linberl

My adult son has a Jamis bike and uses it to shop instead of owning a car. He also likes to hit up the local bottleshops and the weight is damaging the rack. He has wald folding baskets on each side of his Delta rear rack. The basket attachments and the wire grid of the baskets rubbing against the rack legs has actually worn the metal half way through! Clearly he needs a rack that is composed of some really tough metal! For point of reference, he already replaced his rear wheel with a custom wheel on a bombproof velocity rim, because the weight tacoed the original wheel.
Are there some rear racks that would be impervious to the weight and rubbing of the baskets? Particular brands or materials? The wald baskets are fine, look like new, it's just the rack that is getting destroyed.
His current rack is the Delta Super Sherpa https://www.amazon.com/Delta-Mega-Ra.../dp/B000ACAMEC

Appreciate any recommendations...

FBinNY 

Wald makes a steel carrier with baskets integrated. It weighs a ton, but may be just the thing for your son. I don't know how bombproof it actually is. They used to have a heavy duty version designed for newsboys, and it was pretty bombproof, but I don't know if it still exists.

Otherwise if the racks are handling the weight, consider sliding thick vinyl tubing up the legs or otherwise protecting them so the baskets don't chafe them.

BITD - I had a friend who carried refrigerator compressors on his rack. Over the months the rack would sag until it looked like an old pack mule, and when it sagged to where the tire rubbed, he'd replace it and start fresh.

debade

You may want to check out Tubus and Surly. I know the Tubus are very popular with touring cyclists,

2manybikes

This will do it.

https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vi...-no-words.html

JGM411

If I am reading your OP correctly, the basket rubs against the rack legs and has worn out the legs.

Place some rubber, plastic, etc between the basket and the legs. Use it as a consumable and replace it when the part wears out.

fietsbob

Have one fabricated in a welding shop, from hot rolled steel angle?

the way this guy loads the rack he has is an unknown ..

I'd suggest rigid boxes like 'Bike Buckets' and loading the sides evenly for equal weight..






....

linberl

But they would need to be aged cedar casks filled with craft brews made from unicorn tears. My dude takes his beer seriously.

linberl

Thanks for the ideas, guys. I'm wondering if dipping the legs in plastidip would do it? Or, alternately, getting some sticky chain slap material? I suspect helicopter tape would be too thin. I don't know how much he cares about weight - he does ride around 350 miles + a week and mashes around 20 mph - when he's not carting beer. But obviously the next rack shoud be steel and not aluminum.

badmother

I would buy a piece of rubber fuel hose in the right dimension, split it and atatch to protect the rack. Also a piece of alu pipe (split in two lengthwise) and glued on again would do the trick and would look better maybe. Replace when worn out.

Therer are pictures on the forum of racks peopel custom made from scratch using bolts instead of welding.

What about a small trailer- like a travoy or Andersen trolley beind the bike- or even a bigger one? https://wicycle.com/products/bike-trailers/diy

2manybikes

linberl

I'm scoring a travoy before he does, lol. For him, the issue is he takes 40-50 mile exercise rides and then stops to load up on beer after and whatever bottle shop he's near so a trailer would be a hindrance. He's got a roll of duct tape so he's going to wrap the crap out of the areas that are wearing and see how that works. Duct tape is cheap, replaceable, and better to wear through that than the rack. Not sure why we did not think of putting something around the legs - duh - but that's the beauty of this forum.

badmother

Sounds like he need a longtail- like a Haul A day or at least a BF with the front rack they made for the Haul A day. it is possible to build a sporty light longtail with the old extracycle atachment- but then it may be a problem to store the bike. I think I remember he takes the bike innside the house.

linberl

Yeah, he has a studio apartment 3d floor no elevator. A travoy could actually work for him if he folded and bagged it and latched it to the rear rack while he rode for fun (adding 10 pounds to the ride) and then assembled it and used it to get home from the store. They're pretty pricey, though, and if he stops for lunch he's got to take it in or find a way to lock it to the bike. And then when he gets home, he has to leave the travoy loaded with beer in the lobby while he takes the bike upstairs..............anything could happen to that beer, lol. I keep telling him to just buy a little less beer and use the $ to have it delivered.

badmother

Sounds like he need a folder but it is difficult to tell others what they should do.

Having big batches delivered is an option but then the danger is he drink more beer. I find it difficult to have temptations in the house myself...

Sounds like a stronger rack is the best option- or the weight distributed between front and rear rack.

Bike Forums - Search Results

https://store.velo-orange.com/index....decaleurs.html

ironwood

BOB trailers can carry two cases of beer. The letters stand for Beer On Board.

fietsbob

the salsa anything racks to go on water bottle cage mounts, * should take a half gallon growler..

* or those on some forks, to carry 2 .. a gallon Ttl.

jdswitters

Growlers fit nicely in anything cages, with one caveat. They rattle around a bit, I solved this by carefully trimming a one inch strip from the GFs old yoga mat and cutting to size.

Otherwise wrap the delta rack legs in old innertube with wald folders. Pro tip, do not sprint for the light with just one 12-pack. The resulting wobble gets pretty hairy.

Cheers,

LeeG

Gorilla tape better

Harhir

How about one of these??

corrado33

Surly makes steel racks (instead of the aluminum that they are usually made out of.)

Cargo | Parts and Accessories | Surly Bikes

If I were you, I'd load one of those up with a nice basket and wrap the rack with old tubes to prevent wear.

They even make a rack designed to carry a 24 pack. They quite literally advertise it to carry "more beer."

Cargo | Parts and Accessories | Surly Bikes

CliffordK

This popped up on our local Craigslist.

https://eugene.craigslist.org/bop/d/...310133955.html



Apparently Fyxation makes a number of leather products including bicycle carriers for beer and wine.

One apparently connects this one to one's top tube for carrying beer bottles (or cans).



It looks a little awkward to me (swinging? bottle cages?), which might be why it is listed on Craigslist as "Used Once". But, might be good for those quick trips to one's corner store or brewery.

linberl

Really difficult to ride with it swinging around. My son has a single carrier like that for a growler and it's a bit better but still not a great solution, as it really causes the beer to jostle more than in a basket.

squirtdad

I've noticed the same wear on my rack from wald baskets, which i like....am thinking about splitting some vinyl tubing I have in my mess......er shop and using that for sacrificial wear

Mopzilla

I can build him a strong rear rack. I don't have steel rod but I know where to get it for a third of the price of OSH. or buy one that is made of metal, and use the heavy duty reinforced hose stuff from OSH to put between his rack and the baskets and hose clamp them tightly together. It's the movement and constant hitting that is causing the wear. The solution is to make everything strong and solid.

linberl

Well, I'm trying something new. I replaced the wald hangers with pipe hose clamps (4 on each side). They are snugged down over duct-taped wrap sections of the rack. I think they bear the weight with less jiggling around so they won't grind down on the rack. And I used to zip tie the rack to the side legs and I'm not doing that now - they may rub when loaded down with beer but with the zip ties (which prevent rattling when folded) they rubbed for sure. I also cut some tarp pieces and then duck-taped those to the areas that had rubbed. If this doesn't work, then he can buy a second hitch and sometimes borrow my Burley Travoy I'm getting in November. ($100 new, with 20% members coupon at REI and $100 gift card for signing up for REI Mastercard-great deal!). His rack and baskets work great for everything else he carries.