Help me choose...racks & bags

[kerrybelle]

I recently got a commuter bike and am having a difficult time figuring out what type of racks & bag/basket to get. I got a Specialized Globe Centrum. It's a single speed with 26" tires. You can see it here:
http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCEqu...entrum%20Sport

My commute is under 6 miles each way. I went with the single speed due to the simplicity and my route is relatively flat.

My LBS sold me a rear rack that extends off the seat post. I got a bag for it, but the bag doesn't seem stable. It attaches to the rack with velcro but with a load in it, it seems top heavy. Hope this makes sense.

I'm starting to think I may be better off with a traditional rack and maybe a basket of some sort. I'm not sure I really need the bag. It does have fold out panniers on it.

If not a basket, I was thinking about the Topeak MTX series. The bag attaches to the rack with a rail and quick release set up. Again, I'm not so sure I need a bag system.

Any thoughts or ideas for me. I know my LBS doesn't like taking things back, but I don't think what I have now is what I want/need.

Thanks,
Kerry

[KnottedYet]

Full racks are great, nice and stable even when I load my bike lopsided or with an awkward shaped object. I've had them on all my utility bikes over the years. And with a trunk bag and extendible panniers, you'd have a very nice and flexible set up! It seems like your shop should take back the seat post rack if you haven't used it (I mean, you *did* just buy a bike from them! And they want to keep you happy so you send your friends there.)

So, I'd exchange the rack, but keep the trunk bag with the fold-out panniers.

Cool bike, just went to the Specialized site... more bikes calling my name. I feel like a velocipede Lothario.

[GLC1968]

I might have a solution for you. This is what I want to get for my commuter.

Trek has a rack called the Interchange. It's a regular rack that fits regular trunks and panniers BUT, it also fits the Interchange stuff which snaps on and off super easy. My husband has one and uses the interchange panniers for his commute. I'm going to get one because I want to get the rear basket. It snaps on and off and has a handle to carry around the grocery store or farmers market! I'm pretty sure I'll be able to use this basket AND my panniers at the same time.

[kerrybelle]

Ooh, I really like that idea. I was thinking a basket might be more usefull on my commute and the option of using the bag/panniers, is great.

I'll have to get over to the other LBS, since they have Trek.

[spotlightmama]

My DH just got the Topeak Explorer Rack (here) and the MTX Trunk Bag with Panniers (here).

The panniers just snap right on and are super easy to use. The material is not the highest quality by any means, but they seem pretty good and he is really happy with them. He has a 24-mile round-trip commute and was able to bring quite a bit of stuff with him. He's a teacher and these hold a ton of papers, too.

Good luck finding the right bags!

[CarbonCandy]

GLC, that basket is super amazing. We stock it and I've sold soooo many people on that thing with its easy on and off-ness. (The whole trek interchange thing in general) And yes you can use the panniers with the bag. I smiled as soon as I scrolled down the screen and saw that basket. It's my favorite

[Torrilin]

Disc brakes are a real problem with racks. It's usually possible to kludge something together, but it's still a kludge.

Since you have a rigid front end, a front basket may work. Mine handles all sorts of stuff quite well (it's held everything from days worth of produce at the farmer's market to a couple jackets, snacks and books). I'm really happy with it and wish more people had sung the praises of front loads when I was shopping for my first bike.

A lot of people will swear up and down that a front load is a terrible idea. They're wrong. If your bike has nice stable steering, it is probably a good basket candidate. If your bike has a front end that *looks* like it should be relaxed and stable, but it feels a bit twitchy, it's worth trying a front load... some bikes get more stable that way. A really racy bike often won't do well with a front load tho... the handling can get weird.

If you go this route, look for a basket with a rigid mount. Basil and several other European companies make removable baskets using the KlickFix mounting system. Topeak and Wald have their own systems. KlickFix is the only one used by multiple manufacturers, so the others are (of course) incompatible. There are cheaper front baskets that don't have a rigid mount... *not* a good idea if you're using the basket a lot (Velo Orange sells a Basil one that just has hooks for example). Removable baskets usually can't handle more than about 10lbs.

A permanent basket mount (like on Wald's 157) can work too, and might be easier than a rack. That kind of setup can carry more weight than a handlebar mount. It's not as convenient for shopping. The strongest setup is a front rack and permanent basket, but it's rather expensive and can make the bike's handling very strange if it's not designed for heavy front loads.

Handlebar bags tend to have the same weight limits as removable baskets. There are a lot of KlickFix compatible ones out there, which could be convenient in the long run. The big ones tend to be more expensive than a basket and not as useful for shopping and errands, so I'm not a big fan. You can get improvements with a rack/bag setup, but it's got the same caveats as a rack and basket and it costs about 2-3x as much.