Where does the bungee on the back of rear panniers go?
 

Hello. I signed up for this to ask a somewhat silly question. I'm in my 50's and new to riding. I purchased a rack and panniers from Nashbar to go on the back of my bike. Rack went on no problem (ok I may have spent an hour putting it on) and the panniers sit on the rack but my question is.... Where does the bungee thing with the hook go?

I tried placing it here and there but it just always came back to smack me :cry:

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=486966

Pannier racks usually have a loop or ring of some kind near the bottom of the main leg. Some have 2 legs which are welded together then separate to make a V-notch for these tension systems.

Here's a link to a bunch of images showing the diversity of these arrangements. However some racks, especially ones not made specifically for panniers may not have anything. In that case, you can buy or improvise small eye hooks that you'll attach under the head of the mounting bolts.

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=486981
That's the rack I have. The panniers still feel lose when I pull the cord down and place it in the V-notch. Maybe it's because they're empty? Also feels like it's going to snap.

Should the panniers be on the front, middle or back of the rack? They're smaller panniers and you can fit two on one side just to show how small they are. Or would this depend on weight?

They generally go one per side. Forward or back is a question of personal preference. More forward improves handling, but can make heel clearance issues, so I'd say as far forward as possible before causing a heel clearance issue.

As for the down tension system, you sometimes have to improvise so it works reliably. There's no one way, like many bike things (and life) you apply the concept, modifying it as needed so it works for you.

Thank you! I think where I made my mistake is that I was pulling it out of the whole in the pannier itself :) Newbie stuff I guess