Have some hooks for shock cord where the length is adjustable , so the tension applied to hold stuff down is also adjustable..

dont recall the source, but they are effective.

Rainshed, Albany, OR http://www.therainshed.com/

Its a different one, , Doug, but maybe suitable enough..

You guys better keep it down. The lawyers are gonna find out about this, there's going to be a class action suit, and the price of bungees is going to triple and I won't be finding so many of them littering the roadside any more.

I'm just a spectator in this discussion. My solution to the strapping down the load problem was to eliminate the load that needed to be strapped down. I now only carry a rolled up CCF pad on top of the rack, along with the occasional post office delivery, and a short bungee (that I found on the side of the road) works fine for that duty.

"Strapgear" cords made of urethane, hooked ends. Versatile, predictable, washable etc.

http://www.oldephraim.com/strapgear_testimonials.html

Or marine-grade urethane bungee cords with coated fiberglass ends. Find at www.westmarine.com

I too have used regular bungies and used to have a bungee net thingee a long time ago but it ended up stretching out of shape and got all kinda weird. It did work well, but haven't seen any in stores since then so never replaced it. In july when preparing for a trip I tried using some straps I have instead of bungies, but whether it was the straps (slippy nylon) or my technique, but I just wasnt comfortable with the possibility of them shifting loose and then hanging down near the rear wheel, so I went with my tried and trued two bungies use to hold down the tent.

I agree with having to be careful with whatever one uses. My wife had a bungie get into a wheel and cassette a bunch of years ago, and I agree that Id rather have a bungie go in because of the stretch rather than a rigid strap. Ive really mostly used bungies to hold down a tent on the rear rack, and try to be as careful as possible with setting them up.

I must admit I still like how its easy with bungies to stick anything under them-from wet clothes to a free map to a box of cookies, and be able to grab it quickly without worrying about a strap becoming loose.

the warnings about eyes is certainly always valid, but as I have used bungies for years in some work duties, I think its fair to say that one always has to be super careful with them. My close calls have been when other people were attaching them to equipment near me and in a rush not doing it properly, but the danger is always there. With bike use, I find I like the shorter ones now, so theres less over stretching.

Im sure there are some neat straps as mentioned that work well, but I really do like the quickness of adding and removing stuff from my usual two "tent bungies". I too have ridden on rough stuff without any issues, and would hazard to say that on rough terrain, a load can shift and change how a strap is tight to perhaps not so tight (guess that depends on the shape of the "thing" and the strap types)

I've gotten web straps caught or cut in both my spokes and cassette on a couple of occasions. Bungees at least stretches before they snaps or break something. Webbing is almost instantaneous.

I replaced all my straps with a several 1/2" wide velcro pieces (originally 10' long roll). Put several together and make it as long as you need. Weighs nothing, sticks like crazy, and seems to last for ever. I'm pretty bad about picking up junk along the road and tieing it on and i've never had anything come loose in thousands of miles of riding. I had a long piece on my gravel back that got filthy with mud so i pitched it in the washing machine. It's as good as new.

Yeah, you're talking about the double-sided velcro straps, right? I carry about a 5 ft roll left over that's in my handlebar bag, after I used the rest to make straps for the HB bag, thermarest, cookset, and other stuff. Like you said, weighs nada and is infinitely useful.

Poly straps and d-rings.....poly doesn't stretch when wet like nylon.....your not going to break a metal d-ring anytime soon.....Light,easy to make,cost $1.........double over the end of the strap when you sew it leaving a little flap......tuck the end under the strap when tight......can't come loose and dangle(flap won't go under strap) unless your stitching breaks or the whole load comes loose.

booger, do you have any photos of your poly straps (I assume you mean polyester?) Im curious to see what they look like.

Looks like nylon webbing except it's a little coarser and it's made from polypropylene......They have it at Seattle Fabrics,Quest Outfitters and the like.

http://www.questoutfitters.com/pictu...s/webbings.jpg
Nylon--------------poly-----------crossgrain

Polypropylene is what is used on boats or when wet.Lasts longer in the sun and elements than nylon.

When you buy material for boat covers or patio covers ( Like Sunbrella .... a brand of poly material....like Levi's is a brand of cotton denim) it's made from poly not nylon.

thanks

Polypropylene does not last longer than nylon and it only has a fraction of the breaking strength and very poor abrasion resistance when compared to nylon. Polyester webbing on the other hand is nearly as strong as nylon and does weather better in the sun than nylon. Any webbing that is dyed a dark color, especially black, will have improved UV resistance. You will notice Ortlieb uses black nylon for all their pannier straps.

It's true that polypropylene has a fraction of the breaking strength of nylon, but that really doesn't matter. 1 inch nylon has a breaking strength off ~2200 pounds, comparable polypropylene only 600. Either one should be more than strong enough.

Of course polyester is actually stronger than nylon, and more water resistant than polypropylene.

Hmm, how to get my point across? There are 600 pound bs nylon webbings and they are still much stronger than 600 pound bs polypropylene. Polypropylene has very poor UV resistance, which mean it losses its strength rapidly with sun exposure. It has abysmal abrasion resistance so anywhere it is subject to chafe like at buckles or rubbing against the rack it will degrade much faster than nylon. It is not as flexible as most nylon and will fail much faster at any point where it is repeatably creased. I'm not saying not to use polypro webbing. It's cheap, readily available and come in lots of neat colors (which tend to fade quickly). Just don't expect it to last forever.

As an additional note, polyester is not as strong as nylon, at least initially. Because polyester has greater UV resistance over time it will maintain its strength better than nylon.

With all that said, I secure my tent on top of my rack with 3/16" red nylon covered shock cord, cut to length and finished with snap on molded nylon hooks.

Is everyone missing the point that Western Flyer has already made? Even with a lower breaking strength, 600 lbs is more than enough to cause considerable damage to the wheels or, at the very least, lock the wheel solid if it gets caught there. A 6mm bungee cord has a breaking strength of only 185 lbs and it stretches to 165% of its relaxed length. If the bungee cord is caught in the spokes, it will stretch quite a ways before it breaks and then it will break with less force. A 1" nylon (or polyester or polypropylene) strap will catch in the spokes, not stretch and take a fair amount of force to break.

The wiser course, if you are worried about getting something trapped in the wheel, is to go with the bungee.

I've been using the same webbing straps for 20 years, first backpacking and now bicycle touring. I don't mean the same type or brand I mean literally the same two plastic buckle straps. I don't know what they're made out of but they don't look any worse for 20 years' wear. I've never had a load secured with those straps come loose or move around. I can't fathom packing in a way that would permit a strap to get caught in a wheel.

All that said, and my previous "universal' comment notwithstanding, I do use a bungee to secure yesterday's wet jersey and my flip-flops just because it's quick and easy and those things are light enough not to bounce around.

I'm not sure where you get your data from; 1 inch flat nylon webbing has a break strength of 3000 pounds, 1 inch polyester has a break strength of 3800.

Polypropylene is weaker, and more prone to abrasion. No doubt about that. Polyester does come in better colors though.

The same could be said for bungee cords. But I think it's not about how it is packed but about other kinds of mistakes.

Alas I do not trust myself not to make a mistake...

I am the OP for this topic. I thank everybody for your interesting perspectives and ideas. But djb has nailed a telling point: even people who are careful can make mistakes, with potentially disastrous consequences.

For twenty years plus, I strapped a bungee cord or two to the rear rack. During all of that time, thousands of rides, and tens of thousands of kilometres, I never had a problem. But the one time I was a little sloppy, I came close to an accident:

I biked to the grocery store after dark, strapped a large package to the rack with a bungee cord, arrived home, and put my bike away. But because it was dark and I was tired, I released the cord, took the package, and went inside. The next day, I hopped on my bike and rode off, with one end of the bungee cord dangling down. I rode for 10 or 15 minutes when the cord hooked itself to the rear hub.

Maybe the lesson is that it's worthwhile to do a quick visual inspection before stepping on a bike. Interestingly, I already do this... but the rear rack and bungee cords were not on my radar. I almost always feel my tires to ensure they are inflated enough, and before I pedal too far, I always test my brakes. The corollary, for anyone who chooses to strap bungee cords to the rear rack, is to always ensure the cords are secure before starting to ride.

a number of years ago my wife did the same sort of thing, luckily it tangled up right outside the house and being a bungee cord, it didnt damage stuff (the stretch factor etc) but I still had to cut it off the bike and yank all the bits out of the areas it wedged itself into.
I prefer just not to leave them on the rack, stuff em in my nearly ever present pannier.

[TABLE]
[TR]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="width: 210"][/TD]
[TD="width: 211"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 217"]Does not absorb water[/TD]
[TD="width: 210"]Absorbs some water[/TD]
[TD="width: 211"]Absorbs the most water[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 217"]Dries faster[/TD]
[TD="width: 210"]Dries slower[/TD]
[TD="width: 211"]Dries quickly[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 217"]266°F / 130°C*[/TD]
[TD="width: 210"]Variable but likely around 500°F / 260°C*[/TD]
[TD="width: 211"]490°F / 254°C*[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 217"]Less UV resistant[/TD]
[TD="width: 210"]More UV resistant[/TD]
[TD="width: 211"]Somewhat UV resistant[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 217"]Moderately resistant to stretching and shrinking[/TD]
[TD="width: 210"]Resistant to stretching and shrinking, resists pilling[/TD]
[TD="width: 211"]Greater stretchability, shrink resistant[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 217"]Mildew resistant[/TD]
[TD="width: 210"]Mildew resistant[/TD]
[TD="width: 211"]Mildew resistant[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 217"]Floats[/TD]
[TD="width: 210"]Does not float[/TD]
[TD="width: 211"]Does not float[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

I have 3 narrow 48" buckle straps that I have used for touring for more than 25 years now with no problems. I like straps more than bungees because bungees can let a load loose on a big bump ( I had a nice 35MM Minllta camera pass me once that I thought was secured with bungees). I keep the straps in a pannier when not in use, not on the rack. Thin straps are best because they bite more deeply into a soft load to better securely anchor it to the rack.