Subtle alternative to a pannier rack

[Tel]

Building a bike for the missus and she wants a rack on it as she has one on her current bike which come in handy for this and that but it's gunna ruin the aesthetics of the bike. Can anyone suggest an alternative to the rack?

BTW I'm still looking for a bargain rack and keep getting outbid on Ebay for those ones from SJS. So if anyone has a black tubular alloy rack for about a tenner I'd be interested, unless someone suggests something else....

 

[HLaB]

A Rack that doesn't look like a rack ? I don't really know the solution to that

When I put this rack on the commuter, it was £10 then but I see it is £15 now. IME its been great value for money.

 

[ELL]

depending what you want it for and I know its a lot more that £10, but you could look at one of these but not knowing what the bike looks like this could ruin it even more.

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/..._productId_231829_langId_-1_categoryId_165643

 

[Piemaster]

How about a quick release seatpost rack. She can take it off easily then when not using it - along with panniers as well. Doing something similar with sons bike;flat barred road bike as it doesn't load carry often and looks wrong with a rack.
(BTW don't get panniers from that website. The fittings are crap)

 

[PBancroft]

depending what you want it for and I know its a lot more that £10, but you could look at one of these but not knowing what the bike looks like this could ruin it even more.

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/..._productId_231829_langId_-1_categoryId_165643

I have a beam rack - not from Halfords, but it is a Topeak Beam Rack pretty much as you link to (a different model which suits the design of my bike).

Without P-Clips it is the only way to get a rack on my bike. It means that I've been able to go on a 170 mile+ tour, and get to work each day with all my paperwork, change of clothes etc.

I hate it.

It's damn heavy. I need to use zipties to stop it from wobbling all over the place. I can't fit proper sized side bags to the rack, and so have to make do with a trunk bag which has fold out sides - with barely enough space for anything larger than A4. Sure its QR, and it solved my problem, but if you have another way to go don't use this one.

 

[wafflycat]

I have a Topeak Beam Rack I use on my road bike. This one without the side bits

http://www.topeak.com/products/Racks/RXBeamRack_w_side_frameE-Type

I find it ideal for an all-day ride, as it takes a bag a bit bigger than the usual under-saddle thinggie on a road bike, and I can carry spares, food, phone, waterproof, money, sun cream, insect repellent, etc., etc... with ease. With mine, Kaipaith, I don't have to use anything to stop it wobbling all over the place - it's rock steady. It is, however, of no use as a replacement for serious load carrying rack & panniers.

 

[PBancroft]

I have a Topeak Beam Rack I use on my road bike. This one without the side bits

http://www.topeak.com/products/Racks/RXBeamRack_w_side_frameE-Type

I find it ideal for an all-day ride, as it takes a bag a bit bigger than the usual under-saddle thinggie on a road bike, and I can carry spares, food, phone, waterproof, money, sun cream, insect repellent, etc., etc... with ease. With mine, Kaipaith, I don't have to use anything to stop it wobbling all over the place - it's rock steady. It is, however, of no use as a replacement for serious load carrying rack & panniers.

I do think that the problem is the amount that I carry. At the bare minimum I carry a full suit (!) because we currently have nowhere at work to store changes of clothes (although this will change in the next few weeks). This week I am on the PRINCE2 Practitioner course, and so have an alternative change of clothes (lightweight trousers and T Shirt) but also a 450 page manual, and about the same again in loose-leaf paper. This is obviously on top of the usual spares, tools, food, drink etc.

So basically I'm my own worst enemy when it comes to keeping my bike lightweight, but the heavy rack doesn't help either. It probably does wobble because of the weight though, which is worth bearing in mind if you need to carry a lot.

 

[wafflycat]

Ah... so really you're using it for something it's not totally suiable for! So what you require is another bike, of course, one that can take a proper rack & panniers.

n+1

 

[Bristol Dave]

How about one of these:

http://www.bikesandtrailers.com/bike-trailers/index.html

BD

 

[wafflycat]

Building a bike for the missus and she wants a rack on it as she has one on her current bike which come in handy for this and that but it's gunna ruin the aesthetics of the bike. Can anyone suggest an alternative to the rack?

BTW I'm still looking for a bargain rack and keep getting outbid on Ebay for those ones from SJS. So if anyone has a black tubular alloy rack for about a tenner I'd be interested, unless someone suggests something else....

Looking back to the OP...

Tel, me old china... if your good lady wants a rack on her bike put one on it. It's her that's riding it, not you. This 'aesthetics' thing is a personal choice.. I mean it's not like you're riding the thing...

 

[Landslide]

And if it's her who's worried about the aesthetics, point out that she'll not be able to see it when she's actually riding...

 

[John the Monkey]

Tel, me old china... if your good lady wants a rack on her bike put one on it. It's her that's riding it, not you. This 'aesthetics' thing is a personal choice.. I mean it's not like you're riding the thing...

Never a truer word, waffly.

I realised this when Mrs Monkey insisted on a front basket, as opposed to a bar bag.

 

[Tel]

yeah, yeah you guys are right she wants a rack so it is a rack she shall have, the one that HLaB linked to should do fine but maybe the one with a platform as then she won't have to have mudguards then

Although she did give preference for a rack with a spring holder thing on it the other day...

Thanks for all the other replies. I really don't like the seatpost racks though!

 

[phil_hg_uk]

I have one of these -->

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Topeak_Super_Tourist_DX_Rear_Rack/5360022940/

It is the one with the springy thing I also have the Topeak MTX bag with the fold out paniers that fits the quick release slider as well. I used to use them on my mountain bike but as I now have a tourer they are both surplus to requirements and hardley used if anyone is interested.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

not an alternative to a rack but a rack that is aesthetically pleasing, and it is pretty easy on the eye too, ladies and gentleman I give you the Tubus Fly