I finally got a rear rack today!
 

Today I went from this :

http://www.erinnizzywedding.com/wp-c...muterSmall.JPG

to this :

http://www.erinnizzywedding.com/wp-c.../commuter5.jpg

REI had a nice sale this weekend. I added a Topeak MTX DXP Bag and MTX explorer rack for $85. Next weekend I want to make some "kitty litter" plastic panniers for large loads, such as groceries. I was using a camelbak to haul everything, but it did not fit my clothes well so I often arrived at work quite sweaty with no change of clothes. With the new bag I can carry my tools and work clothes in the middle and documents/laptop in the side panniers. I can also run more errands on the bike.

I also finished this :

http://www.erinnizzywedding.com/wp-c.../mountain1.jpg

last week and it is a blast! I have started MTBing because I can no longer play rugby due to a healing severely herniated disc. Notice the dork (Fred) vest in the background that I wear when I commute.

Please comment!

--Israel

Way cool! Don't forget to move your blinky from the seat stem to the back of your pack.

It went from "urban assult bike" to "experienced commuter" in a few bolt twists.... very nice.

Great move, I also have the Topeak trunk and rack setup and I just love it! The quick release on the Topeak bags is what reallys sold me on them, it makes removing and attaching the bag to the rack a breeze!

I thought the second picture was going to have no gears or derailleurs. Just goes to show whats on my mind. :D

Do the Topeak quick release bags only work well with the Topeak racks? I have a Blackburn rack and I'm going to REI tonight. If the Topeak bags work well with my current rack I might pick one up.

Thumbs up for the Topeak MTX system. That's what I use and I love it. Very convenient and it's so easy to get the bag off the rack. The only complaint I have is that the Topeak bags are not water repellent. It's a minor thing since you can treat them yourself with supplies obtained from a camping supply store, but still, it's a complaint of mine.

I do not know for sure, the way the MTX quick releases work is the rack has a center rail with a cross section that has angled sides so that a rail on the bag slides in and is held in place. The cross section looks like :



/__________________\

I like gears to much to single speed/fixed gear it. I have a lot of climbing on the way to work, then home it is very fast and downhill (i.e. 25-30 MPH in some spots). Around here most of the SS/FG crowd are hipsters who like to try to kill me!

I swear they used to make just the track to mount on any rack you wanted. That must have been before they really ramped up with all the different racks and everything. Anyone have any idea if they are still available or if I just need to get the cheapest topeak rack I can find and do some surgery to make my own?

I can not find any QuickTrack rails to retrofit on a non-MTX rack on ToPeak's site or in their 2008 catalog PDF's.

However, they do have the "Fixer Six" LINK which is the QuickTrack base plate & latch used on the MTX bags. It is sold for their MTX Basket, but you should be able to bolt an existing trunk bag to the Fixer Six plate and then slide and latch your existing bag to a QuickTrack rear rack. They do not list a suggested price; this might be a special order item.

If you are handy and have access to some shop facilities, you probably could make some rails. Unfortunately, I have not seen any 45 degree aluminum extrusions or such in the local hardware store or hobby shop (ideas or sources anyone?). Easiest might be thin plywood ripped on a circular saw set at 45 degrees (or whatever the QuickTrack rail's angle is) for the rails. You would need flathead bolts countersunk flush to attach the rails to the rack or more likely glue/screw them atop another sheet of plywood which would mount on the rack. Then you would need to waterproof it with marine varnish or the like. Alternate ways of getting angled rails would be a router and other materials might be some plastics. Or maybe you could precisely bend metal sheet with a sheet metal brake. And then you would still need to modify the front of the rack for something the latch would catch on.

Unless someone comes up with a source for similar dimension rails, buying an MTX rack and either using it or cutting off the top section and bolting it to another rear rack would probably be a lot easier.

Edit: The "Fixer Six" is available on Amazon for $12.95 LINK.

I just bought the explorer MTX at REI for $20.99. Cheaper than buying the materials above.