Rear Bag Recommendation.

[raleighnut]

About £70-80 for bag and compatible rack. Going strong after a few years use so well worth the outlay IMO

I too recommend Topeak but only if the rack is a Topeak one, they are designed as a system and as such are really good.

I know Topeak's better quality control may help, but isn't the design of those bags part of the problem? They fix on only at the bottom and have nothing to stabilise them, so they're always wobbling about a bit and wearing themselves out. After my first repair, I started putting the bungees over it, but that's mainly worn shiny bands into it where they usually sat.

It's an attractive design but I suspect it's flawed. The good old rigid crate/basket is probably a better idea.

Yep that's the problem when using a Topeak bag on a normal rack, they just don't work as designed.

 

[shouldbeinbed]

I have an Altura Arran rack pack with the zippy out panniers. Its decently stable with or without the panniers out more so with, quite thick walls to the rack pac I suspect allow for more rigidity. its a removable bag from a velcro rack plate with a couple of clips to ensure it stays firm. The rack bag would hold a 4 pack of beer and some eats. The pannier pieces are easily big enough for a couple of big bottles of beer each side.
For best rigidity on the bike you can have the panniers flapped out and hooked onto the frame - they have small elasticated hooks at the bottom of them so when hooked onto the frame, pull the whole unit down onto the rack, they really do hunker the bag down really well to the bike without compromising access to any bits of it at all.

top link below. the 2nd link is a cheaper variant by the looks of it - never tried that one.


http://www.leisurelakesbikes.com/p/...ariantId=353&gclid=CPTb6OW9-csCFQhuGwodXFgK9w


https://www.cyclestore.co.uk/altura...gclid=CMnqptC9-csCFQo6Gwod6OUARg&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[clid61]

Any thoughts on this ?
https://www.apidura.com/product/saddle-pack-regular/

 

[MarkF]

All your bikes have good racks on them, so why not use panniers? Lidl have these at £9.99 a pair....

I've panniers all over the house, loads of panniers.....................but on a day long canal trip they get really dirty, filthy, a rack bag/pack/box doesn't, the top plate in my rack protects it.

Anyway, I've bought the Altura bag now and will report back on it, that comes with another 2 Altura panniers...............with a bit of luck they may be small enough to fit on the front rack of my Dawes Sardar.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/182067950709?_trksid=p2057872.m2748.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

 

[mjr]

Any thoughts on this ?
https://www.apidura.com/product/saddle-pack-regular/

£90 seems relatively expensive and it probably suffers the same drawback as my £8 canoe bag on the rear rack, in that it's hard to access the contents all from one end while there are straps around it.

 

[mjr]

[QUOTE 4225503, member: 9609"]I just have a little cheap rucksack (+ high viz cover) that clips on behind the seat and rests on the rack.[/QUOTE]
How does it clip on and why doesn't it bounce/fall sideways off the rack?

My satchels clip onto the saddle with a luggage strap under the flap but I have to use another strap to link it to the back of the rack to stop it trying to slide off the sides if it's got much weight in it.

 

[coffeejo]

Bit late, I know, but I have the Altura dryline rackpack. Easy to put on and take off, remains stable on all sorts of terrain, at 40+mph, and hasn't shifted during any ridiculous clipless moments - not a scratch on it, which is more than can be said for the daft cyclist in question (especially the day she wasn't actually clipped in ).

 

[Ajax Bay]

@User9609 - Doesn't the rucsac, positioned behind other stuff on the rack, move the centre of gravity so far back it affects handling? Just asking.

 

[mjr]

@User9609 - Doesn't the rucsac, positioned behind other stuff on the rack, move the centre of gravity so far back it affects handling? Just asking.

I'm not @User9609 but in my experience of some extreme loads (a bundle of 6ft planks is maybe the longest heavy load where the bike's still been rideable - I couldn't straddle the ladder to pedal so had to scoot it ), stuff of significant weight has to project quite a long way off the back before the centre of gravity gets too near the rear wheel hub and only then do most bikes become difficult to control. It's fairly easy to avoid that because if the centre of gravity of the load is too far back, it'll try to fall/flip off the back of the rack while you're strapping it down which is a big hint that all is not well.

That's as long as the load's not slopping around, which is why I'm intrigued by the fixing method.

 

[Pale Rider]

I've panniers all over the house, loads of panniers.....................but on a day long canal trip they get really dirty, filthy, a rack bag/pack/box doesn't, the top plate in my rack protects it.

Anyway, I've bought the Altura bag now and will report back on it, that comes with another 2 Altura panniers...............with a bit of luck they may be small enough to fit on the front rack of my Dawes Sardar.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/182067950709?_trksid=p2057872.m2748.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDXT

You don't like floppy rack bags or panniers, so your solution is to buy one of one and two of the other.

Nowt so queer as folk, as they say in your part of the world.

 

[andrew_s]

You could go for something rigid, like this
http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bik...rs/m-wave-cycle-bike-rear-pannier-topcase-box
Cheap, rigid and won't flop about.
It looks like a spanner job to switch between bikes though.

 

[Fab Foodie]

[QUOTE 4227178, member: 9609"]@mjray, @Ajax Bay
I have never noticed it effecting handling, but then I never have much weight in it, I prefer a bag just behin me as I have found in the past with panniers that they add quiet a bit to wind resistance.

Anyway to how it is fixed, and before you all laugh at my bike, its probably done more miles than most other bikes on CC, 50,000+ and I am still knocking out a 100 a week on it.

lump of wood held onto back of seat with a piece of ally plate, the bag is attached to the two screw eyes with releasable cable ties. there is no attachment to rack, but it is the rack that carries the weight. All very stable and well balanced with the best bit being; I can remove it from bike and wear it like a rucksack in about a minute. (i often push along rough tracks and bag is best on my back)

[/QUOTE]
You Sir, are a master bodger! Gaffer tape, tie-wraps, and an off-cut of wood .... it's all there ....

 

[raleighnut]

[QUOTE 4227219, member: 9609"]I know, it's sad isn't it .... my whole life is also held together in such a fashion, my wife lives in despair. On a more positive note though, I'm sure society is mighty pleased I no longer have a lorry on the road.[/QUOTE]
Some of us remember the door lock.

 

[raleighnut]

[QUOTE 4227239, member: 9609"]what door lock ?[/QUOTE]
I thought that was one of your repairs/bodges, trying to make a new spring for the back door lock. I must be getting old.

 

[gasinayr]

get one of these for the beer
www.topeak.com/products/baskets/TrolleyTote