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1

Classifieds / FS: Robert Beckman Racks and Panniers

« on: May 07, 2024, 08:50:50 am »

Robert Beckman Racks and Panniers, asking $800 plus shipping

Robert Beckman is legendary throughout the bicycle touring community for the highest-quality touring gear possible. I have a full set of racks and panniers that I no longer need. The rear panniers have been used on a number of short tours, but the front panniers haven’t seen action — they’ve languished in my garage, because the rear panniers are large enough for anyone not camping.

Beckman has his own mounting system, so the panniers wouldn’t readily attach to a non-Beckman rack. You’d need to remove the hooks and add a different attachment system to use them elsewhere; but why would you — his racks are more rigid than anyone else’s and the attachment system is amazing.

I had Stephen Bilenky modify the racks so that they could split in half for packing. He also built the protective cage for the front light. The racks were built for my bike with 26in wheels

Beckman believes in compartmentalization in the panniers, which makes it easier to force heavy gear low and near the center of the bike, and also makes things easier to find. Things will not shift around. If you like Arkel more than Ortlieb, this is your thing.

Compare 60l for the pair of Beckman rear panniers vs 54l for Arkel GT-54 ($479.99USD)
Beckman weight is 4lb12oz according to my kitchen scale.
GT-54s are 7.4lbs according to Arkel.

Compare 46l for the pair of Beckman front panniers vs 42l for Arkel T-42 ($279.99USD)
Beckman weight is 4lb8oz according to my kitchen scale.
T42s are 5lbs according to Arkel.

I’m offering these as a set, and am not interested in subdividing it.

Pics available at https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B0XJ0DiRHJF0Cyk

Specs:
Front Rack
   •   weight 2lb5oz according to my kitchen scale
   •   full rack, with top platform
   ⁃   top platform extends level to the seat stays
   •   rack is fillet-brazed
   •   rack has cross-braces for rigidity
   •   rack has strap guides to strap things to the platform with no strap slippage
   •   uses a mid-fork mount that is higher than most
   ⁃   I had new eyelets brazed, but p-hooks could probably be used
   •   protected mount for a light at front of rack
   •   braze-ons for fender mounts
   •   can mount panniers in either a high-rider or low-rider position
   •   panniers are locked to racks with a 5-hook system (3 top, 2 bottom)
   •   separators have been added to split the rack down the middle for packing ease

Front Rack
   •   weight 2lb7oz according to my kitchen scale
   •   full rack, with top platform
   •   rack is fillet-brazed
   •   rack has cross-braces for rigidity
   •   rack has strap guides to strap things to the platform with no strap slippage
   •   uses a seat-stay mount that is higher than most
   ⁃   I had new eyelets brazed, but p-hooks could certainly be used
   •   mount for a light at rear of rack
   •   braze-ons for fender mounts
   •   panniers are locked to racks with a 5-hook system (3 top, 2 bottom)
   •   separators have been added to split the rack down the middle for packing ease

Rear Panniers
   •   2 large compartments, one with removable vertical divider
   ⁃   top access, 2-way zippers run around 3 sides
   ⁃   zippers are double-baffled
   •   separate flat pocket on exterior
   •   17h12w9d = 1800ci/pannier (30l)
   •   weight 2lb6oz/pannier according to my kitchen scale
   •   cinch straps run at an angle, so they pull outside edge up
   ⁃   no pannier sag
   •   interior bright yellow for visibility
   •   exterior pocket has interior flat pocket
   •   all zippers are YKK
   •   separate bright yellow rain cover

Front Pannniers
   •   1 large compartment with removable vertical divider
   ⁃   top access, 2-way zipper runs around 3 sides
   ⁃   zipper is double-baffled
   •   2 smaller compartments, one above the other in a second panel
   ⁃   top compartment has top access, zipper runs around 3 sides
   ⁃   lower compartment has a zipper on either side
   •   17h12w7d = 1400ci/pannier (23l)
   •   weight 2lb4oz/pannier according to my kitchen scale
   •   cinch straps run at an angle, so they pull outside edge up
   ⁃   no pannier sag
   •   interior bright yellow for visibility
   •   all zippers are YKK
   •   separate bright yellow rain cover

2

GPS & Digital Data Discussion / Texas Hill Country Loop GPS vs Printed Map

« on: February 06, 2021, 10:43:51 am »

I live just off the loop in Cedar Park. I’m trying to reconcile my printed map (BC2401 2016) with the current electronic map, and am looking at the part near where I live (Panel 10).

The printed directions have me going from Bagdad Rd to Crystal Falls Pkwy to Lakeline Blvd to Cypress Creek Rd to Anderson Mill Rd.

The electronic directions have me going from Bagdad Rd to E San Gabriel Pkwy to CR 270 to Hero Way to Ronald Reagan/Parmer to Anderson Mill Rd.

The map updates section of the web site doesn’t list any changes to this portion of the map. Am I just totally misreading the map (very possible, I’m definitely GPS-dependent)?

3

Routes / Problems with Great Rivers maps

« on: September 29, 2004, 07:47:37 pm »

I recently tried to do the GRS route, picking it up at Cape Girardeau, after doing the Katy Trail in MO.

I abandoned the trip because I found the maps so hard to follow.

My original plan had been to camp the first night at the Lion's Club Park (to the east of Karnak, according to the commentary), only to find it was west of town, so I backtracked, and is currently used to store aggregate for the highway department. Since what little ground that wasn't covered with aggregate seemed to be covered with trash, I decided to push on to the next stop in Golconda, but I never made it, since I couldn't correlate the map with the ground.

Directions such as "6.5(11)Mermet. Turn right onto US 45. Turn left onto CR 1375N..." sent me to scanning the area on my GPS, since CR 1375 isn't visible when you first get on US45 -- it's another half a mile, and I assumed I must have missed a turn (which in this area always got me on a road with heavy trucks that refuse to move over, a 50MPH+ speed limit and no shoulders).

A GPS is of no help when the directions say "At T, turn right" without specifying the road. Since I wasn't carrying detailed backup maps for the whole distance, I got irretrievably lost on the Mermet Road section (which came up on my GPS with a different name). Apparently, when the directions say bear left, they mean "take a left at the T onto Staton Ridge Road", and when they say "At T, turn right", they really mean "bear right on New Columbia".

If there had been several of me, so I could have checked out all the confusing areas by checking all directions, maybe it would have been different. Of course, not being surprised by the camp ground being a big pile of rocks would have left me fresher, and not trying to figure all this out after doing 80 miles with full gear on a hot day.

In the end, I spent some time driving the area, and have come to the conclusion that its road system really isn't particularly suitable for biking anyway -- narrow lanes, combined with no shoulders is not a happy combination.

In putting in the turn-by-turn directions, please always name the road -- even if ther's no signage when the route is first mapped, signs can get put up, and locals can't point you towards "unnamed road". When you have to backtrack, it takes some time to resynch your mileage with the maps, and then it's easy to get confused at turns, if the directions are only as precise as "At T, turn right".