Originally Posted by
halfspeed
It doesn't require a rack to carry a snack and/or a rain jacket. There are numerous other options.
And it's not just adding "ten grams" or "a hole". The entire rear end needs to be engineered to handle potentially significant side loads. This can certainly be done, but it adds weight and R&D costs in a competitive market. Since most riders don't want the added cost, weight or, for that matter, the rack mounts in the first place, it does nothing but make the bike harder to sell.
A racing bike is a highly specialized machine. If you want something more universal, don't buy a racing bike.
Most *racers* don't want the added weight. You may be right about it also requiring more weight in the back than "just a hole", I don't know (it supports my 200 pounds, what's another 5), but I would very happily add a pound or two if I meant I could carry a rainjacket and some food with me. Or non-cycling shoes. I ride across town regularly, and I really like the ride quality and responsive handling of my "race" bike. I wouldn't want to "load it down" with gear, I just want to carry like 5 pounds of stuff. But that option is not available to me - please suggest a full carbon, non-cyclocross frame that has rack mounts. I'd be interested in hearing about it.
What are the other options for carrying a decent rain jacket? I have a Shower's Pass Elite 2.0. It won't fit in my regular underseat bag, at least not with my essential emergency gear in there (spare tire tubes, tire levers, etc). I wouldn't want to anyways because I'd be afraid of catching a zipper on the jacket and killing it's waterproofness if I took it in and out of there all the time. Maybe I could find a way to roll it and carry it in a jersey pocket, but I think I tried that and I couldn't get it to stay in there securely. Would be worried about it falling out. And obviously I couldn't carry shoes that way.
The only other option I know of is getting a gigantic underseat bag, and the only ones I've been able to find are carradice and look about as appropriate on a carbon bike as spandex would look on a Surly with a Brooks saddle while wearing a cowboy hat.