Is it me, or my equipment?
#1
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Is it me, or my equipment?
I have a 2006 Kona Smoke, put a rear rack by Avenir on it. Mounted a milk crate, and... there is just a little bit of rubbing the ol' seat meat on the top of that crate while in the saddle. Took the crate off.
I have an older pair of Nashbar Townie Baskets (1996'ish?), that come in really handy... except for the heel strike. I have to ride with my feet way forward on the pedals to avoid it.
So then I snagged a pair of Knog Valore twin saddlebag panniers. Use these for the runs to blockbuster and pick up the Sunday morning paper. Got heel strike with this set up as well.
Is it just a poor marriage of bike/rack/whatnot?
I have an older pair of Nashbar Townie Baskets (1996'ish?), that come in really handy... except for the heel strike. I have to ride with my feet way forward on the pedals to avoid it.
So then I snagged a pair of Knog Valore twin saddlebag panniers. Use these for the runs to blockbuster and pick up the Sunday morning paper. Got heel strike with this set up as well.
Is it just a poor marriage of bike/rack/whatnot?
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rear rack too small
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#4
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So my rack is too small?
Any suggestions that aren't too pricey?
Any suggestions that aren't too pricey?
Last edited by no1mad; 10-18-08 at 11:39 AM.
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Go to the Fit Solutions page at The Touring Store LINK and have a look at the Tubus Lower Rack Mounting Kit for $13. If this is usable on your present rack & bike, it will move your rack up and back and thus may provide enough heel clearance.
Wayne at The Touring Store is very good to deal with (just do a search on Bike Forums). However, the site states on some of the other pages that he is on vacation until Aug 18. Then you should email him with your rack model and bike and describe the problem. He should be able to tell you if it will fit your rack & bike.
Wayne at The Touring Store is very good to deal with (just do a search on Bike Forums). However, the site states on some of the other pages that he is on vacation until Aug 18. Then you should email him with your rack model and bike and describe the problem. He should be able to tell you if it will fit your rack & bike.
#7
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Go to the Fit Solutions page at The Touring Store LINK and have a look at the Tubus Lower Rack Mounting Kit for $13. If this is usable on your present rack & bike, it will move your rack up and back and thus may provide enough heel clearance.
Wayne at The Touring Store is very good to deal with (just do a search on Bike Forums). However, the site states on some of the other pages that he is on vacation until Aug 18. Then you should email him with your rack model and bike and describe the problem. He should be able to tell you if it will fit your rack & bike.
Wayne at The Touring Store is very good to deal with (just do a search on Bike Forums). However, the site states on some of the other pages that he is on vacation until Aug 18. Then you should email him with your rack model and bike and describe the problem. He should be able to tell you if it will fit your rack & bike.
#8
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Rather than start a new thread, I decided to give life back to this. I've been looking for another rack and came across the Topeak Super Tourist DX. I like it because it has a lower side rail to mount panniers to. Only thing is that it looks like that only the disc model is available here in the States.
So completely noob question here- could a 'disc-specific' rack work on a frame that doesn't have disc brakes?
Feel free to have a laughing fit now...
So completely noob question here- could a 'disc-specific' rack work on a frame that doesn't have disc brakes?
Feel free to have a laughing fit now...
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Well, the do make them for braze ons without disc brakes. But I see your dilema, Mostly foreign sites. If ya gotta, ship it over here? Or ask LBS to order one for you.
I hate the way the MTX trunk bags get in the way of side paniers too.
Last edited by Hot Potato; 11-28-08 at 07:56 AM.
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I always found the Walgreen shopping basket to be a more aesthetic plastic crate. Rectangular instead of square.
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Try mounting the baskets so they are further back, they could extend beyond the back of the rack. Do the panniers have heel cutouts on them? If the rack is short you may not be able to get the panniers back far enough, but if you have a longer rack try mounting the panniers as far back as you can. Some bikes have a geometry where its hard to avoid heel strike, but the Smoke is a pretty popular commuter bike so I think you should be able to find a solution.
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Yes, it will fit. Only real difference with a disc rack is that it has standoffs at the lower mounts to keep the rack out of the caliper. If you're handy you can make a non-disc rack fit a disc bike very easily also.
And Topeak also makes the Explorer in a disc config. No hoops like the one in your pic, but I run it with Trek Interchange panniers with no issues at all.
-Roger