Ok, this might be better answered by the older U.K. based forum members.
Or anyone else who might know.

Here is the hypothetical, it's 1981 or within a couple of years of it, and you walk into a bike shop looking for a rear rack. What would the most common rack be? The standard Pletscher mouse trap? Or were racks not common on British bikes in the early 80's ?

Anyone? Anyone at all?

Well, there are Pletscher mouse traps listed in the '78 and '81 catalogs, so I guess that is what I'll go with.

Ask viscount or pitcanary...

East Hill

Thanks East Hill, I was thinking one of them might respond, but I know it's kind of an odd question, one that I probably answered for myself. If the catalog had Pletscher racks, thats probably my answer.

I would think the classic Swiss Pletscher mousetrap would have been as popular in Europe as it was here. (... or should I say "is," since I still happily use one on my Peugeot? )

Viscount isn't sure about it!
But I got numerous racks here and will look into it and report back.

Pletscher is good quality over a long period, light, and no paint to match!
So what's the problem with Pletscher?

PS. I think we might have been asleep here when you asked

What's the problem with Pletscher? Well since they were common and cheap they were often abused (at least used hard) and so they cracked. They also quickly lost that very thin flash plating and turned gray and then ashy white...and the steel parts rusty red. Other than that, most of the Pletscher stuff (racks and kickstands) are examples of a quality industrial design, akin to the other Swiss landmark Weinmann centerpull brake calipers, and most people just give it away. I have so many freebies I only keep the really good ones. When I want a rack to actually carry a load, I use a Blackburn.

As I recall, by the 80s the Blackburns had pretty much replaced the Pletshers, but that was here in the US.

I'm a Pletscher fan. For my commuter bikes, I prefer them to the higher-end products. The spring clip is actually useful (great for carrying a u-lock), they're cheap, and they work.

Hold the front page, I wasn't actually at my computer. Went to the flicks. Anyway.. For what bike? I'd agree with dbakl on the Blackburn. My Granddad had a front and rear Blackburn rack about that era on his Claud Butler.

pitcanary,

Nothing exotic, just a Raleigh Grand Prix.

I'd say Pletscher would still have been the most popular.

Pletscher it is then, those I have, and will soon have more of.

I have a set of Marples cabintmaker chisels made in Sheffield.

I've had several Pletschers, racks and stands, and never had the hint of rust.
I assumed they were alloy. The stands certainly were.
Only problem with the twin legged stands was that if you tightened the mountings too much they could squash the tubes on a lightweight.
Not good.

You don't have to tighten them too much. Just put a piece of drilled strap between the mount and the rear brake's center bolt. That keeps them from sliding down and you don't have to overly tighten them.