Rack recommendations (rackommendations)
 

I recently got a Kona Dew for commuting and puttering around. my friends are considering some bike touring though, so I'd like to put a rack on the bike. There seem to be a lot of different models, and it's hard to pick one. I was thinking of the Tubus Logo evo, but it seems a bit pricy. Was also looking at Toba and Racktime. Are there any others I should consider?

"rackommendations"

I like this guy

Axiom, Surly, Blackburn, jannd,just to name a few.Tubus is really good,probably one of the best,you won't go wrong with them.

That Tubus rack looks really nice. If you want something similar to the Tubus but don't mind an aluminum rack you can get the Bontrager Backrack Deluxe which is a similar design and significantly cheaper. Probably not as bombproof as the Tubus, but I own and use the backrack deluxe and really like it.

I love my topeak rack. I have one of their trunk bags that sides on and off easily yet will take panniers
http://www.topeak.com/products/Racks...Rack_discMount

Yep. Topeak Explorer, non-disc model for me. Used for years with no problems.

My bike doesn't have disc brakes but, that was what they had that fit my trucker. I havent toured but for day rides it is hard to beat I have the 8 liter trunk bag it will carry lunch, camera, music, and my compact fishing kit, slides off to take to a picnic table .

Love my Tubus SS rack. After a few years, the cost will seem very low.

I've got an original Blackburn rack on my tourer (must be from 1980 or 81); been on two bikes (current one from 1984) and other than some grooving of the aluminium (Not aluminum :)) where the panniers have worn into the vertical stays, it's still working hard today.

My wife has tubus on front and rear of her Roberts, they look great and work well.

The 4130 steel Tubus , is almost as good as Bruce Gordon's.

Topeak or Blackburn if you don't think you're going to be doing long-distance, heavy-duty expedition touring.

Tubus or Old Man Mountain if you know you are.

I have the Topeak as well. I love the bag when I'm commuting, but I switch to panniers for camping.

I had an early 80's Blackburn on an old Specialized Expedition that I recently replaced with a Tubus Cargo. I thought the Blackburn rack was great until I got the Tubus. It is rock steady and just has a bullet proof feel to it. Can't go wrong with either of those, but I would go with the Tubus, even for the extra $$$.

Blackburn, Bor Yeuh and Jandd Expedition racks. I have all of them and they are durable.

Aaron :)

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=321836
Up to yourself what you buy and good luck with the decision.

I went with what I was advised was what I should buy if I only wanted to buy once.
I bought Tubus.

Because I'm "fussy" about scratched paint on racks from panniers which can cause rust and a
general eyesore, I bought their stainless steel set of Cosmo and Nova.

I got a great deal from bike24.com in Germany as part of a large order.
You can get a lot of items for a standard postal fee of 20 Euro from memory.

I've also just ordered a front flat rack:
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/130765706884
It adds a lot of versatility without adding a lot of weight.
Again its stainless, it has a fender mount to adds some stability to a front fender, it can handle 22kg or 50pounds of weight.

I originally thought I was going to get a Surly Nice front rack until it was pointed out they weighed in at 1382 grams and could carry 32 kg.

My Tubus Nova combined with this Velo Orange rack weigh in at 755 grams.
The Nova 535 grams and VO Pass Hunter 250 gram.
Their recommended max loads being 15 kg for the Nova and 22 kg for the VO.
Their combined load being 37 kg surpassing the Surly by only 5kg but weighing over half a kilo less whilst doing it and also unlike the Surly, being stainless steel will never rust or need repainting.

I dont intend to carry anywhere near the max weight limits and will appreciate the eye-candy that is to me more visually appeasing - the stainless combo

Good luck with the decision.

I got my Tubus Logo EVO last summer from BikeBagShop.com, free shipping and small discount off of list. I am very happy with the Logo EVO for touring, it puts the panniers a bit lower and farther back. And the rack is quite stiff, no flex at all. Have two tours with that rack, total about 850 miles.

But, the top platform is too narrow for a rack top bag so for me for around town it is the wrong rack. When I get home from a trip, the Logo EVO comes off the bike and a cheap rack goes back on for utility use. But for mounting heavy panniers, I can't say enough good things about the Logo EVO.

I want to echo what rifraff said about the Surly Nice front rack, which I have and like, but is very heavy. If I were to do it again I would look for a small platform rack for my handlebar bag and something separate for my panniers. The reason I did not go this route originally is that I thought I might also need the high-riders on the Nice rack for off-road touring. That might be important on a 26" wheel bike but my 700x42mm tires give me plenty of ground clearance even with low-riders.

I'm not unhappy with the Nice Rack, I just don't need the features the extra pound of weight adds. One pound doesn't mean much to me so I'm not going to pay to change it but if I had to start over, I'd pair a small handlebar bag platform rack with low-riders instead.

I am looking for a rack as well and have a general question. Why do the "touring" racks not have a flat shelf on top while commuter one do? I would like a rack with substantial weigh carrying ability, a second lower rail for panniers, and the flat shelf, but that combination does not seem to exist. I like the shelf as provides a better platform for the racktop bag, and a little water protection. Thanks

I'd wager that most touring bikes have fenders, making the water protection from that solid platform redundant, and most rack top bags have stiffeners to allow them to be used on racks without that solid platform. All this means that for the same weight, a rack without a solid platform would be stronger than one with. I also think they look better.

Thanks for the advice, everyone

Commuter racks are usually made from aluminum while touring racks are often steel. Flat sheets have to be made thicker than tubing walls and on a steel rack the weight penalty is too high.

+1 on the Old Man Mountain racks, they're bomb-proof.

The Jannd Expedition rear rack pretty much solved my heel strike issues too. Paint is flaking off of it, but otherwise solid.

I dropped a lot of coin for a Nitto Big Front rack for my commuter, this would be a great rack for touring as well. Low rider mounts and an flat surface on top, even if it is open. Beautiful rack and showing zero signs of wear after a over a year of daily use. I expect it'll last forever.

Both the racks on my touring bike have platforms and I believe they were designed for touring. Up front I've got an Old Man Mountain brand, Cold Springs model. I believe they've discontinued this model, but they have several similar ones. In the rear I've got a Jannd Expedition.

I like having decks on my touring bikes racks.


A couple of folks mentioned the Surly Nice Rack. I almost bought this rack, but shied away when I discovered several reports of them having failures. Until Surly publicly addresses this problem I wouldn't go that route.

I have a tubus cargo back rack and a tubus tara front rack. I did a 5000 mile tour last summer with alot of weight on my racks. When we would get 30 packs or even a couple of 12 packs I was the one that would be carrying the weight! The racks are rock solid and Tubus has a great warranty.

I like the Tubus Logo (original, not EVO) because it's relatively narrow from side to side (means overall your whole ride can be a few inches narrower. I also really like the lower rail because it allows for lower CG of the load and still permits a full range of options for mounting things to the top of the rack without interfering with the panniers. Lastly, the way the lower rails protrude behind the upper part of the rack means my rack light is more protected from being banged up when I'm schlepping my bike around at bike racks, etc.

UPDATE:
Two days after writing this I was hit by car at a four way stop. I was half way through the intersection before the driver to my right came off the limit line. The main point of contact was square on side of my rear rack. The car hit me hard enough that I was knocked to the ground. The rear rack was tweaked and a spot near one of the welds has cracked from the impact. Just thought some might be interested to hear what kind of damage can come out of a scenario like this. I will be replacing it with the same if I can get my hands on one.