MTBaddict

Soliciting opinions: how beneficial is having lower mounting rails (like the Tubus Logo rack) versus the added weight? My understanding is that the purpose of these added rails is to allow access panniers when trunk bags are used (covering the tops of the panniers) or when the top of the rack is loaded with other gear.

kayakdiver

I have both a Cargo and a Logo. If you need the room for your heels... Get the Logo. If you don't need the room I would suggest the Cargo.

Why? Well I find that it's easier to drop my Ortliebs on the top rain than the lower rain of the Logo. The Cargo also has a larger top platform. The downside for some is the upturned top rail of the Cargo that the Logo doesn't have. I very rarely place anything on the top of the rack so this has never really been a concern of mine.

The above being said.... both are great racks.

MTBaddict

Heel clearance is a concern on my CX frame (Jamis Nova). The alternate that I was actually considering is the Vega. I want something light and started with the Fly. Didn't work with large panniers. To deal with the heel clearance issues, I am considering smaller packs (Ortlieb Sport Packers Plus) which have some sort of adjustment to place them on an angle.

LeeG

I think it's worth it and the weight is insignficant. If the price of the tubus is too much there's a ToPeak rack with lower rails. I got a Tubus Cargo and had lower rails brazed on 2" below the top rails.

kayakdiver

With a cross frame I would go Logo. It's a heavy rack yes... but it's really strong and you can run anything you want without heel issues. That would be my suggestion anyways.

fietsbob

What added weight? it's ChroMo steel tube .. want light get the 'carry' its a Logo version made of Titanium.
https://tubus.com/en/rear-carriers/carry ..

I use Ortlieb back rollers on My logo rack hooks well back in the slots , gives good foot clearance ..
Tubus offers a kit of parts to mount the whole rack further back , and a kit to use the QR instead of frame eyelets.

NeilGunton

Have you considered the new Tubus Cosmo? It's like a combination of the best aspects of the Cargo and Logo - it has a big, wide platform (which goes up a little at the back, not sloping down like the Cargo does - so keeps things a bit better on top), and the second rail is vertically inline with the top one, so you can use either. And the Cosmo has bigger clearance for fenders should you need that - I tried putting a Cargo on my new Rocky Mountain Sherpa, which has the Planet Bike 29er fenders, and the fenders were rubbing on the rack struts. When I switched to the Cosmo, I noticed that there was much more clearance. Also the Cosmo is stainless, so no rust worries. The Cosmo is my new favorite rear rack (and on the front, the Nova - similarly stainless, and much better profile on the bottom part than Tara for hooking on either Ortliebs or Arkel bungee hooks, and more flexibility than the Tara for getting the rack level).

The Cosmo and Nova are more pricey, but you can get a very good deal (and fast, free delivery too) from wiggle.co.uk.

Neil

MTBaddict

I would love to own the "Carry". It is just hard to justify the $$$. One rationale that might be applied here is that it would probably have great resale value, sort of like GOLD!

LeeG

until a Chinese version shows up at 2/3 the price

Mr. Fly

The Tubus racks are made in China, so technically, they're Chinese racks.

fietsbob

There are many companies that sub contract out to low wage countrys, who then make stuff and ship it out to another country , the brand name owner, to be distributed , a vast majority of the bicycle industry works like that.

though. Bruce Gordon makes his racks in Petaluma California.
I got a set from when He made them in Eugene Oregon, 30 years ago.