Originally Posted by
Bikearound
Racks often get used to carry heavy loads for a short period of time like hauling firewood for example. Just because a rack is designed to carry X load doesn't mean that you have to carry that weight. Granted Surly racks are heavy but if durability is your priority then why not? Thats why the market offers many types of racks to suit many types of loads and durability requirements. So you don't like them....doesn't make them a poor choice.
Call a LHT 33lbs, built up stock. The racks make it a solid 40lbs. Then you try to even get close to the cargo max... that's 150-190 lbs. Most people simply will not be able to manage that. Very few riders ever fully load up an Xtracycle either, since fully loaded an X will hit about 250-280lbs. IME, it gets very difficult to manhandle a bike once it is over about 50% of your bodyweight. Weight training helps, but how many of us are going to realistically do the weight training for manhandling a 200-300lb bike?
It's not a like or dislike thing. I can definitely see the point of a massive cargo hauler
. In fact, my daily ride is the heaviest cargo hauler I can handle. But it's important to think through what your physical limits are. The bike can always handle more than the human can. Metal doesn't get tired the same way muscle does.