Need extended rear rack...advice?
 

Greetings all. I posted this in the Utility thread but folks there suggested I post here. Problem: When riding clipless, my heels hit any rear pannier other than those that hang high on the rear rack. I need to replace my rear rack anyway, and was hoping to find one that's a few inches LONGER so that I can slide panniers just two or three inches back and not hit my heel.

Internet search has not lead me to anything that definitely is longer, so I'm asking you all to point me in the right direction. Will be bike commuting daily this upcoming school year (I'm a teacher) and want to get everything set up solid.

Also, since I'm spending the money, it'd be nice to get something durable enough to use for some minor touring in the future...
So: capable of carrying bigger loads, able to fit over 27 inch rims, and extended enough to not hit heels on panniers.

Thanks!

How much clearance are you needing to avoid heelstrike? Which rear rack do you have now?

One of the longest racks I've seen is the Tortec Expedition. It sits pretty high which gives you plenty of tire clearance for 27" tires w/ fenders. Made of 10mm aluminum tubing. Only available in the U.K. I ordered two from Evans Cycles which delivers worldwide. Currently it's about USD $52 with shipping to the U.S. If you need dimensions to see if it will work for you, let me know.

Have you considered a trailer instead? Longer racks can alleviate pannier heel-strike, but they sometimes do so at a cost of poor handling, and perhaps shimmy, particularly if you place a heavy load far back on the top of the rack.

JandD Expedition and Tubus Locc are the longest racks I know of, ~400mm overall and ~350mm of flat section from which you can hang panniers. The Tubus is more expensive because it's made of more costly steel tubing, it's stronger, it has an industry-leading unconditional warranty, and a reputation to match.

All inexpensive racks are made of Al rod, not tubing as their ad copy frequently states. Evidently ad copy writers do not understand the difference between rod and tube. Since these racks are made of solid metal (rod), they're actually heavier than you'd expect for an aluminum product. In the example of JandD vs Tubus, these racks weigh 36 and 39 oz, respectively. If the Locc was constructed identically to the Expedition, it would weigh the same or even less.

Between these two long racks, I'd choose the extra 3oz and greater fatigue strength of steel (less likely to break), even though it costs 50% more. JandD racks are not bad, but Tubus racks are simply excellent. I have one of each, but I would have only Tubus if they made a rack similar to the JandD Extreme (front) rack.

The Locc is a monster of a rack, but you get a neat way to carry your U-lock, if you can find the Abus model it was designed to accommodate. The lock holder bits are removable if you don't need them.

If you're only going to carry 10-20 lbs of cargo, then a cheap Al rack will most likely do fine. If you're going to haul groceries too (1 gal of milk = 8.5lbs), then a more expensive steel rack is worth considering.

A 27" wheeled bike requires only 4mm more radial clearance than a similar-tire 700c bike. Most racks have an excess (30-50mm) of clearance with standard size road tires. Clearance becomes an issue only when you fit maximum size (touring type 700x42mm) tires and fenders.

http://www.jandd.com/detail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=FREXP

http://www.tubus.com/product.php?xn=15

http://www.tubus.com/de_oe.php?xn=46

http://www.thetouringstore.com/TUBUS...OCC%20PAGE.htm

My Jandd "expedition" is pretty long

maybe its your panniers. Ortliebs can be fitted to hang farther towards the back of the rack.

Tubus LoGo & Ortlieb bags with their slide adjusted hook tracks work for me
hooks slid forward ant screwed down there, pushes the bag back on the rack.
and because of the way the sides of the rack are designed, they cannot slide forward.

Why are you set against going higher? In my experience, handling suffers more from moving a load BACK than it does for moving a load UP. Also, have you tried tilting the rack? If you install it so that the front of the rack is lower, the rotation effectively moves the bottom of the panniers backwards.

Some available, some not, some obsolete ;)
http://bicycleluggageracks.com/