Pannier Help!

For mother's day my husband and kids got me a trunk rack for my bike but I am not sure that it is what I want so I thought I'd ask for a little help......

My bike is a carbon frame Specialized Ruby (Comp).

I need storage for long rides like century rides and training - there is only so much room in a jersey for my cell phone, sunscreen, snacks, 15 energy bars, chap stick, pepper spray, nun chucks, and 35mm (kidding on the last two). I feel like the hunchback when I get all packed up and ready to go.

I also need space for clothes when it may be necessary to change - I live in Idaho and it seems like all we do is change clothes. Windy one minute, snow later in the day, and then BAM 70 degrees. We do a lot of riding in the mountains and it would be nice to have a place to put a jacket and tights if the weather changes.

I also commute occasionally with a laptop.

I would like something that I can take off and on easily, with a quick release. I really don't want to have to get the tools out if to take a rack off if I decide to go on a speedy 20 miler.

Trek seems to have a nice interchange system. Does anyone use this system or one like it? Reviews? Can I use it on a carbon seatpost and a carbon frame? Where do I find the rack online? I can't find a picture of it. I rely on the internet and can't cruise around to different bike shops and check different systems out because we have two bike shops - one to the north 25 miles and one to the south 25 miles.

I have done some research and the overall suggestions seem to be "don't go with the cheap systems" - without being able to see them in person, I have no idea what is cheap and what isn't!

Thanks!

I have/had the trek interchange. I really like it. But, operator error (me) has caused me to have only one pannier left. My trunk rack bounced off one early morning because (I assume) I didn't click it in correctly. This was at 4:30am and by 5am, theives were already using my charge cards. Then, on my first commute this year, I again (I know this to be the case) didn't click my bag on correctly and was going down a hill, hit a pothole and the bag bounced off. I didn't know I lost it and a guy in a truck caught up to me and told me. It got lodged under another vehicle and all but destroyed.

That being said, I really liked these bags. I have/had them for 3 years and they were/are (the one pannier bag left) is very handy, has a built in rain cover and clicks on/off easy.

Operator error:rolleyes: was my downfall, but I have to admit, they are nice.

I'd be very hesitant to strap a rack to a carbon frame.

Whatever type of mounting system you use (I'm not aware of anything but the little metal collars that substitute for braze-ons, but I'm not really up on touring gear, either) will tend to rub the frame over time (yes, they come with rubber cushions, but grit will still work its way in there). Some scratches in the paint aren't a big deal if it's metal, but I'd be seriously worried about weakening composite. (The same goes for attaching the collars to carbon stays on a bike with Ti or Al main tubes).

Plenty of roadies on the ride I just did this weekend were wearing fanny packs, especially on the second day when the weather was a little more uncertain and people were wearing jackets. IIRC those things were invented for cyclists to begin with, and it's why they're called "fanny packs" even though most people wear them in front. A moderately sized pack has room for a compact jacket, or the sleeves off a convertible jacket, arm warmers, leg/knee warmers, energy bars or gels, whatever you need. As for a laptop, is your commute too long to wear a backpack comfortably?


ETA: you would've appreciated one of the riders I saw yesterday. She was wearing a wool jersey, probably too big for her to begin with, that had stretched after getting wet, and her pockets were very full. The pockets and their contents were hanging down below the back of her saddle like a tunic :D

And pepper spray goes best on a handlebar mount, they're available. If you need to spray a dog in a hurry, you don't want to be rummaging around in a pack.

If it weren't for the fly-in-the-ointment laptop I'd say get a medium sized handlebar bag.

And no, it never pays to be cheap.

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Originally Posted by Flybye

My bike is a carbon frame Specialized Ruby (Comp).

I also commute occasionally with a laptop.

I would like something that I can take off and on easily, with a quick release. I really don't want to have to get the tools out if to take a rack off if I decide to go on a speedy 20 miler.

Trek seems to have a nice interchange system. Does anyone use this system or one like it? Reviews? Can I use it on a carbon seatpost and a carbon frame? Where do I find the rack online?

Thanks!

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If you have the braze-ons on your frame for a rack, you can use those.
That doesn't address your "remove it for a speedy 20-miler" issue, but I've seen folks ride plenty speedy with a(n empty) rack on the back of their bike. Looks Fred to those who care, but....well...there it is.

Generally, clamp-on racks (such as this) should NOT be used on carbon seatposts.

If you have no way to attach a standard rack to your frame and have a carbon seatpost, generally, you're SOL for carrying that trunk rack. Sorry.

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Originally Posted by zencentury

If it weren't for the fly-in-the-ointment laptop I'd say get a medium sized handlebar bag.

And no, it never pays to be cheap.

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I was thinking the exact same thing.

Would you consider a handlebar bag (Topeak has a nice quick-release type) for most of the uses, and then perhaps a laptop backpack for commuting when you need to carry the laptop? I have the small Topeak bag that Veronica has on her bike in her avatar (I believe) that works GREAT for long rides. I can stuff clothes, tools, food and a camera in there...and I can get to these items without dismounting, too.

Then I keep a Timbuk2 laptop backpack with my laptop so that I can just grab it when I need to ride anywhere with it.

I love my rack for commuting. I've had several kinds, and no matter which kind you get, if you want one that will hold over 20 lbs, you will have to have tools to take it off. The only quick release ones I have seen are those seatpost ones and others have reported problems. I also have the Trek interchange system and it's a good one. The Trunk just snaps on and off and the panniers (I have a grocery one and a Detours) go on easily. I just recently purchased a Topeak small trunk and their quick release, and it's just as easy as the Trek.

Just a thought: What kind of a rack did you get? Maybe we can help you find what you want for it. If my kids had gotten me a rack for mother's day I would move heaven and hell to get a bag and trunk to fit the rack they picked out. They're grown now, and I have never regretted wearing Macaroni necklaces in public or using whatever they got me no matter what.

Edit: I also commute with a laptop. I use a timbuk2 laptop sleeve. The one with handles and I just put a stabilizer strap on it, the one that comes with the messenger bags, and wear it like a messenger bag. It feels very secure.

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Originally Posted by 7rider

If you have no way to attach a standard rack to your frame and have a carbon seatpost, generally, you're SOL for carrying that trunk rack. Sorry.

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Not true. Old Man Mountain makes racks for any bike, whether they have braze ons or not :)



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Originally Posted by uforgot

If my kids had gotten me a rack for mother's day I would move heaven and hell to get a bag and trunk to fit the rack they picked out.

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Good point. Sounds like Flybye needs a touring bike to mount that rack on! Really, you don't want to use that pretty carbon bike on commuter roads, potholes, jumping curbs, etc., now do you? :D

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Originally Posted by zencentury

Not true. Old Man Mountain makes racks for any bike, whether they have braze ons or not

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I'd still be extremely hesitant to clamp those band clamps to carbon. (I learned the proper term from the Old Man Mountain site :o) Besides the wear issues that I mentioned earlier, it occurred to me after I posted that there's a strong possibility of cracking the stays if the clamps are overtightened or if the rack is overloaded, creating a stress on the stay in a direction it wasn't meant to be stressed. Never mind that carbon stays are often not round, which would mean extra stress on the contact points for the clamps, as well as extra places for grit to get in and wear.

There's a very precise (and very low) torque spec for the seatpost clamp on a carbon bike, for instance. Who's going to give you a torque spec for the band clamps? Not the rack manufacturer - who probably couldn't even get the technical data they'd need, and in any case wouldn't be legally smart to take responsibility for a bike manufactured by someone else - and not the bike manufacturer, who will just tell you not to do it.

I have an Axiom Laurentian bag that quickly un-Velcros and has a shoulder strap so I can take it with me. I also have the rack and I really like how it's designed. There's a Streamlined Carbon rack that you might want to take a look at. Axiom offers many styles and offers a lifetime guarantee.

Here's a description of the mounting system of the Steamliner road rack:

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streamliner road

suggested retail: $29.99
Patent Pending Design specifically for use on Road bikes - Does not require braze-on mounts or threaded dropouts - Unique foot design allows rack to be mounted 4cm behind the axle, allowing for improved heel clearance on road bike length chainstays. - Specially designed hardware attached to calliper brake mount - Includes pump pegs - Fits 700C wheels - Weight = 640g - Load Capacity = 50kg

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I do not think you can - and I'm fairly sure you should NOT - put a clip-on rack on a carbon seatpost. Definitely get a different seatpost if you're going to use it to carry any weight (other than your own, sitting on the saddle) at all.

I think getting a new seatpost (aluminum) will be the only way for you to use the rack trunk your charming family gave you. :)

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Originally Posted by Grog

I think getting a new seatpost (aluminum) will be the only way for you to use the rack trunk your charming family gave you. :)

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:confused:
There have been two racks posted here that don't involve braze-ons or seat posts. No bone shaker aluminum seat post needed.



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Wow, you have all been busy! Let me see, where to start............

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I have/had the trek interchange. I really like it

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SBC - I am sorry that you lost your marbles twice. I had a "bout" of time where I lost keys - it was shameful. I ended up getting 6 sets made and guess what? I have only lost one set since then! It is nice to know that you like the Trek system. Do you have a carbon bike?

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I'd be very hesitant to strap a rack to a carbon frame.

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I have heard both - "it's fine" and "don't do it". I guess that if it is a rack that attaches to the seatpost, the only thing that would need replaced on occasion is the seatpost? Right? After all the $$ I spend a year on biking, a new seatpost now and then seems to be pocket change :eek:. Is there any other risk that you have heard of other than it wearing the post over time?

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Whatever type of mounting system you use (I'm not aware of anything but the little metal collars that substitute for braze-ons

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A what huh??? Braze-on? Fancy word for metal collar??

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I'd be seriously worried about weakening composite.

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Has this actually happened to someone? How likely would it be if I were only using the system 15 times or so over a summer? Want me to be the guneia pig here?

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Plenty of roadies on the ride I just did this weekend were wearing fanny packs

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Me no likey the fanny pack. I am packing enough fanny as it is :eek:.

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As for a laptop, is your commute too long to wear a backpack comfortably?

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No- I have a short commute. I don't think I'll be taking the laptop on a century ride :p with me, even though I truly love the forum, it can wait a day or two for me to return ;)

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ETA: you would've appreciated one of the riders I saw yesterday. She was wearing a wool jersey, probably too big for her to begin with, that had stretched after getting wet, and her pockets were very full. The pockets and their contents were hanging down below the back of her saddle like a tunic

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Do your ears hang low? Do they wobble too and fro? Can you tie them in a knot, can you tie them................sorry, ahem, back on subject. :D:D

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And pepper spray goes best on a handlebar mount, they're available.

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I have a handlebar mount for my spray. It is just playing hide and seek with me at the moment. It is winning!

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I'd say get a medium sized handlebar bag.

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More shopping? Is my work never done here? :D:D Good idear.

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I've seen folks ride plenty speedy with a(n empty) rack on the back of their bike. Looks Fred to those who care, but....well...there it is.

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Peer pressure to look cool just kind of seems so insignificant when I am riding around in rubber britches! :eek: (Spandex) :D

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Generally, clamp-on racks (such as this) should NOT be used on carbon seatposts. If you have no way to attach a standard rack to your frame and have a carbon seatpost, generally, you're SOL for carrying.....

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Is generally the operative word here? I am thinking that I should brave the odds or get an aluminum seat post.

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Would you consider a handlebar bag .....and then perhaps a laptop backpack for commuting when you need to carry the laptop?

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Yeah, I am considering that, too. It might be the best way to go. The idea of my seatpost snapping off while I am riding in my rubber britches seems REALLY Fred!

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The only quick release ones I have seen are those seatpost ones and others have reported problems.

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This is good to know.

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Just a thought: What kind of a rack did you get? Maybe we can help you find what you want for it. If my kids had gotten me a rack for mother's day I would move heaven and hell to get a bag and trunk to fit the rack they picked out. They're grown now, and I have never regretted wearing Macaroni necklaces in public or using whatever they got me no matter what.

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They gave it to me with the preface that they weren't sure what I wanted and that I could exchange it if need be. I love Macaroni necklaces too. Very UN-FRED!!!! Like wearing a queens crown. Makes all the other mom's jealous! Neener, neener, neener! :p:p

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Not true. Old Man Mountain makes racks for any bike, whether they have braze ons or not.

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Still don't know what a braze on is?

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There's a very precise (and very low) torque spec for the seatpost clamp on a carbon bike, for instance. Who's going to give you a torque spec for the band clamps? Not the rack manufacturer - who probably couldn't even get the technical data they'd need, and in any case wouldn't be legally smart to take responsibility for a bike manufactured by someone else - and not the bike manufacturer, who will just tell you not to do it.

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Good point.

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Sounds like Flybye needs a touring bike to mount that rack on!

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There is a really nice Surly in my size on craigslist as we speak.................. be quiet, voices in my head................... today WAS payday..................DH would never notice the extra bike in the garage............be QUIET..................The Natchez trail Women's Tour thread was so interesting, I'd love to do that someday on a nice touring bike.........AAAAAAHHHHHH!! My husband works at a Psychiatric Hospital as a pharmacist, where's that number??? :rolleyes::rolleyes:

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I have an Axiom Laurentian bag that quickly un-Velcros and has a shoulder strap so I can take it with me. I also have the rack and I really like how it's designed. There's a Streamlined Carbon rack that you might want to take a look at. Axiom offers many styles and offers a lifetime guarantee.

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Checking on that, too, sister!

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I think getting a new seatpost (aluminum) will be the only way for you to use the rack trunk your charming family gave you.

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I am thinking so too. I could fixer up in a snap (pun intended) with a little duct tape and a broom handle. Fred for sure.

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There have been two racks posted here that don't involve braze-ons or seat posts. No bone shaker aluminum seat post needed.

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:confused::confused::confused::confused: for sure. There's that word again, braze-on, now bone shaker aluminum seat post, I understand. Talka' me language! :o:o

Sorry to be such a page hog with that post - :o:o:o:o:o

Ohhh...Surly touring bike.....**drool**