Bike Forums - Rear Rack for LHT

Hi,

I'm looking for a rear rack to put on a LHT.

I want something solid, preferably steel over aluminium but not an absolute must. Although I'll likely never overload it, I want something that'll be good for a long time and won't break if I carry a bag of firewood on a campsite, or other bulky items. I have Arkel Panniers (recent models with the new fastening system).

Must haves:
- Fits on a LHT
- Solid
- Not too narrow or too small so I can securely put a Arkel Pelican for day trips. (It's also annoying to attach that sort of bag on a narrow rack).
- Compatible with recent Arkel panniers

I've looked at:
- Tubus Cargo (steel)
- Surly Nice Rack (steel)
- Blackburn expedition (alu)

The problem with the Tubus racks is that I'm having a hard time to locate some in Montreal. For various reasons, I don't want to order out of the country and prefer to deal with local dealers.

I've seen the Surly Nice Rack and it looks awful nice. It's a bit expensive though. Anyone have any experience with that rack? Is it worth the money?

The Blackburn expedition, I don't like, mainly because it's tiny and will make my tail rider bag unstable. I also don't like the way it looks. I also don't like the fact that I need to pry it apart to fit it on my bike. Seems somewhat a bad idea because the rack will not be parallel to the frame and will put unnecessary stress on the bolts.

Anyone have suggestions? Should I go with the Surly Nice Rack or do you have better (hopefully cheaper) alternatives? Push come to shove, I'll pay what it's worth, but I rely on your precious advice to avoid spending money on overpriced items.

Thanks!