Road bike that can take panniers?

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tjw_78

Active Member
Location
Winnersh, Berks
As outlined in several other posts, I’m looking to get a racing bike, mainly for fitness and training. Although new to cycling (got a MTB in Jan and loving it), I’m pretty fit and ambitious, and don’t want to waste my money on something cheap and cheerful, and want to jump in, if not the deep-end, then at deep as I can go.

50 weeks of the year I’m fairly sure a stand-racing bike will suit me fine. But the other 2 weeks I can see myself joining a couple of friends and doing something long-distance like cycling to Paris for the w/e or something. At that time, can I load up my shiny new road bike with all the luggage I need for a week or not – this might be a silly question, but do road bikes take panniers? Or what are the alternatives?

I’m not going to get a tourer as I want a racing bike for the majority or the year, and I can’t justify owing 3 bikes.

Just had an unenlightening chat with an assistant in Evans during my lunch break and I’m none the wiser. As far as I could see the Specialised Allez didn’t have fittings, but Trek and Jamis did seem to on their racing bikes in my price range, which is, by the way, somewhere between £500 and £1000 (probably in the £750-£800 ultimately, but it depends)

 

ianrauk

Tattooed Beat Messiah
Location
Rides Ti2
Specialized Secteur range takes panniers. But only on the rear.
The Sport about £600
The Elite about £1000

But you should be able to find some of last years models cheaper.
 

corshamjim

New Member
Location
Corsham
I found it a right pain fitting a rack to my Trek Pilot - it has the lower rack mountings on the inside of the seat stays, and the holes don't seem to have been tapped straight. If I were to have another go at it I would bend the bottom of the rack to suit.

Another problem with racks on road bikes is that typically the chain stay is quite short so there is very little room to stop your heels from brushing the panniers while you cycle. On a tourer, the rear wheel is further back which means there's more room and the luggage is less prone to making you do an impromptu wheelie.

An alternative might be to get a trailer - not a cheap option though.
 

dellzeqq

pre-talced and mighty
Location
SW2
in the days before I saw the light and realised that panniers were The Worke of the Devil, I used to fix my rack to the frame with little polyester coated steel loops. I put a layer of high density foam around the frame members before attaching the loops. It worked a treat.
 
OP
OP
tjw_78

tjw_78

Active Member
Location
Winnersh, Berks
Thanks, there is some useful info there. And as usual it is a matter of compromise. :rolleyes:

It is not that I want to put panniers on my bike, I am just wondering if I might regret not being able to.

Let me perhaps rephrase my question:

You friends call you up and say do you want to join them for a w/e cycle to somewhere e.g. Paris, which will involve a couple of overnight stays. You own a racing bike. You need to take a few overnight bits and bobs with you. What do you do?

· Carry a rucksack? (Uncomfortable?)

· Wish you’d brought a touring bike?

· Feel smug as you’ve got something like a Secteur and can fit panniers?

· Finally feel like you’re getting a decent use out of your ‘something like a Secteur’, because the rest of the time you wish you’d got an Allez or equivalent?



Obviously it is all down to personal preference, but I’m trying to gather as much info as possible at the moment as I’m pissing in the wind a bit! :wacko:
 

benb

Evidence based cyclist
Location
Epsom
You could get something like the Specialized Tricross. A bit heavier than a pure road bike, but can take a rack and you can even bung knobblies on and do a bit of light trail.

Alternatively, check these out. As long as you do it up tight it should work OK. I've had one on my Genesis Croix de Fer, and the only downside is that you need to open your legs a bit to stop your thighs hitting the bracket.
 
As has been said/intimated, you can fit panniers to any bike using p-clips, so in theory you can tour on a pure road bike. The areas where you might struggle are gearing, mudguards & tyres and handling.

You generally need lower gears for touring, mudguards are not essential but if you spend a whole day in the saddle in the rain and all your kit gets covered in muck, including your panniers, then you're not going to look too pretty or feel it yourself when you get to your b&b. Plus, you're companions aren't going to thank you if you're throwing road spray at them all day. Handling will suffer on a pure road bike, front will go light and the bike might feel twitchy. Putting a handlebar bag on the front negates that to some degree.

If you're prepared for all that, maybe buy a bike with a triple and fit it with a wider ratio rear block, have enough clearance for larger tyres, say 25c (not essential but helpful), fit SKS mudguards and load carefully, then any bike will do it.
 

dellzeqq

pre-talced and mighty
Location
SW2
Thanks, there is some useful info there. And as usual it is a matter of compromise. :rolleyes:

It is not that I want to put panniers on my bike, I am just wondering if I might regret not being able to.

Let me perhaps rephrase my question:

You friends call you up and say do you want to join them for a w/e cycle to somewhere e.g. Paris, which will involve a couple of overnight stays. You own a racing bike. You need to take a few overnight bits and bobs with you. What do you do?

· Carry a rucksack? (Uncomfortable?)

· Wish you’d brought a touring bike?

· Feel smug as you’ve got something like a Secteur and can fit panniers?

· Finally feel like you’re getting a decent use out of your ‘something like a Secteur’, because the rest of the time you wish you’d got an Allez or equivalent?



Obviously it is all down to personal preference, but I’m trying to gather as much info as possible at the moment as I’m pissing in the wind a bit! :wacko:
that is a slightly different question, and one that I'm currently dealing with...except that I can get all that I need for a weekend in a small aero under-saddle bag, but my companion for the weekend insists on travelling with silk trousers (!), pumps (!!) a silk blouse (!) spare bra (!!!), cosmetics (!!!**) and knickers (women - what are they about!!!).

So I'm going for a combination of lightweight rucksack, large under-saddle bag and some judicious scrunching. And folding toothbrushes.
 

Sittingduck

Legendary Member
Location
Somewhere flat
You don't need braze ons for rack bolts, just use p-clips... most road bikes will accept a rack and pannier, in this way. Dunno about carbon though... hmmm
 

Cyc_al

Active Member
As outlined in several other posts, I’m looking to get a racing bike, mainly for fitness and training. Although new to cycling (got a MTB in Jan and loving it), I’m pretty fit and ambitious, and don’t want to waste my money on something cheap and cheerful, and want to jump in, if not the deep-end, then at deep as I can go.

50 weeks of the year I’m fairly sure a stand-racing bike will suit me fine. But the other 2 weeks I can see myself joining a couple of friends and doing something long-distance like cycling to Paris for the w/e or something. At that time, can I load up my shiny new road bike with all the luggage I need for a week or not – this might be a silly question, but do road bikes take panniers? Or what are the alternatives?

I’m not going to get a tourer as I want a racing bike for the majority or the year, and I can’t justify owing 3 bikes.

Just had an unenlightening chat with an assistant in Evans during my lunch break and I’m none the wiser. As far as I could see the Specialised Allez didn’t have fittings, but Trek and Jamis did seem to on their racing bikes in my price range, which is, by the way, somewhere between £500 and £1000 (probably in the £750-£800 ultimately, but it depends)

 

Cyc_al

Active Member
I spent ages trying to decide on a bike and ended up with the Giant Defy 3 which has all the fixings and clearnace required to take panniers and mudguards. Ideal for my daily commute and only cost £600
 
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