Don't understand this Vetta luggage rack?
 

I give up. Can someone explain this one?

Was it designed to fit front or rear?
Intended for a specific bike with fork or seat stay braze-ons?
No loops for using bungees, so just for a top mounted bag?
I can't get a sense of the scale, but I'm guessing it is rather small.
So, perhaps it was only intended as a saddlebag or handlebar bag support?

Any one seen one of these rascals on a bike?

To borrow a phrase from the movie "Dirty Harry" ... "Man, I just gots to know." :eek:

Color me stupid :o
- Bob

http://i8.ebayimg.com/04/i/000/c9/d1/5c8c_1_b.JPG

It has twin mounting strut guides or slots.
So could it be intended as something like this small rear bag support?
Or, was there a bike with fork crown braze-ons for attaching twin flat struts?

http://www.rivbike.com./images/produ...3/20-108-1.jpg

Looks like a front rack to me, made to be clamped to the fork blades, or fitted to specific eyelets up the blade.

EDIT: With those drilled plates across the top of the rack, it has to be for the rear.

-Kurt

Looks like a rear rack, possibly for a <=20" wheeled bike, like folders, recumbents, etc.

I have seen a similar custom made rack on a Flying Scot. I will see if I can find you a picture, but it is made similarly.

Aaron:)

I think that you're missing a few pieces. The two flat trays had flat steel sliders bolted to them, and then there was a 90 degree twist to each. These twisted ends had holes drilled in them and they bolted to the frame eyelets, or to the rubber backed temporary eyelets that you see on the lower seatstays in the second picture...Blackburn used a similar approach. The flat pieces sliding in the little trays on the rack allowed one to level the rack before tightening.

+1 Yup, luker's got it. You might be able to make those two pieces from sheet metal.

Thanks guys. Yes I realize it is missing the sliding adjustable mounts at the top. These are probably just the standard stainless bars, perhaps with a 90 degree twist. The odd thing about the rack (to MY eye) is that it totally lacks any provision at the bottom for holding a bungee. I would think this would mean that this rack was intended to be used WITHOUT side panniers. Pretty stout construction for using only a rack-top bag.

And, why not just use legs to mount it to dropout eyelets - which are still pretty common at least as simple drilled and tapped holes, even on modern aluminum road frames? Perhaps it was intended to fit onto smaller sized compact or MTB frames, and without concern for the distance back from the seat stays or the height it would need to be poised over the rear hub. It seems that now many racks for smaller frames are seatpost mounted "Beam" style racks. Perhaps this was an earlier design, which was quickly abandoned for that simpler, more versitile, or just plain superior design.

I don't think Vetta makes racks any longer. Perhaps this idea was a flop. And, maybe racks were just not profitable for them when competing with so many other REALLY inexpensive Taiwan made racks. To me, it still appears to be a rather short length rack, but I could be wrong. Kind of an odd design, but nevertheless... rather... uh "cute"?

- Bob