Originally Posted by
wisaunders
So I put in the request for some Ortlieb Back Rollers, now it's time to find a rack to hang them on the bike. I'm going to put them on my 2004 Specialized Allez. I've been looking at the Tubus Vega (mainly because it's on the Ortlieb site) but I wanted to get opinions first. Do I gain a lot by going with an over $100 rack or are there less expensive well made racks out there that will do just as good? I'll be using the panniers and rack for commuting and bike camping.
Here's a link to the Tubus Vega rack
http://www.ortliebusa.com/CartGenie/prod-157.htm
Tubus racks are really worth the extra you pay for them. That said cheaper racks may work well too.
Here are the Tubus advantages I see them:
Unmatched warranty: 30 years warranty and if rack fail within the first 3 years, a new one will be delivered for free anywhere in the world.
They often have nice details like two mounting holes in the bottom. So if you need to move the rack further back because of heel strike or disc brakes, it is easy, cheap and fast to do (either buy the adapter or make your own). So no need to buy a new rack if your next bike has disc brakes.
Racks like the Cosmo or Logo have small slots at their bottoms where the Ortlieb Back-Rollers bottom adapter fits perfectly. They also have standard mounting holes for permanent rear lights.
They are very resistant to abrasion unlike aluminum racks; My Tortec alu rack and my Topeak Super Tourist DX racks both have visible abrasion flatness spots where the pannier interface with the rack. They may last some years yet (I retired the Tortec), but still, over the long run alu racks doesn't seem to hold up so well. My Tubus Logo is unaffected by abrasion though the painting is now scratched.
Tubus racks also have the best weight and strength ratio I know of. They are generally speaking, quite lighter than similar aluminum racks. If you want to keep your bike light they are often worth it, because slashing weight of other bike components are usually much more expensive.
"Light, strong, cheap? Pick any two." As the engineering saying go. If "light and strong" are what you want, get a Tubus rack. If "strong and cheap" is the most important, other racks may work.
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Regards