Rear bike rack

[judsonmiller]

The time has come for me to buy a new rack. The one I bought before was crummy and after several years of abuse it finally has given in to the inevitable collapse. I do a lot of touring with 30 to 50lbs of gear. Does anyone have a strong recommendation of a rear rack that is not too expensive but is substantial enough that I will not have to worry about it for several more years? I use 700c wheels, my current bike is Soma Double Cross but I am upgrading soon to a LHT or a Atlantis.

Thanks so much!

[WesternFlyer]

I use a Tubus Logo.  I would recommend it to anyone hauling a heavy load.  I use it routinely to haul groceries at much higher weights than I carry while touring.  It is strong, stable, light weight, and very adaptable to different frames and panniers.  It was not cheap, but comes with a great warranty. I bought mine from a local bike shop, but it is available online at TheTouringStore.com

[staehpj1]

I like the Blackburn EX-1.  Reasonable price and pretty sturdy.

[MRVere]

I too will recommend Tubus.  Contact Wayne at The Touring Store Dot Com and he will help make sure you get exactly what you need for your bike model. He also carries a really cool light that attaches to the rear rack.

[tonythomson]

Hi depends where you plan to travel - whenever I have cycled in the less developed countries I always use a steele rack - just in case of breakage or accidents you can easily get it welded almost anywhere. Blackburn is good.

[driftlessregion]

Lots of places to buy the Tubus including Wallingford and Peter White. Mine poped a weld (but didn't seem to weaken it at all it is so strong) and it was replaced easily.

[bobbirob22]

tubus racks are good and come with a great warranty, also another popular and rugged rack is old man mountain racks, a little higher priced though.

ROBERT JENKINS

[judsonmiller]

Thanks for all the feedback. Following the advice here I did some research into the Tubus line. Since I don't have heal clearance issues, I think I am going for the Cargo. It is a touch lighter and cheaper with the same weight capacity. Thanks for the help!

[bktourer1]

Look at the Jandd Expedition

[bktourer1]

http://bicycleluggageracks.com/

I forgot about this site

Ed

[Westinghouse]

I don't know. I just buy whatever rack is cheap and available, use it to near failure, and get another. Actually, if it is cheap, I just get a new one before another long tour as a sort of preventive maintenance. No problems doing it that way, but I have to keep buying cheap racks and changing them. It is not a concern. There are some very good racks out there that cost more than I have ever spent for one.

[Tourista829]

Tubus is the best, light weight, chrome moly, and can haul alot of weight. It probably won't fail but if it ever needs repair, you could get it fixed, not so with an aluminum rack. Worth the extra money because there is nothing worse than a broken rear rack miles from nowhere. I have the Cargo with a matching set of front Tara's. Good choice!

[RussSeaton]

"It probably won't fail but if it ever needs repair, you could get it fixed, not so with an aluminum rack."

Why can't you get an aluminum rack fixed?  I've modified my aluminum Blackburn several times.  Moved the attachment points to fit another bike.  Just ground off the old ones and moved them over an inch and had my brother weld them where I wanted them.  No big deal.  The way you talk it seems like you think only the factory has the equipment to weld aluminum.  Nonsense.  Any TIG welder will work just fine on aluminum.  And these very expensive tubular steel racks recommended here also require a TIG welder to weld.  You cannot and will not get them repaired in the middle of nowhere by some farmer with an old ARC welder.  Thin walled tubular steel racks require just as special welding equipment as aluminum.  If not more so since the thin walled tubular racks require far more precision in welding than the thick solid aluminum rod used in a Blackburn.  It will be far easier to fix an aluminum rod rack than a tubular steel rack in the middle of nowhere.

[paddleboy17]

It will be far easier to fix an aluminum rod rack than a tubular steel rack in the middle of nowhere.

I think you are right about TIG welding aluminum rod.  As long as the metal has not fatigued, you should be able to TIG weld it.  As for chromoly steel tubing, I think the ability to TIG weld it depends on the tubing sidewall thickness, and I just don't know how exotic the tubing is that Tubus, Surly, and the boutique rack builders use.

As an alternative, I will bet you could find someone to braise (silver solder) a tubular steel rack.  Again, as long as the metal has not fatigued, the repair should be good as new.

I have a buddy that wants to modify Tubus rear racks to better accommodate an Arkel Tailrider rack bag.  Nice bag, just perfect for all the stuff you might want immediate access to during a ride.  The Tailrider just wants a wider platform to sit on than what Tubus supplies.  If he ever follows through with the mods, I will let you know how easy it is to TIG weld a Tubus rack.