Rack and paniers
 

Hi guys,

I figure you must know something about this. I've got a cycle cross bike that I just built, and I'm considering fitting it with a rear rack and some (maybe one?) paniers. I'm not hauling a lot of gear, just work clothes (minus shoes) my lunch, and tool kit. The bike in question is around 58cm c-top, and has chainstays that are roughly 2 cm longer than a typical road bike. The bike has rack mounts. I have pretty big feet, size 12 US.

Am I going to have issues with heel strike? Are there differences in rack and panier design to address this? What should I look for?

Speaking of heel strike - when I wear my pumps - especially the 4-inch heels - I find pedaling to be tricky. Two things about hitting your panniers while pedalling - make sure the pannier that you get doesn't have little front-projecting pockets - and set the bags as far back as possible on the rack. To prevent slow forward crawl - which happens while braking with all but the best attaching systems - use either duck tape or a broccoli rubber band in front of the hooks - not pretty but cheap and it works.

If you are only going to use one - I'd consider a rack-top bag instead.

Have you thought about the rack that only attaches onto the seat post? From what I see that you are carrying, that should work well with a rack top bag that Jama recommends. No heel strike with that set up.

Thanks for the input. At this stage, I'm thinking maybe I'll do some light loaded touring, so I don't want to limit myself too much. On the other hand, the seat post rack could be easily removed when I don't use it, and it would be good for light loads. I'll have to think about it some more. And I'll leave my stillettos at home.

[QUOTE=jamawani]Speaking of heel strike - when I wear my pumps - especially the 4-inch heels - I find pedaling to be tricky.

This might be the single most impressive sentence I've ever read on a message board. I am amazed and in a good way. Along those lines, here's a photo I took of a woman in England, who has transcended lycra and seems to know what bike touring is truly about.

http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=2609803

At one time all I rode to work on (22 miles) was my road race bike and I pulled a BOB Yak trailer. It's a great option with some down sides of course. So that's one option for you. I've also toured using the yak.

For a rear rack, one of the best brands, Tubus...makes two racks just for folks in your situation. The Logo and Cosmo allow for the panniers to be mounted farther back than on any other racks I've seen.

Look at these racks.

If your bike had mid-fork rack attach points on the fork I'd advise using front panniers instead, and that would eliminate the foot strike issues. The main reason for doing so is that adding more weight to the front of the bike stabilizes it since most of *your* weight is at the back. Adding more weight to the back makes the bike less stable. I'm pretty sure you don't have such a fork, do you?

Cheers,

Ron
Utah...for now.
Jasper, Banff, Calgary & Edmonton this July.

Go the Topeak website (google it). You will find plenty of rack options, but better yet their racktop bags give you a few additional options, including one with a fold-out pannier on each side. The mini-panniers are just that -- mini -- and while I have seen them on other bikes, I am not sure of their longevity. But they may suit both your commute and light touring aspirations. I have several Topeak racktop bags, including one that is around six years old, and still like new despite a lot of use. Their most significant advantage is that they lock on to the Topeak rack with a slide system, making them very secure for all types of riding, including MTBing.

Otherwise, get a full rack, set it up so that it is level or very slightly tilted forward. If your chainstays are nice and long, I would suggest (but not guarantee) you should have no troubles with heelstrike on panniers, even the larger ones. jamawani's suggestion about the panniers moving forward might apply, but I have found the panniers usually take care of themselves if they are cinched down tightly with the inner strap.

You do need to be careful about mounting the panniers as far back on the rack as seemingly possible, as this can upset the handling of the bike both in corners and while standing to climb, especially as you seem to have a large frame. The centre-of-gravity weight of the panniers should be ahead of the rear axle.

Might sound a bit technical, but I have a 58cm steel frame and load positioning on the rack can have a quite dramatic effect on how the bike handles, especially when climbing while standing.

Finally, make sure you use the spring washers when bolting the rack on. Either that or a drop of Loctite 242/243... lost bolts are common, and while not fatal, a damned nuisance.

Search the Forums for seat post racks, and you will find that they do not cope well with touring. Even if you are travelling light enough to use one, it can damage your seat post.

--J

The Jandd Expedition rack is a beefy monster. It is 3" longer than most standard rear racks, which gives you a little more heel clearance.

Ok. Great info from everyone. I think I can probably get by with a standard rack and some small paniers. Any "touring" I would do would be over a weekend, and I can imagine I would carry a small one man tent (5lb), light sleeping bag (2lb), tools and a change of clothes (6lb?). Not much really. Don't have fork mounts, but it would be easy enough to get a different fork.

It's also pretty easy to mount a front rack using U-bolts, no need for the braze-ons.