VAwitt

Im looking into getting one for the occasional tectbook/sketchpad, **** like that for when i dont feel like taking my bag (btw i highly recommend the banjo bros. commuter bag). Can i get some pics and links to where i can pick these helpers up?

also, if at all possible, insight into the amount of effort it takes to add/subtract the rack from the actual frame, thanks.

oh, man im picky, racks that double as semi fenders (blocking water from flyin up my back and stuff) that would be great.

thanks!

Landgolier

Christ man, they have this thing called google now...

Look on your bike and see if there are little threaded holes near or on your rear dropouts and if there are any on your seat stays a couple inches from the seat tube. If you have both, it's just a matter of inserting screws into them. If you only have ones on the dropouts, it's possible but it will be tougher. If you have none of the above, you can get the racks that just clamp on to the seat post. Those work great so long as you don't need to put much weight on them, but once you figure out how awesome racks are you will want to start putting lots of weight on it.

Any bike shop will have $20 racks, probably planet bike. These work as fenders to the extent that any rack does. The Rivendell guys have a ton of thoughts about racks at https://www.rivbike.com/node/55

VAwitt

thanks, and im familiar with the threaded holes, just curious on how the full mounting racks compaired to the seat post mouting ones

Landgolier

Also, every time I hear that clipse song in your sig I think of the old Sunflower song about Kansas:

"I was born in Kansas, I was bred in Kansas,
And when I get married, I'll be wed in Kansas"

Landgolier

Ok, if you know what rack mounts are then what's the question?

VAwitt

a compair and contrast of different racks and their abilities...yo

mathletics

Go to the LBS and tell them to install a planet bike rack with collapsible grocery baskets. It will be like $60 with hardware and labor, and it will be one of the best decisions you've ever made. The only way you could improve it would be to actually have a rear fender installed under the rack. Fenders are the best.

Landgolier

If you're not interested in attaching panniers or baskets, all racks provide a flat surface to attach stuff to as well as things to hook bungees over to keep said stuff on. Racks that actually mount to the frame can hold more weight than seatpost racks. Whether or not a rack serves as a partial fender can be readily assessed by looking at the thing. Everything else is on the rivendell page.

Landgolier

Agreed, these rule, though they rattle like a brotherchucker and might have heel clearance issues.

mathletics

Oh, no kidding. That junk is noisy as hell, not to mention it makes the bike SO awkwardly weighted. I'm thinking of getting one of those suspension shoulder pads. I think Under The Weather makes them? You know what I'm talking about? Anyway, I think I need some kind of shoulder pad, because my bike is getting to be unbearable to carry. Also, it cannot be lifted with the baskets full of groceries.

To the OP: Seriously, grocery baskets. I can carry like, $70 of Wisconsin groceries (for price reference; I just moved to Boston and let me tell you, $70 doesn't go as far as it used to) in those baskets.

Landgolier

A lighter alternative are grocery panniers, they're just an open top bag that hooks onto a proper frame rack. You can usually get them for like $40 or $50 for the set, and they come off easily when you don't want them on there.

I'm a consistent critic of UTW because I think they can't sew straight, and the fact that they want $45, even in canadollars, for that thing is kind of absurd. I'm not sure you wanted to, but you're not ever going to be able to carry it with the baskets full, pad or no, the balance is just all wrong.

Boston is an awful town for groceries unless you live near a trader joes and a good local produce market. Car-free living there felt like a cruel joke.

Cyclist0383

Search the forums. This has been covered many times.