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Granted Im trying to start touring at a financially difficult time for the country and for myself, as I'm sending my oldest off to college next fall. Still I'd like to get my feet wet with touring. My Surly is almost finished being built and my mind is now on to how to and what to bring along. I'm looking for racks under $100. Top of the line would be nice but if I waited till I could afford it I'd never make it down the road. What are you carrying that's cheap but works??
Lots of choices there for sure...
I chose to go without racks and use bags,the advantage is that the entire system is lighter. I also knew that the larger bags/pannniers that I carried, theh more I would fill them... whether I needed to or not. I ordered bags from Relevate, and love the quality. Although the other side of that is that I waited very long for them with no communication from the company itself. There are a couple of other companies out there now as well... Cleavealand Mountainerring is another, so you could check out their site as well.
I did a review on the shop blog on the racks/panniers vs bags, maybe you'd want to check that out as well. http://chasecyclery.blogspot.com
If you're so inclined, there are also people sewing their own bags... so I could point you in that direction as well...
Good luck in your search!:D
We have Racktime ADDit rear racks on our touring bikes. I think you can find them for $50ish if you shop around. Our panniers are from Nashbar ( their own brand). I think we got them on sale for $25 or so. They work just fine, even in pouring rain.
Another recommendation for Racktime products in general. DH and I each have a set of their panniers and love them. Our racks are Blackburn, and each one must be ~15 years old, but they're still going strong.
We don't do much loaded touring, but we do commute on a less-than-well-maintained route.
I bought a lightly used BOB trailer off Craigslist and have used on some overnight trips.
I had a Blackburn rear rack on my LHT, I think it cost me around $50 unless my memory is totally off. It is important to be aware how much weight your rack is rated to carry as there are differences. You don't want to put 50 pounds on something designed to carry 25...
Thank you!
I'm going to look into the rack time racks and Nashbar Panniers. Wait did she say the Nashbar panniers are waterproof? My daughter rode with a $12 handlebar bag from pricepoint.com; we didn't have any rain so I don't know how well it would hold up to that but she is very happy with it. I checked a while back and it looks like they are now about $6. She left it on after our long ride last summer so I'm going to go check out in the garage and see how it is holding up.
Just to be safe, I would always pack clothing or anything you don't want to get wet in plastic bags BEFORE putting them in waterproof bags... panniers or otherwise. I've been on way too many bike tours and seen wet clothing come out of waterproof bags. Just a precaution..:D
http://chasecyclery.blogspot.com
We carry Racktime and Ortlieb and Lone Peak (LP is higher priced but made in USA) I took the Racktime travelit's on our tour last summer, I used the smaller (fronts) but put them on the back. Racktime Addit is a really nice rear rack for a very decent price. Of course, I have also toured with an 18 liter Zimbale Saddlebag, perfect for S24O. Be happy to help and answer questions for you.
I have a Delta Sherpa rack on my LHT. I love these racks but I don't see other people using them much. They sell for around $40 but I keep finding them in the clearance bin at REI for $10. So I keep picking them up. My commuter bikes have them too.
Mine has worked well for our short tours. It's rated for 60lbs. I carry about 25lbs on my rear rack.
I have plenty of panniers, Jandd panniers for touring and very old REI Novara panniers for commuting. But if I needed panniers I think the Nashbar panniers look like a good deal when they are on sale (frequently) for $20-30. They have a lot of good reviews on the nashbar website.
Here is the exact rack I have on my LHT (mine has 26" wheels) and look it's on sale at REI for $16.
Thanks for the great information on racks and panniers! What else do I need? I picked up a two man tent last year a Colman, I'm sure it isn't the lightest thing but for now it's what I own. What other equipment should I not leave home without?
a stove if you want to eat hot food. Of course, you can get by just fine with cold foods (I prefer bringing food I don't have to cook).
Also important are off-bike shoes. Good lights in case you get caught out after dark, and lastly, a sense of adventure (but it seems like you already have that). ;)
Ask around and see if you can borrow camping gear. Most people have stuff sitting sround not being used. That way you can try before you buy, or see what you actually need before investing the $$$.
Also I know so hiking and tramping places will rent/hire out stuff as well.
Here are a few tips we have put together on what to take on you bike tour