Should I remove my racks?

Ok I know it's an irrelevant question...but humor me...

is it cooler to keep my front and rear racks on when I am not using them, or take them off?

 

Get them off!

 

Definitely off.

 

No, what you want is to keep them on, get your panniers out, fill them with bricks and attach them to your racks. That's the way 'real men' train, none of this carbon fibre stuff, real men train with steel bikes and bricks.

 

On.
A bicycle without luggage carrying capacity is not worth having.
It's always handy to be able to carry odd items at short notice. I found a replacement lid for my recycling bin whilst miles from home just last week. Because I had my racks on it was easy to carry it home. Always carry some light rope or bungee cords as well.

 

Should have had some string with you instead; you could have worn it like a Vietnamese peasant.

 

I'm with Snorri on this one.

 

Fronts off, rear on. Then you can nip about town with the ability to carry one pannier if you need to.

 

What Maggot said +1

 

ON...you just need another bike for the "without".

 

...and the ultimate security device - a wicker basket on the front. Your bike will NEVER get nicked.

 

Leave them on Fatters old chap

How else does one carry a crate of stella home?

 

I agree with FF, Crackle, Snorri, PrettyBoyTim and Zoiders (other beverages are available ) leave em on.

 

I'd agree with other people here, remove the front rack and keep the rear and buy another bike that can't take racks . Don't know if its true or not and I don't want to test it, but apparently the presence of racks and guards make a bike less desirable to thieves. If I was that way inclined I'd just take the bike and remove the racks/guards.