and took the panniers off.

On the other hand, $100 for a rack isn't that much if you're worried about your kid's safety.

Emerson

I thought most of the racks very specifically say they are not safe for carrying children. Aren't there specialized child carriers that are designed to be safe? I'd be very nervous about carrying a child on most rear racks, even very sturdy ones like a Tubus.

Bklyn

So whatever law it is that governs potentially hazardous ironies, I now must buy a new rack, huh? I have a mortal fear of situations that lend themselves to crappy local news reports -- "and just that afternoon, he posted to a bicyling web site, asking for advice...advice that he chose to ignore...."
Off to buy a new rack. Thanks! (Seriously, thanks.)

EDIT: Emerson: the Blackburn Expedition is specifically made to work with child carriers like the Rhodes Gear (which has been sold to Bell, I believe and now goes by some other name). In fact, these child carriers usually come WITH an Expedition.

Mariner Fan

I have a Tubus rack. They are very well made.

squeakywheel

Do local welding shops do aluminum? I would guess not, but haven't looked into it.