I am looking for a rack and panniers for a 3 week tour in Europe. The only racks that any of the LBS carry are axiom racks, typically the journey. It seems that all recommendations point towards the steel Tubus or Jandd, but for $35 would these racks work well enough. I am also planning on using MEC panniers, probably the world tours. Does any body have any reason to believe that this setup will cause some bad experiences? Also does the journey rack provide any additional heel clearance?

Thanks for your help!