Bicycle Racks
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Racks are mounted on bicycles so that
Panniers
or other bags can be attached.
They come in two types, front & rear.
Most people start with a rear rack.
Some folks eventually add a front rack,
which allows them to carry more stuff and balance out the
load on the bike a little better.
Blackburn is the best known maker of these racks,
although other manufacturers have similar designs.
If you want the best,
Tubus offers German made, premium quality racks
(at premium prices).
Tubus racks are made of chromoly or stainless steel tubing,
while most other manufacturers use aluminum.
This makes their racks lighter yet stronger,
and less likely to crack due to metal fatigue.
Tubus chromoly racks have a tough epoxy coating,
while their stainless steel models are hand polished.
I have used Blackburn racks & they have performed just
fine for me.
If I decide to go bicycle touring in remote areas I will
probably upgrade to Tubus racks.
Rear Racks
If you want a Vista light attached to your rear rack
we will be glad to mount it at no cost.
Vista lights are relatively inexpensive,
and come in very handy when you get a flat tire & can't make it
back home until after dark.
Blackburn EX-1 ($44.95)
This is their strongest rear rack,
with three struts going down to attach near your rear axle.
It is made of aircraft-quality aluminum and weighs only
1.55 pounds.
Blackburn rates it as being able to carry 40 pounds.
Two struts on the front of the rack attach to the seat stays
on your bicycle.
Some bicycles have braze-ons for a rear rack.
Those that don't require some small clamps that wrap around
the seat stays.
This rack should last you forever (it comes with a lifetime warranty
from Blackburn).
I have one on my Fuji America that is about 25 years old & still
going strong.
We highly recommend this rack if you plan to do any self-supported
bicycle touring.
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Blackburn Mountain Rack MTN-1 ($38.95)
Not as strong as the EX-1 (rated at 30 pounds of load instead of 40),
and a little bit lighter (1.30 pounds versus 1.55).
It also has a lifetime warranty.
This model has a plate on the top which acts like a fender to keep
mud & water off of you & your cargo.
This model is designed for mountain bikes,
so it is sized for 26 inch wheels.
It fits 16" to 21" frame sizes.
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Tubus Cargo Rack ($110)
Tubus racks are made in Germany,
and are top quality racks, but at a price.
Their Cargo model is very stable and heavy duty.
Although it weighs only 1.34 pounds, its load capacity is 88 pounds.
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Tubus Logo ($120)
This design moves the rear panniers
aft and down slightly, providing additional heel clearance.
If you occasionally clip your panniers with your heels,
you might want to consider this rack.
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Tubus Cosmo ($170)
The Cosmo is a stainless steel version of the Logo.
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Tubus Fly ($100)
the Fly is a very lightweight rack,
yet it can carry 40 pounds of load.
It mounts to the brake bridge.
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Tubus Luna ($160)
The Luna is the stainless steel version of the Fly
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Front Racks
I use an old Blackburn lowrider front rack that has served me well
for about 20 years.
I never put a lot of weight in my front panniers,
usually no more than 5 pounds in either of them.
Nevertheless, this makes my bike much more stable,
since it balances out the load between front & rear.
I use front panniers on bicycle camping trips & when commuting
to Kroger to buy groceries.
Lowrider racks attach near the front axle and around the middle of the
front fork.
Some forks have holes pre-drilled to accept a lowrider rack.
Those that don't require U-bolts that go around the fork.
Blackburn no longer makes the lowrider front racks
that I use, but there are plenty of other models out there.
Delta Frontloader ($39.95)
This is a good, low-priced front rack.
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Tubus Duo ($100)
A lightweight, two-piece design that
requires mid-fork braze-ons that are drilled through to both
sides of the fork blade.
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Tubus Tara ($100)
A simple design that works on bikes
with or without mid-fork braze-ons
(extra hardware is required to mount it on forks
without mid-fork braze-ons).
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Tubus Nova ($160)
The Nova is a stainless steel front rack
with a similar design.
It has some extra tubing that the Tara does not have.
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Tubus Swing ($160)
The Swing fits on the top of a suspension fork.
Does not fit all forks - Please e-mail
Roy
with your fork make & model to find out if it is compatible
with this rack.
The other front racks shown here will not work on your
bike if it has a front shock.
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Here's your webmaster with front & rear racks in action
on a 2002 week-long, self-supported Tour in Wisconsin.
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If you have any questions, you can e-mail
Roy,
give us a call (1-800-793-7801),
or stop by our bike shop at Madison & Epler
in Indianapolis.
You may also want to take a look at our
Panniers &
Touring Bikes pages.
