Originally Posted by
MK313
Perhaps I am missing something obvious, but what about a backpack strapped to the top of your rear rack with bungie cords or a cargo net? That's how I commute and it works great for me. No heel strike issues and you can pretty much use whatever size backpack you need so extra clothes wont be a problem.
Also, I saw a rack linked to here one time (I wish I bookmarked it but did not). It was from a german company & it looked somewhat similar to a rear rack, but it mounted veritcally instead of horizontally, so it held the backpacks up & down. It looked like a pretty nice solution for certain applications. The only other thing I can remember was that it was a german company. Perhaps someone here can recall more info about this.
1. I started out just strapping my backpack to the rack. Though it does work effectively from point to point, I had "issues".
-When I first started using my bike this past summer for part of the commute, the bus route that I rely on to get to work was on detour. I used the bike in the morning to ride the 1/4 mile or so from the nearest detour stop. The post-work ride saw distances of 2-4 miles, depending on the timing of the various routes closest. Sometimes that meant getting to the stop with time to spare; other times it meant sprinting to catch a bus. I didn't feel right holding up a bus load of people just so that I could fuss undoing my strapping job.
-As I stated earlier, my rack's platform is only 12" long. I have a (Lg)
Banjo Brothers backpack. When that puppy gets packed to the max, there is no way to safely strap it to the rack. Plus, when I did strap it down, I did so with the pack straps facing up, which put the bag's reflective material face down on the rack- and also blocked the seat post reflector.
2. Regarding the Rixen and Kaul stuff- I looked that stuff over, but there are times that I easily exceed the weight limit on their mounting system. Detours has some Klick Fix stuff that will only take 5 lbs. max- and I've got winter coats that weigh close to 10.