help picking a rear rack

[wheelswings]

@Steve O 113149 wrote:

But there are others here on the forum who prefer backpacks for some completely unimaginable reason. I don’t get it.

Just to give the other perspective…
When I first started bicycle commuting, I thought I really ought to get panniers to carry all my gear and groceries. But for various reasons I procrastinated on the purchase, and ultimately my back got so strong – from carrying so much weight – I stopped yearning for panniers. Now I don’t even think about it. I fill my backpack and strap a big cloth carry-bag to the outside for the extra groceries. It’s not elegant, but it works fine.

[hozn]

@Steve O 113149 wrote:

But there are others here on the forum who prefer backpacks for some completely unimaginable reason. I don’t get it.

Yeah, I tried panniers (well, single pannier + Tunis fly rack) for a couple months and was really happy to get that crap off my bike. I disliked how it made the rear end weighed down (hard to hop it over curbs) and didn’t appreciate my ‘cross bike becoming a commuter-only (I couldn’t ride off-road with the panier).

Recently, my backpack has gotten a lot heavier with carrying my laptop (and lunch, work clothes), but with it adjusted low enough it is fine. It definitely makes the backpack-free rides feel luxurious.

I am not sure whether the strength-training arguments outweigh concerns about damage to back etc. But it seems like backpack is the obvious choice if you don’t have a bike that is 100% dedicated to commuting (or touring).

[FFX_Hinterlands]

I use a light rack (Nitto R-14) and a large saddle bag. The saddlebag (Rivendell Saddlesack Large) fits my laptop,etc. I also have a small basket zip tied to a rando rack in the front for overflow. My bike is not parked in a area where someone would cut the zip ties to steal my saddlebag, though.

[Harry Meatmotor]

@hozn 113153 wrote:

Yeah, I tried panniers (well, single pannier + Tunis fly rack) for a couple months and was really happy to get that crap off my bike. I disliked how it made the rear end weighed down (hard to hop it over curbs) and didn’t appreciate my ‘cross bike becoming a commuter-only (I couldn’t ride off-road with the panier).

Recently, my backpack has gotten a lot heavier with carrying my laptop (and lunch, work clothes), but with it adjusted low enough it is fine. It definitely makes the backpack-free rides feel luxurious.

I am not sure whether the strength-training arguments outweigh concerns about damage to back etc. But it seems like backpack is the obvious choice if you don’t have a bike that is 100% dedicated to commuting (or touring).

One trick here is adjusting your fit on your commuter bike, compared to your normal fit on a non-backpack wielding bike. shoot for a good 2cm shorter reach without changing your stack height to start with. tightening up the front-center of the bike will help if you’re carrying a load on your back, without affecting your pedaling mechanics.

[hozn]

@Harry Meatmotor 113156 wrote:

One trick here is adjusting your fit on your commuter bike, compared to your normal fit on a non-backpack wielding bike. shoot for a good 2cm shorter reach without changing your stack height to start with. tightening up the front-center of the bike will help if you’re carrying a load on your back, without affecting your pedaling mechanics.

Thanks for the tip; I may try shortening that reach a bit more. I just shortened it by 5mm, so I think it’s probably about 10mm shorter than my non-commuter bike now. Stack is a little (1-2cm?) higher too, but that is also because I like to have a little less saddle-to-bar drop when riding off-road. Makes it easier to lift the front wheel over logs. Right now this seems to be working pretty well, but I’ll keep the shortening in mind if I start developing back pain. (Honestly the biggest impact of the additional weight at this point has been on saddle comfort; adding 20lbs right over my sit bones while I’m also trying to ramp up to a more consistent 12-14 hours per week has made me a lot more sensitive to the saddle-sitbone interface.)

[Tania]

I just saw a bicycle cop in DC with a rack attached to his seat post so I stopped and chatted with him about it. Turns out this wasn’t his usual bike, which has a frame mounted rack. He said he prefers the frame mounted rack because the seat post rack interferes with his leg as he gets on the bike, it moves from side to side (it really did! The clamp was loose) and that they’ve had issues with the attachment snapping. All of which could be mitigated I guess but I’m glad I stopped and asked him.

Anyway, a second backpack really is the best choice for me, right now. Biking is not a way of life for me yet, it isn’t my primary sport and I can’t have it interfere with my primary sport – so having a dedicated, tricked-out commuter bike in a stable full of other bikes isn’t realistic. Which isn’t to say I don’t WANT 11 bikes but then I also want an Audi RS7 even though I drive like a granny. What I can USE is a bike that lets me do commuting, coffee rides, the occasional rolling hills ride (ugh) and eventually at some point I’ll do one of Dirt’s gravel rides (it is a cross bike after all). I understand that a jack of all trades bike that excels at it all isn’t realistic but I’m ok with that (for now).

Not ruling out adding a rack at some point. I’m glad I posted this though, I’ve now got lots of options!

[dkel]

@Tania 113168 wrote:

Biking is not a way of life,

Wait—what?

[Crickey7]

@dkel 113170 wrote:

Wait—what?

Biking is a way to beer.

[Tania]

@dkel 113170 wrote:

Wait—what?

Fixed. Better?

[KayakCyndi]

@Tania 113168 wrote:

I understand that a jack of all trades bike that excels at it all isn’t realistic ……

Speak for yourself.

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[mstone]

@Tania 113168 wrote:

I just saw a bicycle cop in DC with a rack attached to his seat post so I stopped and chatted with him about it. Turns out this wasn’t his usual bike, which has a frame mounted rack. He said he prefers the frame mounted rack because the seat post rack interferes with his leg as he gets on the bike, it moves from side to side (it really did! The clamp was loose) and that they’ve had issues with the attachment snapping. All of which could be mitigated I guess but I’m glad I stopped and asked him.

Yes, in general a seat-mounted rack is something to do only if you have no other option. They’re heavier than a normal rack, weaker than a normal rack, and less stable than a normal rack. And they cost more for equivalent quality.

[mstone]

@KayakCyndi 113174 wrote:

Speak for yourself.

How do you attach the front rack?

[KayakCyndi]

@mstone 113176 wrote:

How do you attach the front rack?

Why would I ever need one of those? I’ve done week long tours with no front rack with no problem. I’d rather go lighter anyway. I suppose if I ever find myself with three months free and a country to ride across I might reconsider but until then no need.

[rcannon100]

@Tania 113168 wrote:

Biking is not a way of life

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[dkel]

@KayakCyndi 113174 wrote:

Speak for yourself.

+1. I haven’t yet found anything that I want to do with the Straggler that I haven’t been able to do. The only thing might be that I can’t convert it from geared to fixed without great effort, and even that problem might be solved by getting another wheel and chain to swap out (and then hopefully remembering not to shift the FD!). Maybe I should look into another wheel…

[Author]

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