Why terrible? I've put 60 miles or so on somewhat rough city terrain . No problems whatsoever. What did you not like?

They aren’t all that strong and they tend to slip. Just putting them on is a pain compared to the Tubus clamps

​​​​​Did you use nuts with nylon inserts with the bolts? Washers? Neither? I'm wondering if that wasn't the problem. I agree putting them on required my holding them closed with needle nose pliers and I DEFINITELY wouldn't want to take them off, but so far they have been fine. Definitely would rather spend $2 vs $22 but I'm glad you found a solution that works for you.

I've been using P clamps for mounting top stays for rear racks for four decades and never had any problems with the clamps, as long as they're properly sized. The primary task of the top stays is stabilization, as the load stress should be handled by the legs and lower bolts.

The “finding the right size” part is difficult with P-clamps, especially when buying them from a hardware store. The Tubus clamps come in specific sizes that fit better. Roadwearier implies that the frame has no braze-on mounts at all. P-clamps are okay for the top stays but not so great for the lower stays. I had a similar problem and the Tubus clamps are far better for the lower stays. I’ve had rack mounts added to the frame since this picture but the use of the Tubus clamps made mounting the rack easier than the previous P-clamp mount.

Modifying titanium is almost trivial. Not painting needed.


https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...bb6935bb9.jpeg

Actually I have holes down by the dropouts. Just none at the seat stays.