Please Help! Pannier/rack that doesn't look dorky!
 

Hi, all.

I recently had my car stolen and am using this opportunity to embrace a bike-dependent lifestyle. Please help:

My road bike does not have attachment holes for a normal rear rack, so I am limited to a seatpost rack. Trouble is, I need a pannier system that doesn't look dorky, will fit onto a seatpost rack, and is big enough to haul medical school textbooks. I truly do not want to schlep these things around on my back.

I really like Knog bags, but I can't find a seatpost rack (with rails &c) that will support normal pannier/messenger bags. Any suggestions on a rack / bag? There is the Topeak DXP, but it's a little too professional-looking for me.

Thank you so much!
:love:

congrates on going carfree!

I think they make racks that attach without normal rear rack holes. They use clamps? i'm not sure but mabye look into this. you can't carry much weight on a seatpost rack and i would guess medical textbooks are heavy.

First of all you should get a real rack. Seatpost ones really are crap and will not hold panniers on the side, but only above (unless you are ok with bags getting stuck in the wheel or worse).

Everything you need should be right here http://www.bikeparts.com/search_resu...lcategory=1432

Happy trails

You are not limited to a seat post rack.
You can use P-Clamps (found at the hardware store ~$2.00) or Tubus makes a better clamp set ($7.50) to attach your rack to the seatstays.

+1. Or you could check and see if you could get your books in the Kindle format...

And it's not "dorky". The right term is "Fred'ish". Get with the drill, m'kay? :D



Ditto on using the proper rack and just resort to P clips. The seat post racks are OK for light packages but if you load up bags with serious weight they will slip and none of the ones I've ever seen have the lower supports to avoid the panniers swinging into the wheels. And if there is a few that have them they truly would look dorky IMHO.

Do the full on Fred and join our Fred'ish clan the way you know you want to..... :D

Also, if you have a carbon seat post, you shouldn't be using one of the racks that clamps onto it.

Hi,
Two days ago, I went over to REI and bought a universal rear rack for my IRO road bike. They gave me the P-clamps and everything else I needed to put the rack on myself. It's very sturdy and can easily hold 40+lbs. Plus, I'm in medical school too, and it definitely holds all my books :thumb:

Ryan

First of all, if you are looking to ride a bike for transportation without looking dorky, you should probably give up now. Or get a Dutch style bike like one of these: http://austinbikeblog.org/?p=449

I agree on passing on the seat post clamp. Honestly, a road bike by itself is going to be fairly limiting going car free. I ride a road bike most of the time with a messenger bag, but this works mostly for commuting. I would not be able to carry groceries or anything.

I'd suggest you look at an Xtracycle Free Radical 700c conversion kit if you are truly going car free. If you are without a car, you are going to need the hauling capacity that something like an Xtracycle can give you.

The other thing I'd recommend is reading “How to Live Well Without Owning a Car” by Chris Balish. This is a very common sense book about how to deal with all the issues that can come up with living car free in our car focused culture. I've also written an intro series on this, but this book is much more comprehensive. My getting started biking for transportation series is here if you are interested: http://austinbikeblog.org/?page_id=352

As much as I love my Xtracycle, I've found that a good trailer is more versatile, less expensive, and handles better.

I'd mount a real rack on this bike using rubber lined, stainless steel, P clamps.
http://shop1.mailordercentral.com/ma...s.asp?dept=128

Then I'd make something like this:
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...884&highlight=
Oh, wait. I already did that. Sorry. :o

Scan all of your books into pdf files and drop them on a USB stick. No need for any gear anymore, besides a bike ;)

No, seriously. I was looking into getting me the Topeak rack and DXP trunk as well, and actually still am. I haven't read any serious problems about those, but it will fit all of the gear I need to bring along to work, and more.

My old commuter bike is a modified '87 Peugeot road bike. It has no rack-mount eyelets, only a pair of fender eyelets at the dropout. I have a Pletscher rack on this bike; it clamps to the seat stays, no braze-ons needed.

These simple racks cost about $20 new. I use two grocery pannier-baskets on mine and fill them to capacity. The Pletscher rack supports everything I can cram into them -- milk, juice, canned goods. The clamp on the top is handy too. The only drawback is that it has no hook at the bottom of the side supports -- many panniers need to hook on to something at the bottom. But your LBS should be able to add a hook where the rack bolts to the dropout.