Hey.... I have a Tubus. Honestly, I bought it because it was the only rack that gave me enough heal clearance for my pannier AND fit my bike correctly. After I bought it I'm glad I did because I don't remember/feel the $70 difference but I enjoy looking at the aesthetics of my bike every day. Like anything else there is a premium on good looks and slightly better quality. My LBS owner claims that Tubus has excellent customer service and backs up the claimed quality of their goods. $120 is steep for a rack but so is $90 for a Thompson stem.