Crossrack and Crossrack Bag
 

I'm thinking of getting a Swift Crossrack and perhaps a Crossrack Bag to mount on the seatpost of my older Birdy.

http://www.xootr.com/crossrack-bike-rack.html

http://www.xootr.com/crossrack-bike-rack-bag.html

Does anyone have these and if so, how have they worked out?

I found a few positive reviews on the Crossrack but nothing on the Crossrack Bag

I run both on my Silver Birdy (and Emerald Birdy for that matter).. use it almost daily .. I think it's a terrific option.. bag can expand if needed for thicker objects.. easily fits a laptop .. holds lots of groceries .. it gets lots of use.. having it mounted to the seatpost doesn't adversely affect handling much .. I've had quick release baskets mounted to the handlebars, but much prefer the Crossrack items..and if you have two Birdy bikes (as I see you do), you just move your load carrying abilities from bike to bike with one quick release..

Thanks Bruce

That's positive and very helpful.

A few extra questions if I may:

1. What is the bag material? I've had some waterproof linings on packs and bags that degraded after a few years
2. Will it stand up by itself when empty? (e.g. when shopping or loading)
3. Due to the pannier mounts on the back of the bag, I assume that you carry it with the flap facing your body. Is that correct?
4. How do you move it between bikes with one quick release? Did you buy 2 of the base fittings and leave one on each bike or does your crossrack clamp to the seatpost with just 1 or 2 bolts rather than the 4 shown on the web site?

Just looked at the website... my bag looks basically the same but is an earlier version... no flap, no logo, no drawstring, no cinch belt .. but, it will stand nicely empty if you expand the bottom out flat .. the material is some kind of plasticized fabric.. looks like it could be pretty water resistant, but I haven't ridden in any downpours with it... mine hasn't shown any signs of wear inside or out and it gets a lot of use..

You move it from Birdy to Birdy as a unit by releasing the seatpost clamp and switching seatposts with Crossrack attached :thumb:

Also, if using on a Birdy, you can fold the bike normally without having to remove the bag or mount ... the fold just gets a little longer..

crossbag is ok for price. i would save the money and get the pannier you really want. any pannier should fit fine on it.

I can confirm that - I used a Deuter pannier on it which has the standard Ortlieb fittings.

I could use a pannier but in general

1. They cannot be carried over the shoulder when off the bike
2. They do not stand upright when you are loading or unloading them
3. They are tall and narrow making them awkward to load and unload
4. They do not have a large enough base to carry things flat
5. Their reflective sections are not ideal for a cross bike mounting position
6. They may carry less than the crossrack bag
7. Good ones cost more than the Crossrack bag ($30 when bought with Crossrack)

The Crossrack bag may be better in some or all of thees respects but I find it difficult to tell from the website.

I currently use the small orange version of this http://www.cascadedesigns.com/sealli...n-tote/product and find it great. Its tough, completely waterproof and very light but I'm not sure how easily and effectively it would fasten to the Crossrack.

Another possibility is this http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_d...34374302693353. My wife loves hers but they are not waterproof and if mounted across the bike there may be too much lateral load movement.

crossrack bag is a pannier. just a cheap one. it can also be used to stuff a backpack inside of

i'm personally saving up for an ortlieb downtown. (or maybe office bag large)

as for your needs: i'm pretty sure i've read somewhere on arkel / ortlieb / detours / vaude site somewhere about panniers designed with a long zipper for easy loading. carrying off shoulder - i woudl consider the backpack, commuter, or shopper bag lines from those companies. stand upright, i have read about some models that do. large enough base - probably right on that. reflective issue is minor. most carry more than 26 liters. the backpack/pannier models are usually between 24-26 liters. good ones cost way more than crossrack, detours seems to be a little cheaper.

at present, i'm stuck with a klickfix front mounted freepack backpack and a crossrack bag on a crossrack on back of a swift folder. i just something smaller and more waterproof than the crossrack bag eventually

From Bruce Metras's post, there was at least one older model of the Crossrack Bag "no flap, no logo, no drawstring, no cinch belt ". Do you have that older one or the current version http://www.xootr.com/crossrack-bike-rack-bag.html that has these things and is presumably supposed to be waterproof?

I've been looking at Ortliebs both on the web and in a local shop. The one you mentioned with the long zip is presumably the "Bike-Shopper" http://www.ortlieb.com/_pdf_en/bikeshopper.pdf For my use I would prefer a shoulder strap to handles over the shoulder. I'm also thinking that the zipper "ears" stick out in a crossmount application which might look odd and I'm wondering about the practicality of the zipper (The slide on the one I saw did not move particularly easily though it might improve with use). I'm also not sure that it would hold much more than the Vaude Discover Pro Front Pannier that I already have.

A word of caution: Ortlieb's QL 2 system doesn't fit Crossrack tightly, even with the hook inserts.

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JU_lllYF8cU/TJ...tlieb_hook.jpg

On Strida Forum I posted a few other photos showing the panniers (and a backpack!) that I could fit on Crossrack nicely: http://www.stridaforum.com/forum/vie...php?f=2&t=2951

I looked over the site and see the pictures but perhaps you could list here the actual bags that worked well ( manufacturer & model number)?

I put pieces of hosing tube around my crossrack, bacause I didn't want to use the hook inserts - I wanted to keep the size constant so I can swap to the Birdy.

arkel gt-18 huge zip.

i tried ortlieb as well today, it was a little loose, but i agree with jur's approach. for the ortlieb downtown and office bag, looks like the space between bottom hook and top loops is too short to fit the crossrack. i'll try again in a month or so when i get to ortlieb dealer, to see if i can come up with creative way of fitting it onto my bike

i'm starting want more convenient access rather than waterproof bag. so considering teh arkel gt-18, the carradice nelson longflap, super c saddlebag, maybe novara commuter.

You can make the bottom hook engage the sides of the crossrack.

jmaher: The pannier attachment systems that I found working well with Crossrack include Arkel Cam-Lock, Basil Solen system, Carradice C-system, Inertia Designs bungee suspension, and Minnehaha Bag hooks (you may need to tie a knot or add a hook to the lower elastic cord yourself). But as jur pointed out, you can simply add a sleeve to Crossrack's tube to thicken it.

Your Strida Forum discussion is really helpful, both as an indication of what one can('t) do with the Crossrack and as an indication of what one can('t) do with the Strida pannier rack. You've gone above and beyond the call of duty, fwd-bwd!

changing pannier tracks/plates - QL2 to Arkel Cam Lock
 

[QUOTE=fwd-bwd;11487010]A word of caution: Ortlieb's QL 2 system doesn't fit Crossrack tightly, even with the hook inserts.

Hi there, I have an Ortlieb Back Roller Plus with the QL2 system but want to adapt it to be compatible with the Arkel Cam Lock hook to use it with the xootr Crossrack. Does anyone know how easy it is to change the tracks/plates across pannier systems?
I'm sure I'll work it out but just incase anyone's given it a go!
Cheers

i ended up ditching my crossrack, and getting a super c saddlebag with sqr mount. love it. works better with folding bikes, less mouting gear to dismantle when folding down

Hi. I have a Xootr cross rack bag but need the rack. Has anyone ever installed a Xootr cross rack onto a bike Friday seat post? Thanks!

I don't think you can buy the Xootr crossrack anymore, but have to go with this similar rack: V-Rack Seatpost Carrier – Vincita Co., Ltd.
I'm curious if anyone knows if the Vincita rack will fit on a Bike Friday New World Tourist. Thanks.

Thanks for the link. I’ll check into it. It looks good.

What diameter is your seatpost?

I'm not sure. I moved to Connecticut recently and my NWT is still in Vermont. I'm not worried about the seatpost. Maybe I should be but, at the moment, my concern is the 20 inch wheels on the NWT. I used the crossrack and bag on my Swift folder which has 16 inch wheels. Wondering if anyone ever used the crossrack on a NWT. That's all. Thanks!

I had the crossrack on my NWT while I owned one. Sold it when I sold the bike and got the pakiT. Now I wish I still had it, lol. I should have learned never sell bike stuff, you end up wanting it back!

Thanks for this. Now I don't feel so bad about ordering a Vincita rack for my wife's NWT a couple days ago. I was worried I wasted some $$. I loved the crossrack on my Swift. Seems like such a good design. I'm not sure why it did not catch on.