Rear Rack IMHOs
 

So I put in the request for some Ortlieb Back Rollers, now it's time to find a rack to hang them on the bike. I'm going to put them on my 2004 Specialized Allez. I've been looking at the Tubus Vega (mainly because it's on the Ortlieb site) but I wanted to get opinions first. Do I gain a lot by going with an over $100 rack or are there less expensive well made racks out there that will do just as good? I'll be using the panniers and rack for commuting and bike camping.

Here's a link to the Tubus Vega rack
http://www.ortliebusa.com/CartGenie/prod-157.htm

I don't see whats so great about that rack. My $30 one from nashbar hasn't failed on me yet and keeps stuff out my spokes, and that one doesn't look like it would. Also adjustable unlike that $120 one O.o

Amen. Got a few cheap ones from nashbar that work great. Be sure they have a mount for a rear light and you're good to go.

topeak explorer racks are good - I have two.

Aluminum racks have a higher failure rate relative to chromoly and stainless steel racks, like those made by Tubus.

You would gain a lot if you were heavily loading the rack constantly or going on a tour where reliability was paramount.

Otherwise, I think a normal rack would suit a casual user just fine. I currently own a Topeak explorer aluminum rack for one of my bikes, and a Tubus Cosmo stainless steel rack. I'd put my money on the Tubus rack outlasting the Topeak rack any day of the week, but it isn't necessary for average commuting needs either.

If you do like that Vega, don't worry about the bags hitting the spokes. Ortlieb bags are very stiff on the back and use secure mechanisms, they're not going anywhere. The bag isn't going to slump between those stays and hit your wheel.

Tubus Logo. Keeps load lower, and father back to prevent heel strikes if you're a tall rider with long cranks.

My experience too. I have one $35 Blackburn rack that's in its 6th year of service and no problem. I use an el cheapo Zefal on my touring bike. Didn't even pay $30 for that one. I also have a Nashbar Bor Yeuh rack which I paid $15 for two years ago.

All of these have worked flawlessly.

I use a regular aluminum rack for commuting, a blackburn IIRC, and it's held up so far. If I were touring I'd think about a tubus.

I also use a Tubus Cosmo. If you use the lower siderails, the load is lower still than the Logo. And it leaves the top available for a trunk bag.

Backrollers? Those are HUGE, you know. What are you commuting with? I recently upgraded to a pair of Ortleib Sport Packer Plus--a front pannier. I can fit a pair of jeans, four shirts, and a pair of sneakers in one, my snacks and lunches for the week and library books in the other, with some room leftover.

If you haven't put in the order already (I see you said "request" not "order") call and talk with Wayne at The Touring Store.com. Despite the name, he knows the difference between touring and commuting. He's never steered me wrong. And he carries Ortlieb and Tubus, both discounted from MSRP.

BTW, every non-Tubus rack I've ever owned (including some that are nearly as expensive) have wiggled and swayed under heavy loads. Not so much when commuting, but when I have the grocery panniers filled with canned goods and other stuff that's chock-full of gravity.

I think it comes down to what you are carrying and how heavy it is. I have the Axiom Odyssee rack and it has been solid.

I have Delta Sherpa racks on my commuter and touring bikes and they have held up well.

Uh oh. Did I F up? Anyone else use back rollers? Why/why not?

I've got a Delta Universal rack and a Bontrager Back Rack Classic. Both were around $35 when I got them. I like the Bontrager much, much better. I wouldn't pay more for something else for just commuting.

Also, while I've never used Backrollers, I see a lot of people around here who do use one Backroller for commuting. They're probably more than you need, but they'll definitely get the job done.

They're not as huge as I remember. After checking, they're 40L. Mine are 30L. Not having any point of reference, when they arrived I was pleasantly surprised at how big they are. Yours being one-third larger is still pretty big, but they're still 20% less than the "matching" rear pannier for the front ones I bought, which is what I was thinking of in the above post.

Thinking about it now, I suppose I could have visualized them in milk jugs. Eight gallons would be around 31L (close enough for conversation), or four gallons a side--two wide and two high--which is close enough for visualizing the size of mine.

Hey.... I have a Tubus. Honestly, I bought it because it was the only rack that gave me enough heal clearance for my pannier AND fit my bike correctly. After I bought it I'm glad I did because I don't remember/feel the $70 difference but I enjoy looking at the aesthetics of my bike every day. Like anything else there is a premium on good looks and slightly better quality. My LBS owner claims that Tubus has excellent customer service and backs up the claimed quality of their goods. $120 is steep for a rack but so is $90 for a Thompson stem.

I'm a big fan of the RackTime AddIt. Solid, well-designed with lower rails for panniers, not too terribly expensive, and made by Tubus (RackTime is their commuter/utility/entry-level touring brand).

I used my back rollers to join my kid at a Boy Scout lockin last night. Had a sleeping bag in one and a jacket, couple pillows, change of clothes etc in the other. I don't know if I'd say they are huge, but they are big for general commuting use. (Unless you count hanging with a bunch of Boy Scouts in style.)

I have Ortlieb Backrollers. You did not eff up, as Ortlieb makes awesome panniers. I don't think I have ever heard of anyone regretting an Ortlieb purchase, although I am sure such a lunatic exists. :)

Depending on your rack selection, frame size, and foot size, you may or may not have heel strike issues. All of these factors can be mitigated with hardware, rack selection, and pannier positioning. The Ortlieb QL2 fitting system makes easy, short work of positioning and securing the pannier just about anywhere fore/aft on the rack.

Regarding your original question, I think you'll be happy with a Tubus rack provided it actually fits on your Specialized Allez. Does it have braze-ons for a rack mount? If you don't want to spend that much money, there is also the Axiom Streamliner DLX. I recently installed this rack on my road bike and I am very impressed with its build and profile. The really nice aspect of this rack is that it is very narrow at the top, making for a sleeker look that goes well on a road bike, similar to a Tubus Fly.

My one caveat about Axiom racks is that they grossly overestimate the load capacity. I have had Axiom racks in the past that I loaded to their listed rating and the rack bent. Granted, I was deliberately testing out the weight claim and expected exactly what I got. S

I've been thinking of getting a real rear rack to attach my Topeak trunk bag to. The seat post version I have isn't as good as I hoped. The swinging side to side doesn't hit the tire but it does make me want it connected to the chainstays. It also seems overly heavy. Now that I'm loaded down with commuting gear and fenders my bike is starting to get heavy.

Tubus racks are really worth the extra you pay for them. That said cheaper racks may work well too.

Here are the Tubus advantages I see them:
Unmatched warranty: 30 years warranty and if rack fail within the first 3 years, a new one will be delivered for free anywhere in the world.

They often have nice details like two mounting holes in the bottom. So if you need to move the rack further back because of heel strike or disc brakes, it is easy, cheap and fast to do (either buy the adapter or make your own). So no need to buy a new rack if your next bike has disc brakes.
Racks like the Cosmo or Logo have small slots at their bottoms where the Ortlieb Back-Rollers bottom adapter fits perfectly. They also have standard mounting holes for permanent rear lights.

They are very resistant to abrasion unlike aluminum racks; My Tortec alu rack and my Topeak Super Tourist DX racks both have visible abrasion flatness spots where the pannier interface with the rack. They may last some years yet (I retired the Tortec), but still, over the long run alu racks doesn't seem to hold up so well. My Tubus Logo is unaffected by abrasion though the painting is now scratched.

Tubus racks also have the best weight and strength ratio I know of. They are generally speaking, quite lighter than similar aluminum racks. If you want to keep your bike light they are often worth it, because slashing weight of other bike components are usually much more expensive.

"Light, strong, cheap? Pick any two." As the engineering saying go. If "light and strong" are what you want, get a Tubus rack. If "strong and cheap" is the most important, other racks may work.


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Regards

This. Most Axiom racks aren't necessarily bad, but they outright lie about the capacity of them in some cases, in my opinion. I owned 2 Axiom journey racks, which have a claimed capacity of 70kg. Anyone who believes that this rack will actually hold that under real world conditions is out of their minds or just gullible. Its a plain jane aluminum rack just like any other $30 aluminum rack. No magic, yet it somehow has a "rated capacity" exceeding some cargo bikes :p

They regularly do this. Most of their rack line is rated to the same capacity as true expedition racks! They claim that some of them will hold 20-30kg more than most expedition rack manufacturers will rate their stuff for. The truth is, these racks won't last at all if you load them anywhere near that capacity. They probably base their ratings on whether or not the rack survives that load after 10 paces around the silky smooth track of their local velodrome.

My first Axiom journey rack broke while hopping a curb with approximately a 14kg load secured directly on top. While hopping a curb with things on your rack is never a nice thing to do to a rack, that's a ridiculous disparity between the rated capacity and a real world experience!

My second Axiom journey rack failed after 3 months with a 20kg average load, but I stopped jumping curbs. Just riding through enough potholes and bumping the bike over enough icy ruts in winter was enough to bend the struts on the rack at the bottom as the weight on the rack was jarred around over time.

That's just a basic rule in life though. $35 rack that carries like its a cargo bike?

Well, if it sounds too good to be true..

As stated before, I now have one bike with a Topeak rack, and another with a Tubus rack.

Topeak claims a 55lb capacity on the model I own (Explorer MTX). I'd believe that rating, and would be comfortable commuting with it loaded right up. I wouldn't take it on an expedition tour, but it's fine for the city, and I used it on an on road tour this past summer quite fine.

Tubus rates the Cosmo at 40kg. And they rate their stuff for full on, hard use.

The Back-Rollers are standard pannier size (20L per pannier). The do have a compression strap so they can even be reduced in size if they are mostly empty. You can't really go wrong with a pair Back-Rollers, especially if you also want to use them for camping.
I have had mine for around 6 years and they still work perfectly even though I don't treat them very nice. They are also just great for picking up a parcel at the post office or buying groceries or other stuff on the way home from work.

Some tips; if the pannier is very heavy and you are off the bike, try to carry it on your back like a messenger bag. There are several ways to close the Back-Rollers. In heavy downpour or if you want them to float when fording rivers, use the official method of closing the pannier or close them as a dry back. For normal use in moderate rain and snow, the "lazy method" of just rolling the top together with the shoulder strap still attached and then just securing it with the compression strap works fine.

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Regards

My Tubus racks are much more rigid than aluminum racks. Plus, the stainless steel tubing is pretty much impervious to wear. They work perfectly with my Ortliebs.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4113/...55c5bac0_z.jpg

My Super Tourist has a 3mm deep divot worn into it from the lower attachment point on my Ortliebs. Given that I load up to 60 lbs on the rack (I don't remember what the actual load limit is), this wear is worrisome. I've got a Tubus going onto the new commuter, partially for this reason.

As to the backrollers, they're great panniers. I use just one for the daily commute, and bring both for utility runs. I find that I can load up to about 20 lbs onto one side only before the bike feels unbalanced.

Ive used a Blackburn EX, a cheap clone of a Blackburn and a Tubus Tara front rack.
Tubus is really good, light, strong, stiff and durable. If you are going heavy-touring, here are very few others to consider. The Vega rear is a very narrow to reduce air resistance. It is meant for sportier rides with smaller loads. Check that it can take full size panniers, it looks OK.

The cheap Blackburn clone is surprisingly good for everyday use.
+1 on the advice to get a rear lamp bracket on the rack, it is the best location.