ICH

Following advice of some of you and following a link a nice fellow sent me by PM i bought the TUbus Logo rack.
Now that I've unpacked it a new problem arises. It looks so nice that i don't want the Arkel Bug aluminium hooks to ruin it. Been looking at Arkel's site but they don't ship to Europe the new hook system.

Does anyone have a solution to keep my Tubus looking new for a long time?

ax0n

I'm of the thought that scuffs (especially on accessories like a rack) add character. I suppose go to radio shack and throw some shrink tubing on it. Get some that's a bit thicker than the rack's frame, slide it over the rack ends, cut to length (maybe a little bit longer than needed) and heat with a lighter. It'll shrink down and wrap the rack ends with a hard plastic covering. No guarantees on how long it will last, but it's a cheap solution.

VA_Dave

Shrink tubing is a great idea. I'd just use electrical tape if I were worried about it. As with you car, the more effort you put towards preventing a scratch the more the first one is going to hurt.

MMACH 5

+1 on both points.
My rack is a home brew. I don't even think I would know what a "nice" rack is supposed to look like.

My backpacking gear has lot of heat-shrink on it. I used it to reduce the click-clack of connectors and zippers on my pack, as opposed to protecting stuff. It is surprisingly durable so I think this would work.

matthew_deaner

The Logo is steel, right? If so, I think it's a great idea to protect it with something. I have front and rear Surly nice racks (steel) on my LHT. I wrapped them in high-temperature duct tape (available from Wal Mart's automotive section) and then covered that tape with 3M black electrical tape. The tape job took forever, but has protected my racks well in the 6-months since I installed them.

ax0n

After about a year, duct tape residue becomes so ridiculously crusty and impossible to remove that I fear it would pretty much ruin the "nice" rack.

I think the price of the Tubus Logo commands respect more for its durability and carrying capacity than its looks. Heat shrink or other stuff might keep the rack ends from getting chewed up but it will eventually show wear from use. I say just let it run its course.

matthew_deaner

You can remove duct tape residue with paint thinner.

ax0n

... and the paint on the rack comes with it!

I did have a thought, though... how about that pickup-truck bed liner stuff that you paint on? It would remain stuck to the rack for all of eternity, but it would take scuffs like a trooper and never really show any damage. It would look really rugged, too.

matthew_deaner

It's not paint, it's powder coat. Paint thinner will not affect powder coat.
Paint thinner will not affect most types of paint either.

cyccommute 

Nope. Paint thinner doesn't do anything to the finish. Stripper would but that's a horse of a different color.

Shrink wrap won't work by the way. No way to apply it. The stuff doesn't work if you split it first Maybe hockey stick tape?

ax0n

True, I was thinking of just the curved part that juts off from the frame, but the pannier hooks get wedged in between that piece and the rest of the frame.

I stand by my rhino-lining idea.

matthew_deaner

I seriously considered doing this to my racks, and eventually chickened out and went for the duct tape. OP - if you try this, please post back with the results. I'm still considering it.

jens5

You're Tubus rack should have come with self adhesive rack protector squares in the hardware pack. They work quite well. If you didn't get them, call Wayne from the Touring store and ask him to send you some. I have a couple extra I'll send you if that doesn't work out.

Richard

JeffS

I've never understood the logic of protectant coverings, especially ugly ones. Car bras, electric tape on the rack, etc...

Why would you put something unattractive on the rack to prevent an area from being scratched, which you will not never see anyway because it's covered with electric tape?

If I were forced to do something...

- powder coat should be durable
- bed liner coating
- rubber coating - like the handles of tools are dipped in

Sci-Fi

Can always buy a can of Plasti Dip to coat the hooks. Would last longer than shrink tubing.

ronzorini

...or maybe splitting some thin plastic/rubber tubing and secure with zip-ties or glue?

matthew_deaner

Rust spots are uglier than neatly wrapped electrical tape.

wallace125

how about a piece of an old bike tube? put a couple of little squares of it between the hooks and rack when you are mounting the panniers. Or use a long strip to cover the rack tubes and use tie wraps.

Cyclist0383

Use the little adhesive square that came with the rack, that's exactly what they are for.

Call or email Arkel about getting the pannier you want; their customer service is the best in the business.

ICH

So that's what the adhesive squares are for?

Nice, it will be lot easier than the other solutions in here. Thanks!

I agree with you guys what's the point of protecting, covering, the rack if I won't see it. But it's so superbly finished that when I looked at it, it was the first thing that came to my mind. The aluminium hooks on the Arkel Bug are really paint killers.


Thank you